Every burned town is tragic. But Newsom needs to lead with science, not sentiment, to show that the fires don’t have to be the future of life or the future of California.
The fires are a tragic reality, but they are the beginning of a process that will ultimately lead to better living for our great state.
The good news is that the fires are largely contained, the bad news is that they still exist and are still dangerous to the public.
That is what makes this tragic event and the work to understand it so important.
A new analysis released Tuesday from the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Center (ESSC) found that the extreme weather of January was caused by long-term natural processes like El Niño and La Niña.
“The fires were caused by a combination of human activities, including climate change,” said David Schimel, a researcher for the ESSC. “In recent decades, we’ve seen drought and heavy rains in California, which led to fire.”
The cause of the fires has been a focus of debate for scientists, politicians and citizens for the last year or so.
Most agree that the fires, fueled by climate change and human activity, will continue to be a problem in California.
But why shouldn’t we be optimistic about the state’s future?
One reason is that the fires are being studied by scientists right now and that they see a path to a sustainable future.
“The fires, by themselves, aren’t bad,” said Mark Jacobson, senior scientist at the National Academy of Sciences and co-chair of a commission on climate and fire.
“The fires are a wake-up call for all of us.”
Schimel, the ESSC scientist, said studies on the role of the climate are being conducted in both urban and rural areas in the state.
Many studies show that global warming will have a significant impact on California in the