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Commentary

Cities are shaped by dynamic visions, both individual and collective. Commentary brings together diverse perspectives on the future of California by looking into its history and generating innovative possibilities to what could be.

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A human figure made of particles walks down a painted alley towards the right of the fram
OPINION: Granting rights to nature doesn't have to mean recognizing it as a "person." Perhaps we could look at how humans are already like ecosystems and level the playing field accordingly.
A clock with roman numerals and hands pointing to the time 6:55 is painted on the inner wood of a tree trunk where the bark has been removed
Growing on remote mountaintops, the oldest living bristlecone pines have been tracking time for 5,000 years. Their annual rings have much to tell us about past climate conditions. Could they also calibrate our future actions?
A herd of mule deer grazes on a green, grassy meadow in the foreground with a pool of water, low green shrubs and tall evergreen trees behind them with snow-capped mountains visible in the background
To really understand ecology, we can't just study ecosystems. We need to collaborate with them as intellectual equals.
A slightly wrinkled U.S. dollar bill sits nestled in a grassy meadow, as seen through a blurry, greenish filter
If you think the economy is confusing, you're not alone. Most life on Earth is confounded by our economic system.
A plant with four green leaves and a green stem sprouts out of the center of a book lying open on a table in front of a black chalkboard with formulas written on it in white chalk.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has a plan to control the transmission of diseases such as COVID-19 from animals to humans. To succeed — and to thrive — we need to renegotiate our relationship with all other species.
Four abandoned building pilings are arranged in a square in the middle of a wildflower-filled, grassy field with a single-track dirt trail running through it, under a blue sky with blue mountains visible in the distance
Is our loss of connection with nature the root cause of our environmental crisis? It's time to start making momentous political decisions in the great outdoors.
Masked protesters gather outdoors on the streets between tall buildings while holding a homemade protest poster that reads "SOS" with a drawing of plant earth as the "O" and yellow, orange and red flames creeping up from below.
Plants and animals don't speak our language. Why should laws that impact their wellbeing be written in English?
A buffalo stands quietly with its eyes dropping as a brown bird with a red beak and yellow eyes pecks at its right ear
To be humane is not enough. We need to recognize the goodness of animals and plants, and to practice their ethical values ourselves.
An AI-generated image in sepia tone of a man wearing a hoodie facing away from the camera appearing in silhouette as he looks out over a scorched-earth landscape of skyscrapers and rubble with smoke billowing up into an orange, glowing sky
What would happen if Mother Nature were to turn on us — and reclaim everything we've built by draining all our natural resources?
Looking up from the ground at a large-trunked tree covered in moss and surrounded by lush greenery including ivy, ferns and the canopy of other trees' leaves
The virtual reality (VR) experience "Tree" was commissioned by the Rainforest Alliance as part of its campaign against deforestation in order to help combat the climate crisis. If you could experience life first-hand from the point of view of a tree, would you be willing to burn it or cut it down?
A green, dewy succulent plant with red edges wears a round, red and blue sticker that reads  "I VOTED" in white typeface in multiple languages
What if plants and other animals could vote? How would they vote? And how would we vote, knowing that these other species had a say?
The sun meets the horizon as it shines through a spare tree and its bare branches, appearing in silhouette against a dusty blue sky.
Through the language around our imaginations of trees, we express ideas about how to order the world.
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