So… Agriculture is destroying the planet, as judged by people who are destroying a desert?
Each year for my birthday, I try to do something for myself. In the midst of a busy summer and fall schedule, it’s nice to take a little time to get away when I can. This year, work travel took me to Sacramento for two days of workshops with California ranchers.
I took the opportunity to change my route back and road trip home through the desert. So it was kind of fitting that on my morning run through neighborhoods just outside Sacramento, that I found a spot where the sidewalk ends. A good start for a trip through the desert.
Desert Road Trip
My road trip began with an evening flight out of Sacramento following two-days of training workshops. It was a good chance to unplug for a wild and crazy, long #LaborDayWeekend. So let’s recap a 1,500-mile road trip that started with a flight through Los Angeles.
Destroying the Desert
One of the first things that struck me while flying in was the sheer change of the landscape around the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Basin, which is home to Los Angeles and all its suburbs. You can get a good view of the new Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park flying into LAX.
No natural landscapes of the desert are left. It’s only miles and miles and miles of housing, pavement, concrete and emissions. It’s not natural for so many people to be living in a place where there is no water.
Yet, residents of areas like these are often the people judging farmers and ranchers for how the land is treated? Ok…
We should really take a look at who/what we’re singling out in these sustainability conversations and work toward holistic solutions.
Plane spotting
On a brighter note, it was very cool to land and hang out in the Alaska Air lounge for some plane spotting with @the_wanderingwildcat who joined me for the trip. It’s pretty cool to have a friend who can fly in and geek out about aviation and exploring the area.
There is all assortment of planes and jets that come through LAX. Not only is Los Angeles a major airport for domestic airlines like American, Delta, United, and Alaska, but you’ll also see dozens of international airlines from across the globe!
Next stop, Las Vegas!
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