Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Jan. 17, 2026

Climate change accelerates the need for preparations

When it comes to coastal flooding and sea-level rise driven by climate change, Marin County is a proverbial canary in the coal mine. That reality became clear in the opening days of the new year.

I know that Marin is not standing still. Local agencies, utilities and community partners have already taken important steps to prepare for climate-change impacts, including rising seas, flooding, wildfire risk and other natural hazards. Those efforts matter and they deserve recognition.

At the same time, the flooding earlier this month revealed how interconnected and vulnerable our systems have become. Flooding at a single telecommunications substation disrupted cellular and streaming services, home internet and even access to 911 across much of the county. The outage cascaded across multiple providers, underscoring how a localized failure can quickly become a countywide emergency.

This matters not only for coastal flooding, but for wildfire and earthquake preparedness as well. Reliable communications are foundational during evacuations, medical emergencies and disaster response. When those systems fail, even briefly, the consequences can be serious.

There are more super full moons to come, more atmospheric rivers and more king tides ahead, each one testing not just our roads and neighborhoods, but the infrastructure we depend on in moments of crisis. What this moment tells us is not that we have failed, but that climate change is accelerating the need to step up our level of preparedness by building redundancy, hardening critical facilities and planning for compound failures.

Acting early and decisively is how Marin can continue to lead rather than be forced to react.

— Larry Minikes, San Rafael

Government needs to get serious about tidal flooding

Earlier this month, the Tamalpais High School alumni soccer game was canceled on account of water — not rain but saltwater from king tides — inundating the playing surface of Sam Chapman Stadium under mostly clear skies.

I’m 36 years old and flooding around Richardson Bay has been an issue my entire life. I remember, long before attending Tam High as a student, going down to the field with skimboards during big rain events. That playful seasonal novelty has, over the years, become my most tangible reference point for the realities of climate change, and sea-level rise in particular. It begs the question: How is it that, in one of the wealthiest and best educated places in the world, we are so far behind something that has been so obvious for so long?

The persistence of the problem, in spite of Marin’s resources and expertise, suggests that there is another dimension to the problem that we have not yet figured out, the human dimension, the ability to develop and coalesce the will, humility, leadership and organization to work together, make sacrifices and figure it out.

The science is out there. The engineering is out there. I suspect the money is out there. But how do we find common ground among diverse interests to develop and implement a plan before we’re all underwater? One neighborhood or town can’t do it alone. If you block water somewhere, it has to go somewhere else.

Sea-level rise is proving to be a great equalizer; the same water will wreak equal havoc on rich and poor communities across the world. In Marin we have a microcosm of that impartiality and an opportunity to address the challenge for what is, as a human challenge.

— Call Nichols, Stinson Beach

Proposed bus yard will further San Rafael’s climate goals

I am writing in response to the article published Jan. 9 with the headline “Disputed electric bus yard advances.” The excellent article highlighted the fact that Marin Transit completed a California Environmental Quality Act review and is moving ahead with the project approval process.

The 3.3-acre project, situated along Francisco Boulevard East in San Rafael, is in an area dominated by auto-related service businesses. From a land use perspective, the proposed bus yard with storage and maintenance of vehicles is quite similar to these existing uses in the area.

While city officials have advised Marin Transit leaders that they oppose the project for several reasons, including inconsistency with zoning and a lack of benefit to the Canal neighborhood and its residents, I think those arguments are so-called “red herrings.”

I believe the real reason was revealed by San Rafael Councilmember Maribeth Bushey, who also serves on the Marin Transit Board. “The city of San Rafael remains concerned and impacted by the decision to remove this site, this freeway frontage site, from its potential to be a high tax-generating site for the city of San Rafael,” Bushey said. “This has implications for our general plan as well as, most pointedly, for our general fund.”

As is often the case, the issue appears to be fundamentally about economics and the potential loss of tax-revenue generating uses (hotels or auto dealerships, to name some examples). While the City Council is understandably focused on San Rafael’s long-term fiscal sustainability, I doubt this small site will make or break the future budget.

The benefits of this project in furthering the city’s climate-action plan and providing enhanced public transportation on which the public and Canal neighborhood residents depend is apparent. While city officials will assess the trade-offs, the benefits seem to clearly outweigh the costs.

— Bill Ramsey, San Rafael

It would be more efficient to combine school districts

As a former longtime resident of Marin County, I am writing in regard to the article published Jan. 9 with the headline “$5.5 million budget cuts loom for San Rafael schools.”

It seems there are similar stories every year for Marin County’s 18 school districts. Earlier this school year there were stories from Tamalpais Union High School District and the Novato Unified School District. I think that if leadership at Marin school districts continue to want separate administration, administrative staff, overhead (offices) and pension costs, it will continually be looking at significant budget cuts – especially with declining student attendance. Enrolled Marin students are now under 30,000 (down from approximately 34,000).

San Francisco gets by with one district for about 50,000 students and 122 schools. Ventura County has 20 districts, which is comparable to Marin, but that county has approximately 140,000 students. The top three administrators for each district have salaries that average over $100,000 per year, plus benefits and retirement options at age 55 with 10 years of service.

I believe many voters might vote to pass more school taxes if some effort was made to merge districts, much like some Marin cities have merged fire and police. I know each district has their own idiosyncrasies (which district parents like to protect), but it is past time for the yearly warning of major cuts.

— Ron Leach, Fairfield

Poem in honor of woman killed by ICE agents

The killing of Renee Nicole Good (“ICE officer kills a Minneapolis driver in a deadly start to Trump’s latest immigration operation,” Jan. 8) is an American tragedy. I consider it the result of a continuing campaign of terror against people who are standing for what is supposed to be the foundation of this nation. It is in the “Pledge of Allegiance” — liberty and justice for all.

Here is my haiku in memory of Good:

She stood for justice; They shoot poets in the street; The sun twists in pain.

— D. Leah Steinberg, Sausalito

Animal agriculture industry has impact on climate change

As world leaders gather for climate talks, one major contributor to climate change continues to be sidelined: industrial animal agriculture. While energy and transportation dominate the conversation, factory farming remains a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution and biodiversity loss.

Ignoring this reality weakens any serious climate plan. We cannot meet climate goals while leaving animal agriculture off the table.

Fortunately, solutions already exist. Shifting toward plant-based foods reduces emissions, conserves water and lessens pressure on ecosystems — without requiring new technology or massive infrastructure changes.

Climate action isn’t only about policy; it’s also about personal responsibility. In a world facing overlapping environmental crises, choosing meat-free meals is one of the most immediate and effective ways individuals can reduce their climate impact.

If we truly care about the planet’s future, our climate conversations — and our plates — must reflect that.

— Michael Ignacio, Novato