"We watched LA burn this year. If you're not from around here, you might have seen it unfold in the news like so many other infernos. Neighborhoods in ashes. People in shock. I was nearby when it happened in January, visiting home from New York to attend a family member's funeral. As a climate journalist, I was thankful that I wasn't covering this disaster in real time."
"Instead, I was with my family, trying to keep track of which freeways were closed because of the blazes, whether that might keep any of us from reaching the service, and whether the flames might be headed our way. That's become a part of life in Southern California. It's getting worse with climate change as higher temperatures and drought suck the landscape dry, creating more fuel for fires."
"When I moved back to California this spring, my editor asked me what I would miss most about New York. I said water (and public transportation). I meant not having to agonize over every extra drop that comes out of a faucet when I'm not using it."
Los Angeles experienced severe wildfires in January that consumed neighborhoods and left residents traumatized. Proximity to the fires disrupted travel, closed freeways, and threatened attendance at family events. Wildfires have become increasingly common in Southern California as higher temperatures and prolonged drought dry vegetation and create abundant fuel. Water scarcity and concerns about daily usage have intensified, making residents more conscious of every extra drop from faucets. The combination of climate-driven warming, hydrological stress, and urban vulnerability has increased wildfire risk and made fire preparedness and resource management urgent priorities for communities across the region.
Read at The Verge
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]