Climate Column: How to Restore Your Faith in the Future
NATASHA JULIANA
ARGUS-COURIER COLUMNIST
November 17, 2025
Do you feel exhausted by the world? Cool Petaluma is here to lift your spirit and restore your faith in the future.
As the only organization in Petaluma that is solely focused on the wide breadth of solutions needed to tackle the climate crisis, we invite you to do something as simple as just showing up.
Cool Petaluma is hosting its fourth annual Stakeholder Shindig on Thursday, Dec. 4, at the spectacular Hall of the Above, where you can eat, drink and be merry. As a nonprofit on a mission to build resilient communities that heal the planet through inspiring grassroots gatherings, our Shindig is the grand party to cap off the year and raise funds to continue our work.
Along with many other nonprofits, we’ve experienced “trickle-down” financial losses from massive federal cuts, reducing the organization’s budget by a whopping 40 percent. This makes us all the more appreciative of the support of our community, including our event sponsors Northern Pacific Power and Recology. This Shindig is both critical to our fundraising and an important opportunity for fun-raising.
'We are failing': Pope Leo urges climate action as COP30 end nears
Since taking climate action and making culture changes shouldn’t feel like drudgery, Cool Petaluma is doubling down on the fun at this year’s event. To recap the organization’s impact, staff is replacing the standard PowerPoint presentation with an entertaining game show. To spice up the beverage offerings, Petaluma’s Purple Brands is hosting a Redwood Empire Whiskey bar, serving up a free craft cocktail plus rye and bourbon tastings. And to fill you up with hope, we will be surrounding you with a caring community that proves you are not alone in your concern for the state of the world.
Are you a Cool Petaluma Shindig stakeholder? If stakeholders are anyone who can affect or will be affected by the organization, or anyone who has a vested interest in its success or failure, then you are most definitely included.
As November’s atmospheric rivers pummeled the burn scars from January’s firestorms in Southern California, we are once again reminded that the effects of climate change are no longer a distant threat. And as every country – except the United States, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and San Marino – just sent official delegations to Brazil for the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30), it is clear that the vast majority of the world is taking this annual United Nations climate change conference seriously.
It’s easy to leave the work of reversing course on global warming up to the powers that be, assuming nothing we do in Petaluma really matters. But just because the problem is global doesn’t mean that no solutions are local. In fact, very challenging problems usually require both top-down and bottom-up participation.
“The average person needs to be engaging with these issues of climate risks and solutions with their family and friends, [but] the average citizen is not really encountering very much information on climate, let alone climate solutions,” explained marine biologist, writer, and climate activist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson when she received a TIME Earth Award in October.
That’s where Cool Petaluma comes in. The organization’s Cool Block program brings neighbors together to discuss key climate-related topics, build relationships, inspire peer-to-peer learning, and take action.
There is an intertwining of self-interest and altruism that makes up the fabric of this work, leading to many win-win solutions. Take transportation, for example. By finding ways to reduce the amount of gasoline we buy, we save money immediately, reduce air pollution for the community, help protect nature from drilling damage and oil spills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that will stay in the atmosphere for hundreds to even thousands of years.
For some blocks, this discussion leads to carpooling to school, adding the additional wins of new friendships, saved time, and less traffic on the road. This may seem like a tiny example, but this type of culture shift can make a huge difference.
As the Native American proverb goes, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Unfortunately, 78% of youth ages 16 to 25 in the United States believe “people have failed to take care of the planet.” And they are not wrong.
You could say that future generations are our most important stakeholders. But they have the least amount of influence. So we need the adults in the room to step up and help us give the next generation some hope by proving that we care about what we leave behind for them.
Climate action leader Bill McKibben tells us, “The most important thing an individual can do is be a little less of an individual and join together with others in movements large enough to make a difference.”
At the end of the day, we all need to step up and just do something. That is how we restore our faith in the future. Please join us at the Cool Petaluma Stakeholder Shindig and show the community how much you care. Get your tickets at coolpetaluma.org/shindig
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Natasha Juliana is campaign director for Cool Petaluma. She can be reached at natashaj@coolpetaluma.org
For information on how to get involved, visit coolpetaluma.org.
