Talia Kramer, Civil & Environmental Engineering | Mitra Mirpour, Civil & Environmental Engineering

This morning, Shifting Tides woke up at 7 AM to load the van, cook breakfast, and pack lunch. We then drove to Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California to eat our breakfast near the waves. After breakfast, we met Jim Fithian from Pacifica Beach Coalition. As he told us about Pacifica Beach Coalition, his vibrant energy woke us up. He explained to us how the organization began 20 years ago as a grassroots organization of just a couple of people to what it is today: an organization with thousands of annual volunteers that influences local policy. The organization cleans local beaches, educates the public (especially children) on how their actions impact the ecosystem, and takes action through government, such as lobbying to ban styrofoam, to make institutional changes that protect the ecosystem. Jim also described how far the community has come in terms of awareness and responsibility. They used to collect hundreds to thousands of bags of trash each clean up. When we cleaned, we only found enough trash to fill 2 trash bags and a recycling bag. Cleaning the beach and learning about the Pacifica Beach Coalition showed us how short-term work paired with a long-term investment in an issue can create lasting change.

By working with the Pacifica Beach Coalition for over 20 years, Jim has witnessed the shift in the community's perception of environmental consciousness. He and his wife Anne, as well as the organization’s many different approaches to environmental justice, have played an important role in changing people’s mindsets. By organizing regular beach cleanups, people realize the tangible effects their actions have. The lasting impression from the day of service translates to small but important personal changes in behavior. Seeing all of the plastic washed up on the beach makes me more cognizant of the unnecessary plastic I can cut out of my life - plastic bottles, utensils, and bags that can be replaced with eco-friendly materials. Small changes like this can compound into something more impactful than just the sum of its parts. It changes people’s attitudes toward environmentalism into an active role rather than a passive one. Jim believes that "change is generational”: when you get children excited and educated about the environment, they'll grow up and teach their children who will teach their children and so on. With every iteration, the people expect more from their community and from their government. That's why what they do is so important. It gives people, especially children, the passion and knowledge to be a force behind environmental activism. It was inspiring to hear that children were excited to be called an "Earth Hero." Their enthusiasm for the environment makes me feel optimistic about the future. The world needs more Jims. Thank you, Pacifica Beach Coalition for making the present and future look a little brighter.