Climate Cassandras
Not listening to women goes back millennia.
“Hey, babe. Wanna be a prophetess?” Apollo asked.
“Who wants to know?” responded Cassandra, daughter of King Priam and the youngest princess of Troy.
“I am Apollo, God of the Sun, and I want you. To woo you, I’m giving you the gift of prophecy.”
Cassandra said, “Thanks.”
Apollo said, “That’s it? Thanks? Don’t you want to make love with me?”
Cassandra said, “Not particularly.”
Who turns down the courtship of a Greek God? Cassandra, that’s who. Since gods and goddesses can’t rescind gifts, they can twist them. “Since you are a bee-atch, your gift of seeing into the future stays, but — you’ll love this — no one will believe your prophecies. They will be absolutely accurate, but people will think you’re bonkers and will refuse to listen!”
Cynthia “Cassandra” Cannady, Chair of Pasadena 100, is among the most permanently persistent and passionate advocates for Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) achieving 100% fossil-fuel-free energy by 2030. The year 2030 is looming and will be here in no time. So what’s up with PWP? After seeming to agree with these goals years ago, including implementing citywide solar, I’m flummoxed by PWP’s hemming and hawing and foot-dragging. They need a new building, they say; they need new software, they say; they need more consultants, they say.
I’ve got a consultant for you, right here, because I’m still suffering from SoCal Edison’s foot-dragging and excuses, especially their decade-old promises to eventually repair or remove faulty lines and transmission towers. “Some day” turned out to be tragedy day. My husband and I lost our home in the Eaton fire, along with our sweet, special town of Altadena. I still have nightmares; I wake up thinking about my losses. Every day reminds me of something else that was lost to the flames: my photo albums, my father’s wedding ring, the pillow I got for my dad that had FDR’s picture on it, and my great-grandparents’ sledding robes. It’s never-ending.
I’m warning PWP that the time to act is NOW, not after you waste ratepayers’ money on outside opinions! For goodness’ sake, people, the climate crisis is really here, in your backyard. It consumed my actual backyard! Rather than being a NIMBY, the PWP executives need to become a YIMBY: Yes In My Back Yard. Please listen to me and others like Cynthia about moving quickly. We feel like Cassandra, seeing the future and being ignored. Are you in denial about the climate crisis, or simply don’t believe it will happen to us? Sorry… It’s already happened to us.
I really don’t get it. Are the decision-makers at PWP afraid of making the wrong decision? Do they need outside consultants to “CYA” so they can point to someone else if they make the wrong choices? As PWP is a non-profit, there are no stockholders to answer to, so why the reluctance and passive-aggressive behavior?
I looked for a Greek god who personifies procrastination and defiance. Nothing. But I discovered that Hermes, the messenger god, is sometimes associated with trickery and delays… a cousin of the Norse god Loki.
But it’s hyperbole to call Ms. Cannady a Cassandra, because plenty of people are listening to her in her dogged pursuit of clean energy from PWP. The Pasadena City Council also “gets it” and has voted unanimously to move PWP forward with the plan to go fossil fuel-free.
As Audrey Ma wrote in Pasadena Now, “Pasadena took a bold first step when the City Council unanimously passed Resolution 9977, committing our city to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. On December 15, 2025, the council approved the Optimized Strategic Plan (OSP) to get us there. It was a moment of pride and promise. But plans don’t cut emissions — projects do. Now the work begins.” Yet the work has not begun. Why?
Cannady says, “In sum, the PWP staff is trying to block the implementation of Climate Emergency Resolution 9977… ratepayers are being asked to fund $1.3 million for this consultancy and its black-box proprietary software. This is a disgraceful waste of money, the stated purpose of which is to challenge the Council’s policy.”
Now I get it! PWP’s staff isn’t acting like a Greek god or goddess but rather like an all-too-human brat who “knows” better and, when asked to clean their room, has one excuse after another.
“But Daaaaad,” the PWP brat whines (there is currently only one Mom on the Pasadena City Council). “I need to pay Bobby to come tell me how best to clean my room.” Dad says, “Doesn’t Bobby work for Daniel, who is squarely against cleaning rooms?” Brat whines more, “I need to get a new video game first, and then I’ll clean my room.” Dad yells, “Stop being a spoiled child!”
Of course, the staff at PWP are well-dressed and well-spoken, and they have their reasons all lined up for why they can’t implement solar right away. They present as anything but brats, but their actions are molasses-like.
Do you realize that PWP could lead the way and serve as an exemplar of how to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity — an exemplar of “Think Globally, Act Locally”? Wouldn’t that be grand? We could become known for something other than the Rose Parade! We could harness Apollo, the God of the Sun, to do the work he was cut out to do: power us forever. PWP: get the lead out and do it now! And a hearty huzzah to the Pasadena City Council for voting the right way on the climate emergency. As you are PWP’s “dad,” please ground them for their insubordination.
If you’re interested in Ellen Snortland’s online creative writing class, send an email. Also, there is still a much-needed GoFundMe to help Ellen and Ken recover from the devastating loss of their home and possessions. You can donate here.