I am struggling to understand just what is going on: Russians hacking into email accounts, plagiarized First Lady speeches, “Make America Great Again,” deposed chairwoman . . .

Things are heating up! Literally. The temperature is going through the roof. New York is planning to build a wall around Manhattan to protect against sea level rise. Miami may be completely submerged within a few decades. Climatic shifts are coming more quickly than predicted, the ecological homeostasis is being changed for generations to come, and the campaigns are focused elsewhere.

Fortunately, I was able to turn to the Bohemian and read Will Parrish’s excellent article about the current battles to protect the redwoods in our area (“Last Stands,” July 27). Like a wise elder, he gives a sense of perspective that runs deeper than the tantalizing scandal of the moment.

Wisdom is embedded in Mr. Parrish’s article. He reports on the ignored counsel of the Karuk people who have lived in Northern California for 10,000 years (as have the Wappo, and later the Miwok and Pomo people). Sustainable cultures kept a balance in this region for millennia, before European contact led to the destruction of peoples and environment in less than 200 years. These folks are still here trying to figure out the way forward. Fortunately, the activists are also here. A new generation is showing up, reminding us that the forest is never saved, that the struggle is ongoing.

When contemplating the history, I feel a steely resolve to prevent a repeat of Charles Hurwitz’s strategy of extracting everything he could from the forest, all the while pitting environmentalists against loggers. He is long gone, we are still here, and the ecosystem has suffered greatly.

As the climate evolves to the next phase of “normal,” can we afford to ignore the advice of the original peoples to protect the life-support systems of our home? Given the key role trees play in protecting the land and the atmosphere, a decision to clear-cut redwoods at this critical time is almost incomprehensible.

Thank you, Bohemian, for keeping us focused on what really matters.

Gary Pace lives in Sebastopol.

Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.

From Covelo to Sausalito and Sebastopol to Bodega Bay, pot farmers are talking about Proposition 64, which will be on the ballot in November and which would legalize recreational marijuana. They’re also talking about the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA), which became law on Jan. 1 but doesn’t go into effect until 2018. Both Proposition 64 and the MMRSA are reactions to 1996’s Proposition 215, which ushered in the current era of medical marijuana and led to an explosion of the marijuana industry: humongous plantations, greenhouses, dispensaries, pot docs and more.

The new regulations were inevitable. Things did get out of hand, folks. Outlaws multiplied and illegal activities proliferated. Growers did damage to the environment and sucked water from rivers and streams. Yes, there were and there still are plenty of law-abiding, ecologically aware people in the hills, but too many corners were cut and too much bad weed reached the market. Something had to be done. It was done. And what has been done seems to many to be going too far. The pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.

If lawmakers and law enforcers have their way, marijuana will be more intensely regulated than any other crop in California. Sad to say, every time the state or federal government has passed a law about marijuana, there have been unintended consequences. Given that sad history it seems likely to happen again. Indeed, the MMRSA might well give rise to a new generation of outlaws and criminals. Where there’s a chance to make big money, greed will kick in, growers will resort to guns and scoff at rules and regulations.

The state of California has made little if any provision to educate citizens about marijuana. Indeed, what’s needed more than new laws and new state agencies is sound education. Sacramento ought to create an Office of Marijuana Information that would dispel the lies that have circulated since the days of “reefer madness.”

Jonah Raskin is the author of ‘Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War.’

Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.