Each day lately has been like waking in an alternate reality. The United States has become a country where facts are optional, face masks are political, and climate change is a hoax. In this issue, we explore conflicting realities and spreading ideologies, and we offer several stories of cooperation and hope.
At another scale, the dismissal of climate warnings by national leadership has left the country ill-prepared for what is coming. The lengthening wildfire season is straining firefighters, causing post-traumatic stress that our health system cannot handle. To make matters worse, our poor response to COVID-19 has brought a massive economic downturn, including for the renewable energy sector. We are entering negative feedback loops.
In a fragmenting world, we must work harder to connect. Where systems fail, individuals can step up. To give one example: COVID-19 economics are presenting a housing challenge in the San Francisco Bay Area, which was already experiencing severe economic pressure and gentrification. There, though, citizens are pushing for policies that help them buy buildings, so that people can stay in their homes. To give another: In Washington, where the pandemic is disrupting food distribution, people are learning to grow their own food and supply their neighbors.
Brian Calvert is the editor-in-chief of High Country News. Email him at editor@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Where people are stepping up.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
