February 2024 - Director's Corner
By Melissa Mahoney - February 3, 2024
The start of 2025 has been tumultuous, marked by challenges that underscore the growing impacts of climate change and technology sector risks. In Southern California, devastating wildfires fueled by intense Santa Ana winds have destroyed thousands of homes and lives, costing billions of dollars with years of recovery ahead. With no rain in sight, these fires continue to rage, serving as a grim reminder of the intensifying effects of a changing climate. Our hearts go out to the families, businesses, and communities as well as the wildlife whose suffering often goes unnoticed.
Closer to home, Moss Landing faced its own crisis on January 16th with the fourth and largest fire to date at the Vistra battery plant, the world’s largest battery energy storage facility. Housing 750 megawatts of power in over 110,000 battery modules, the facility’s fire suppression system failed during this latest incident, making it the most severe yet. Monterey County supervisors unanimously approved a state of emergency for Moss Landing, which will unlock state and federal resources to help with community impacts, and set up a community information page with updated air quality and other relevant information. For now, both Vistra and PG&E battery plants have been ordered to shut down until further notice, but questions remain about long-term accountability.
The fire’s impact rippled through the local seafood industry in Moss Landing, where hundreds of people were evacuated, and businesses were forced to close during what should have been a busy holiday weekend for tourists purchasing fresh Dungeness crab (which opened off our coast on January 5th). For an already struggling industry, this disruption adds insult to injury. One pressing question remains: will the state of emergency help cover the losses faced by local businesses, families, and harbor workers? It’s a question I plan to ask County Supervisors in the coming weeks.
Amid these challenges, there is some positive news. The Secretary of Commerce recently approved the 2024 California king salmon fishery disaster declaration, paving the way for eventual relief payments to salmon fishermen. While this offers a glimmer of hope, the painfully slow relief process remains a concern, as fishermen are still waiting for support from the 2023 disaster.
On a national scale, I want to highlight an exciting first-of-its-kind research project aimed at identifying pathways for decarbonizing the U.S. fishing fleet. This groundbreaking report, spearheaded by Sarah Schumann and the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign, explores the use of alternative energy sources in the commercial fishing sector. You can find the full report [here], and I extend my thanks to Sarah and her team for their vital work in advancing sustainable solutions for the fishing industry.
As we navigate these difficult times, may we be inspired by the work of Reverend Martin Luther King, to act with bravery, kindness, discernment, and audacious hope. Let us take good care of ourselves, and of each other, as acts of revolution today and every day.