But I saw it coming because it is obvious that the more cars you produce, the more fuel you're going to need and we are seeing the results as the climate changes.ĭo you think the work at COP26 will help North Fair Oaks? At least, I wasn't doing it for those reasons. That was when I decided to go to the supervisor’s office hours and I started asking those questions.īack then, climate change wasn't really a thing. I was looking for better ways to transport myself to work. It was my concern about the lack of bicycle lanes in North Fair Oaks. We have an interactive map that will allow residents to see who is their block leader and how many residents from their block are participating already. We want to identify one neighbor per block that can become a leader and represent that block and be in communication with the surrounding residents. How do you want to help North Fair Oaks prepare for future climate-related emergencies? Considering that the most vulnerable individuals are the ones that are going to be facing the worst results from climate change, that's really where my focus is. This is a community that is working class, predominantly Latino, up to 75%. The problem that I'm trying to prevent is the vulnerability in this community.

What's the climate problem you're trying to solve here in North Fair Oaks? The following has been edited for length and clarity. Amelia Estebez holds an umbrella to shield herself from the sun while she speaks with Alicia Montano in North Fair Oaks on May 10, 2021.

KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero interviewed Rodriguez about how he’s preparing his community for the effects of climate change through his organization’s program. The county systems can be overwhelmed very easily, and they may not respond by the time you need them. “I was the only one around cleaning out the debris. “I wish our plan was already in effect,” he said. I've also experienced the smokey, extra-hot days that we experienced last year from the surrounding fires and then again this year.” “I arrived at the conclusion that this must be the effect of climate change. “It was something that I haven't seen before in the nearly 30 years that I've been living here,” he said. Rodriguez says the community - an unincorporated area near Redwood City in San Mateo County - needs this kind of support.Ī few weeks back, the Bay Area ping-ponged from severe drought conditions to flooding rains during an atmospheric river storm - the kind of whiplash that climate scientists warn is a hallmark of a warming California.Īs the streets of North Fair Oaks filled with rainwater, Rodriguez said the Block Action Teams would have proved helpful.

Jagged alliance back in action map