Page 14 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2017

“Pittsburgh not Paris.” With this slogan, on June 1st, the President announced the US’s withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Accords on Climate Change. Mayor Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh shot back, “Pittsburgh stands with the world and will follow the Paris agreement...for our people, our economy and future.” The US Conference of Mayors said it strongly opposes leaving the Paris agreement, calling on the nation’s mayors to continue ghting climate change by committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Joining the more than 300 cities and many counties in this ght, are least 13 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, along with 220 educational institutions and over 1100 companies and investors who represent 120 million Americans and $6.4 trillion in the economy. Santa Rosa and Sonoma county have joined them in signing a letter stating, “We are Still In.” (for a full list and more information, go to wearestillin.com.) Some are going even further than the Paris Accords. At least 30 cities have committed to being 100% renewable within 20 years. (Las Vegas is already there and Google will hit that target next year!) Meanwhile Seattle’s city council just vetoed a coal powered plant in Montana.
California’s still leading the way. On June 13th, Governor Brown was named a special adviser for states and regions – representing local jurisdictions committed to ghting climate change – to the next UN Climate Change Conference this November in Bonn, Germany. Joining him will be Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee.
This is all good news, ‘cause while it’s really hot, we “ain’t” seen
nothing yet. We’ve all felt the heat this week, but according to recent research from the University of Hawaii, worldwide we’ll experience more heat waves lasting 20 days or longer. Currently this is happening for 30% of the world, but, if we do nothing to reduce climate change, nearly 75% of all people will experience them by 2100. Because heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions are already in the atmosphere, aggressively lowering them could still put at least 48% of the population at risk. And, unless our air conditioning is powered by renewable resources, the steps we take to cool o will only make the problem worse. Googling “How to stay cool in summer,” brings up lots of DIY ideas for beating the heat, many without AC.
Climate change makes forest res, ooding, and sea level rise
Brian and Pam on an anniversary trip
A Warrior for the Soldiers: Graton Loses Brian Augustine
more likely. As the planet continues to heat up, we’ll see more forest res, such as the devastating one that recently killed at least 60 people in Portugal; in Northern California we’ll see res more often, and they’ll be worse.
Brian served many veterans at the VA Hospital Martinez at an inpatient drug rehab program until a threat to close the program; Brian refused to author a report that would have shuttered it. Then a call came from a previous coworker at the VA Hospital. They had worked side by side for years but never discussed their service in Vietnam where she had been a nurse at Cho Lai. She is the model for the nurse at the Sacramento Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They started the 3rd largest center in the country, Concord Vietnam Veterans Center. Brian served for 15 years before retiring in 1997.
Meanwhile, sea levels are rising; scientists now predict a worst case scenario
of levels rising up to 80 feet by 2100. While some islands are being evacuated and disastrous consequence are predicted for places like Houston and New Orleans, it’s going to happen here, too. At the Rising Seas Summit in 2015, I learned about rising sea levels, but the current predictions are much worse than we thought then. To see what places such as San Francisco – or even Sonoma – will experience, check out this NOAA website: tinyurl.com/o8zwutc. It’s set for Sonoma, but put in any zip code and look at di erent scenarios.
The Augustines relocated to Grass Valley where Brian worked at Nevada County Mental Health for 10 years. Brian counseled Veterans su ering from PTSD before it was even really recognized - and did mental health outreach and home visits to people with extreme behavioral health challenges, including in isolated rural parts of California.
There is no Planet B, BUT... “There is no Planet B,” a slogan frequently seen at recent marches for science and the climate, is true – even more so in light
of the current administration’s approach to climate change. But, there is a Plan B. With state and local governments and businesses pledging not only to abide by the Paris Accords, but in many cases to go even further to reduce the greenhouse gases fueling rapid climate change, we still can make changes that’ll allow us keep to living on this planet.
Staycation Tip: Take a Sunday drive without the car – a day trip to Muir Woods National Monument. The Muir Woods Shuttle runs weekends from May 13th until October 29th from the Pohono Street Park & Ride lot o 101 or from Marin City. On weekdays from June 19th to August 29th, there’s also a shuttle from Marin City. See schedules at marintransit.org/routes/66.html. Roundtrip is $5.00 for adults; free under age 16! Such a deal!
© Copyright Tish Levee, 2017
14 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 7/17
Brian was there on the day in 2001 that Scott Thorpe walked into the o ce and shot and killed a 19-year old employee (Laura Wilcox, namesake of Laura’s Law) and a visiting caregiver and wounded others. Then Thorpe entered a nearby Lyon’s restaurant fatally shooting restaurant manager and wounding a cook. Brian quickly called 911 that day, recognizing well the sound of gun re.
By Heather Granahan
Graton, Sonoma County and the larger Veteran’s and disabled community
lost a valuable friend and advocate this May when Brian Augustine passed away after a valiant cancer battle.
Brian, a 3rd generation Concord boy and 5th generation Californian leapt into life at 17 by joining the Marines. After bootcamp he was sent to Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan and Korea; heady stu for a Concord kid. Then he was asked to choose: stay in Asia or a return to a domestic base. He stayed and six weeks later in 1963, he was in one of the rst Marine divisions to enter Vietnam. He was a grunt for 3 months and then volunteered for search air rescue. His last year there was interrupted by an 11 day leave after his father su ered a severe stroke.
Once home, he married and adopted twins with his rst wife. One of several jobs was shipping bombs to Vietnam via the Concord Naval Weapons Station. While there he was part of a discrimination suit led against the federal government. The GI bill rst took him to Diablo Valley College then Cal State Hayward and lastly graduate school at Cal Berkeley and UCSF.
Courage, Respect and Humor
Brian retired (again) shortly after the shooting and went into private practice with the chronically mentally ill. He discovered the opportunity to serve once again and took a job as an MFLC; Marriage, Family, Life Consultant providing mental health services to active military. He worked all over the world for 6 years including in Germany, Italy, Africa, England, American Samoa and Japan.
When he returned home he worked for the Council On Aging in Santa Rosa as the volunteer coordinator and resumed his private practice.
Coworker Arlene Irizari at the COA shared, “I had the privilege of being a co-worker at COA with Brian who was manager of mental health services & peer support services there until he went on medical leave earlier this year to focus on his battle with cancer... I attended workshops he presented about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Veterans & among other trauma/
VETERAN cont’d on page 15