We know the effects of climate change: glacier melting, stronger storms, and rapid ocean acidification, but sometimes we don’t understand how it can personally affect our everyday lives. In reality, it’s directly related to your socioeconomic status, the quality/what food you eat, respiration, and more.
San Francisco — A Deeper Dive
It’s stated that about ⅔ San Franciscans say they’ve personally experienced the effects of global warming. They claim that compared to the rest of California’s residents, they feel climate change affects them the most — and they may be right. A Yale Project on Climate Change Communication states these facts:
- San Franciscans are more likely than Californians generally to be “very” or “somewhat worried” about global warming (77% versus 63% respectively).
- San Franciscans are also more likely than Californians in general to say that global warming should be a “very high” or “high” priority for the president and Congress (68% versus 59%).
- Moreover, more than four in ten (45%) say that, over the past 12 months, they have punished companies that are opposing steps to reduce global warming by not buying their products.
- Seven in ten (70%) say that all, most, or some of their friends share their views on global warming. Only 7% say that none of their friends do.
- Nearly one in four San Franciscans (23%) has written letters, emailed, or phoned government officials about global warming at least once in the past 12 months. Among them, the large majority (86%) says they urged officials to take action to reduce global warming. Only 2% urged them not to take action.
San Francisco . . . Without the Fog!??
“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” These words are famously attributed to Mark Twain. The cool weather of San Francisco is there mostly thanks to it’s iconic fog, which is there to greet San Francisco residents almost every morning.
However, climate change may take away the fog that we know so well and love. Although, it is important to note that the data to support it is “very spotty,” with few academic studies in the last decade.
A blog on San Francisco's fog states that:
“In 2010, we started looking at airport records that measure fog for air traffic control. Records got robust and dependable in 1950, so we analyzed everything from 1950–2010, and our analysis showed that fog declined by 33% over that 60-year period.
We’re now seeing less fog on both a daily and an annual basis. In the 1950s, we had 12 hours a day of fog; now it’s about nine. Fog season used to start in early May and end in October; it now starts in late May/early June and ends in September. That’s all due to the warming planet.”
Additionally, a UC Davis study on the fog claims that “There appears to be some pattern with less fog after the warmer sea-surface temperatures, but this is still an area of research.”
So it’s up to you to believe if the warming is really due to climate change. However . . .
Sara Baguskas, an assistant professor at San Francisco State University with a specialty in coastal fog states that she’s among the climate researchers who’ve heard from longtime coastal residents saying the marine layer has subsided over the years.
“So it’s not unreasonable to be concerned about coastal fog declining in the future, but diminishing completely is unlikely,” she concludes.
San Francisco — Sea Level Rise
You may have enjoyed the scenic (and surprisingly short) drive on the Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco bay to the Pacific Ocean.
Unfortunately, being near the coast is EXACTLY why San Francisco residents are impacted by climate change. Through glacier melting and global warming, sea levels have been rising, which greatly threatens the coastal waterfront.
I mean, if a 1–3 feet tsunami could cause damage (leads to flooding), what would a 50 ft one do to San Francisco? What about a 100 ft one?
If that wasn’t enough for you, unfortunately, with rising water comes another problem.
A website named Bay Area 2050 states that:
“There are contaminants in the mud . . . that have made their way into creeks, sewer pipes, utility trenches and the Bay. Sea level rise will exacerbate this issue.”
Sherry Padgett, a member of the Richmond Shoreline Alliance, noted “It is a catastrophe ready to happen, all around the San Francisco Bay shoreline. We need to get our act together now.”
So not only is the likelihood of flooding and storms increasing, but there’s also a chance that dirty sewer water is getting into the water you potentially interact with on a day-to-day basis.
San Francisco’s sea levels have already increased by approximately eight inches over the last century. By 2050, it’s estimated that will increase by about a foot more.
San Francisco — Heat Waves and Warmer Weather
Heat waves and hotter weather will affect the whole world, but it will affect the Bay area in a special way.
According to the Yale Climate Change Communication study:
“Half of San Franciscans (49%) say that, over the past several years, heat waves become more severe in their area. Of those who believe global warming is happening, three in four (73%) believe global warming has had at least a moderate influence on the severity of the heat waves. Few (9%) believe global warming has had no influence on heat waves.”
“Heat waves pose increased health risks due to urban heat islands and lack of local experience and cooling infrastructure (air conditioning) in bayside cities. These risks are compounded for low-income communities” (San Francisco Bay Area Region Report).
So . . . Now What?
As you can see, climate change causes HUGE consequences. And if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that we can only fix this issue if we act together.
Even if you don't live in SF or the Bay Area (if you do, consider joining ConServe and other climate initiatives), try taking your own individual action — one baby step at a time — to stop climate change once and for all.
Hopefully, this article’s inspired you to take a look at your own city/state and observe how you are being affected. Once we realize just how much climate change affects us, that's when we’ll start taking action.
Can you do something for me? Forget making the whole world better. Be selfish — your city is your home. How do you want to treat it?
References
“Bay Area 2050”: Impacts of climate change on the local environment. (2025). In ABC7 San Francisco. https://abc7news.com/feature/bay-area-2050-impacts-climate-change-local-environment/14828815/
Jimenez, G. (2025). A fog-free San Francisco? Scientists ponder California’s climate future. In Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. https://www.lawr.ucdavis.edu/news/fog-free-san-francisco-scientists-ponder-californias-climate-future
Leiserowitz, A., Feinberg, G., Howe, P., & Rosenthal, S. (2013). Climate change in the San Franciscan mind. Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, Yale University. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_10_Climate-Change-in-the-San-Franciscan-Mind.pdf
San Francisco Bay Area Region Report CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Introduction to California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/Reg_Report-SUM-CCCA4-2018-005_SanFranciscoBayArea_ADA.pdf
San Francisco, California Climate Change Risks and Hazards: Drought, Precipitation. (n.d.). In climatecheck.com. Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://climatecheck.com/california/san-francisco
The Future of Fog. (n.d.). In Public Policy Institute of California. Retrieved August 4, 2026, from https://www.ppic.org/blog/the-future-of-fog/