By Kate Scow
What an extraordinary opportunity for change that Bapu Vaitla is running for City Council in District 1. Bapu’s unique combination of compassion, courage, creativity and commitment to community are just what our City needs to tackle the complex problems we face. And he brings years of international and local experience in finding solutions for issues of food security, gender equity and climate change, to the table.
Many of our problems are interrelated—take affordable housing and climate action-yet often posed in opposition to one another. Focusing on single issues is short-sighted, unrealistic and blinds us to opportunities for leveraging and synergy. Bapu’s approach is holistic, finding interconnections, honed by his breadth of experience, but foremost guided by the needs of our community. He approaches his work with open ears and an open heart. Bapu truly listens like few I know and is committed to making space for all. And he finds solutions—he’s shown this through his leadership on the Social Services Committee and Cool Davis. Guided by science and always in cooperation, Bapu does the hard work to bring positive change.
Bapu writes: “I believe that good change depends on commitment to place—to a community of loved ones and to the land”. Bapu loves Davis. He knows that the health of our human communities and the health of our natural world—our soil, our air and water, our trees– are intertwined. Bapu’s candidacy has renewed my hope that Davis can grow sensibly, become far more inclusive, protect our environment and grow resilient as our climate changes. Please join in supporting Bapu Vaitla for City Council!
Kate Scow is a Davis resident and a Distinguished Professor of Soil Science and Microbial Ecology at UC Davis
