A landmark study came out this week about how air pollution disproportionately affects people of color. I've know this for a long time, instinctively - having lived in NYC and seen that asthma rates in predominately Black and Latinx neighborhoods like Harlem, where more delivery trucks come off the bridges and are concentrated on thoroughfares through those areas before dispersing. But seeing the study, and realizing that the claim that Black people have higher rates of asthma - and research to identify a genetic cause - are completely BS, and rather about systemic racism - infuriating. 

This is also true for parts of cities being hotter by 1.5C on average and less resilient to a warming planet (fewer trees and green infrastructure), among other things. 

Systemic changes. No climate justice without racial justice. 

I'm enjoying walking a lot more - while its getting chilly out I'm enjoying seeing nature change seasons 

I love seeing all the little details of the seasons, watching flowers bloom over a few weeks, birds building nests, etc. Seeing how other people use outdoor space - families, pets (so many more cats on leashes than I've ever seen before!), friends, people alone. 

Wider, smoother sidewalks. Pedestrian-first intersections. Better bike lanes (so bikes don't ride on sidewalks). People being better pedestrian "citizens" and aware of their surroundings/community. 

I like supporting local farmers and producers. I have the impression the food is fresher and more flavorful, since it's not harvested weeks in advance to be shipped around the world. This also cuts down on transportation emissions, which in some areas is the largest emissions category. 

Women are generally the caretakers of the family and tend to not only children, but elders. This is also why climate change disproportionately affects women, because when an extreme weather event hits, they stay behind to tend to those who can't flea quickly. Leaving them in unsafe conditions as sexual violence against women increases after such events (first responders busy with other issues). This is not just a third world problem, the same happened for example after Hurricane Katrina.

When I eat mindfully, I feel fuller at the end of the meal and enjoyed my food more. Otherwise I just feel like adding gas to the tank but not really knowing what went in.

Using my own body to move around through walking and biking lets me explore the city (taking different routes, observing, etc.). It also allows me to interact with and observe people in my community (as does public transit). I find driving and parking (esp in SF) stressful, and limiting my use of cars makes me appreciate when I do need one to get somewhere quickly (or at night, when walking/biking/transit can be less safe), hauling things, or getting somewhere not easily reachable by other modalities,