Closing rural lands to development does nothing to protect the remaining areas from continued speculation. In fact, it could potentially accelerate the rising cost of housing by making Sonoma even more desirable to wealthy homebuyers. If we are serious about stopping sprawl, we must commit ourselves not only to real density in the urban centers, but to housing for everyone who lives or works here. A living wage would strengthen the local economy and begin to reduce some of the social costs of economic inequality. We cannot separate ourselves or our habitats from the rest of life's web.
Most conservationists are good folks who want to do the right thing.
However, there is a point where many stop short of connecting environmental and social justice issues. We know that injustice and environmental degradation are symptoms of the same underlying problem. Diversity is just as necessary to a neighborhood or a society as it is to an ecosystem, for much the same reasons. As Greens, we need to make those connections too clear to ignore, and make every environmental issue a social justice issue as well. A living wage ordinance for the county and every city.