Janet Haney
"The battle for conservation must go on endlessly. It is part of the universal warfare between right and wrong."
A California wildfire, raging since August 24, has now reached a grove of gigantic sequoia trees in Sierra National Forest. What caused these century-old towering beasts to burn? Lightning sparked the fire to these giants, but extreme drought is the true culprit that caused severely dry trees, vegetation, and brush to ignite.
As a long-time California resident, I can attest to the incredible climate differences up and down the state. In any given day, you can be skiing near Lake Tahoe, sailing in the chilly temps of the San Francisco Bay, or soaking up the sun in Los Angeles. You can have whatever weather you like at any moment.
That said, California has long been hit hard by spreading wildfires, prolonged droughts, rising sea levels, choking smog, stiff air pollution, and more. While these environmental calamities aren’t unique to California, the state attempts to stand out in its response to climate change policy.
“Here in California, we recognize the science, we recognize the need for urgency, and we plan to continue doing the important work that will protect the public,” Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board, told the Los Angeles Times in July.
California has long-held environmental regulations, and Randolph’s comment came after the current White House administration said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would reverse landmark climate policy specific to greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Not only will this potential move dramatically hurt California and its climate goals, but it will have a damaging ripple affect across the country.
There may be a bright spot for all states amidst this mayhem, though.
“If the EPA is saying greenhouse gases aren’t supposed to be regulated under the Clean Air Act, then that means they can be regulated under traditional state authority,” Ann Carlson, director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at University of California, Los Angeles, told the LA Times. “So this could have a silver lining for California. It would undoubtedly be litigated, but it may give California a strong legal argument that it can, in fact, go ahead and regulate greenhouse gases from vehicles.”
Time will tell how the possible EPA policy repeal will shake out countrywide. In the meantime, what’s your climate cause?
- Does your interest in suppressing greenhouse gas emissions spur you to drive less and carpool more?
- Are you excited to explore ways to beat drought conditions by seeking out landscape modifications and water conservation?
- Are you interested in exploring more about fire safety in your immediate area?
Today’s the day to make things happen.
~ Janet Haney
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
Sources:
September 10 article about EPA repeal: https://www.eenews.net/articles/inside-epas-analysis-for-killing-the-endangerment-finding/
All Photos by Janet Haney:
Apocalyptic orange skies enveloped all of San Francisco, September 9, 2020, including the Golden Gate Bridge. The cause?: Smoke from the North Complex Fire and more than 20 other wildfires, none of which were burning in San Francisco. A total of 2 million acres burned east of the San Francisco Bay Area. No photo filter was applied.
Thank you Aunt Janet for this wonderful piece. If you’d like to write an article like this, feel free to reach out to my email: [email protected]. Have a great day.