June 16, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

It’s been a long moment since I’ve been on the blog. Apologies dear readers. As many of you know as we interact on other platforms, it’s been a June that none of us could have predicted. When you look back at last June, did you think this June would have happened?

I’m continuing to try to be impactful for the climate, and realizing it’s organizing bigger projects to move the national conversation. Mr. Plastic Picker is worried about the upcoming election, but strangely I am not. I guess I have somewhat tunnel vision in that I just want to play the role I’m supposed to play, and do my part. And the projects that I am working on, because they are all volunteer and usually with students and within the healthcare sector, are not limited by national politics. A lot of climate work can be done whether it be one political party or the other in power. The earth is neither conservative or liberal, the earth is the earth. Climate is climate. And I’m always grateful we live in a democracy (albeit imperfect).

This morning I have to finish two advocacy projects, finish calling the last 5 remaining legislators for sb1197. This is the leaded aviation fuel bill that is making it’s way through the different committees. Despite having some premedical students on the team, it’s hit or miss depending on their schedules. I get it. They are young. It’s graduation and many of them are moving home, and starting their summers. But one of the medical students is calling 5 of the legislators which helps quite a bit. It’s nice to do these advocacy projects together.

Then there is sb1137 which is the KEEP THE LAW gas and oil setbacks bill, and defending this win. There is a very large state coalition working on this. But locally, I’ve been helping to mentor a high school student Daniel Hernandez who is actually from my old high school (go Bonita!) and he has been doing very well. He’s linked with two large climate organizations and a good public speaker, so now has some leadership positions. I’m reminding him to pace himself and be strategic in his efforts, because he needs to also make time to apply to college and be a teenager. But I’ve linked him up with another post-bac student Kiran Rhodes and they are going to try to co-author an op-ed in the Chula Vista papers on SB1137. Likely we will win on this as there is a lot of money being donated state-wide to this effort, but it doesn’t hurt to do our part in our local municipalities and it gives a good student op-ed writing experience.

There is the fossil fuel divestment bill as well, SB 252 which directs the public employee pensions to divest from fossil fuels. Both AAP California and the Public Health Advisory Council for Climate Actions Campaign supported it last year. It did not pass. This years bill, we both support. So I just emailed the groups and got a consensus, so will draft a quick letter with some fancy signatures and send it off.

What else? Oh the H3SD 2024 San Diego’s Heat and Human Health Summit is well on it’s way to it’s second iteration. This summit was born out of so much love and passion, and me wanting to make connections in San Diego. I’m still waiting to hear about HMO funding for it, and my good friend and old medical school classmate Dr. Luis Castellanos has the medical school on board. But waiting and waiting for funding is really silly. I’m sure they will come through. But our family has committed to about 10-15K if our HMO bails. I’m used to working in big organizations, and for us as a dual physician couple who understand the true nature of climate change – it’s worth it 100%. But I hope they pay up because their name is all over this! I won’t tell anyone that we paid, but it will be an open secret in the climate and health world locally. Just in case any of them read this blog. It’s honestly somewhat embarrassing the way I have to go grubbing around for money in the world for climate work, when the world wastes so much money on many things. Like the number of managers in our department have ballooned yet things are being managed more poorly. Does that make any sense? I never see any of them around. Yet there are more of them.

Oh well. I’m just in charge of myself these days, and the earth.

Our kids are doing great! We don’t fly unnecessarily, so only our son is on his epic trip and he’s in Japan but staying there for a long time. It’s almost 3 weeks and we are so grateful for this. We are headed up to Oregon to our farm, and much needed time just Mr. Plastic Picker, myself and our teen daughter. We’ll hike around our pasture land, and meet up with the fish biologists as we have a Riparian Lands Tax credit since we are not developing any of the land – but especially not the special land around the riverbanks. A large creek that comes down from the cascades goes through our property (the Upper Cow Creek) and it’s important for fish habitat. I believe they are going to demo the Galesville damn near us soon which will be great for the fish. It’s exciting to have been able to buy that property and to make sure it does not get developed. Some one asked me is we could just build a town there, and I looked at them confused – because why would we do that? We are supposed to infill our urban areas and take public transport, and then leave these wild areas wild so they can continue to sequester carbon.

Thank you for letting me chatter on about life and the continued climate work. At UCSD the San Diego Union Tribune said the students did not really react to Al Gore’s speech. It’s not that they don’t care about climate change, 100% they do. It’s just that they don’t trust the admin who called police on their friends, and who wants to cheer on a speaker who doesn’t even know them introduced by a chancellor they no longer trust. It’s hard to earn back the trust of people. Just random thoughts when I was reading the SD-UT. Indeed, this June is not the June we would have predicted a year ago. But it’s the June we have, and I’m grateful to be alive (because I was really sick last week) and grateful to be able to blog.