“Climate Change did it!”
It’s the media’s go-to villain. Whenever you need a Bad Guy, it’s Climate Change (formerly known as “Global Warming” prior to its rebranding).
Natural disasters? That’s definitely Climate Change. Manmade disasters? Sure, that’s Climate Change, too.
Well, ALL disasters are either natural or manmade. If Climate Change applies to all disasters in all situations, then the term is meaningless. We’ve transformed it into a euphemism for “disaster.”
Hot weather is Climate Change. Cold weather is Climate Change. Hurricanes and floods are Climate Change. Droughts and famines are Climate Change. I can’t prove it (yet), but I’m pretty sure Climate Change stole the Lindbergh baby.
Apparently, this “Climate Change” had a mustache and used to tie women to the railroad tracks in ‘20s cinema. He’s pure evil! He’s the Thanos of the environmental movement, hellbent on acquiring the Pollution Gauntlet. And should he snap his fingers… well, you know the rest.
(Hey, say what you want about Tinsel Town, but give ‘em props: They know how to cast a good villain.)
And today, we’re being told by the mainstream media that the raging, out-of-control California wildfires — in the middle of January, mind you! — are the dastardly byproduct of (guess who?) Thanos “Climate Change.”
As we discussed yesterday, here are just a small sample of the latest headlines:
Time Magazine: L.A. Fires Show the Reality of Living in a World with 1.5˚C of Warming
New York Times: ‘We’re in a New Era’: How Climate Change Is Supercharging Disasters
ABC News: This Is How Climate Change Contributes to the California Wildfires
LA Times: Intensifying Climate ‘Whiplash’ Set the Stage for Devastating California Fires
New York Times: Scientists Say Musk Wrongly Downplays Climate Role in L.A. Fires
Bloomberg: Climate Change Risks Cracking California’s Insurance Market Wide Open
Sacramento Bee: It Isn’t Lack of Water or DEI Making LA’s Wildfires Worse. Experts Say It’s Climate Change
Associated Press: Climate Change Contributed to a Week of Wild Weather That Upended Life in the US
The Guardian: How the Climate Crisis Fuels Devastating Wildfires: ‘We Have Tweaked Nature and Pissed It Off’
Washington Post: The Los Angeles Fires Won’t Affect Climate Denial. They Should.
Just by glancing at the headlines, you’d get the impression that Climate Change had done it again: Selfish, shortsighted humans had so thoroughly destroyed the planet, wildfires were spontaneously breaking out across the West Coast. Humanity had (metaphorically) “peed in its own water supply,” and now Mother Nature was coming for payback (and packing an Uzi).
We reap what we sow.
This is why environmental journalists were raising their fists to the heavens, crying aloud, “Climate Change, damn you to Hell! This time, you’ve gone too far!”
And you could certainly understand why the public might blame Climate Change for the wildfires. It’s a plausible villain: Sometimes, fires spontaneously ignite — when lightning strikes a tree, for example — and without human intervention, large-scale areas will burn to a crisp.
Fortunately, our firefighting technology and conservation efforts have allowed us to minimize the dangers of forest fires. It’s one of the reasons why the United States actually has more trees today than 100 years ago, despite our population tripling from 106 million to 336 million:
The United States has 10% of the global forests, and it has more trees than it did 100 years ago. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that forest growth in the country has surpassed harvest since the 1930s. By 1998, tree growth exceeded harvest by 43% and the forest cover was 380% more than it had been in the 1920s.
It’s good, positive, uplifting environmental news (which is why we never hear about it).
But back to these wildfires: Did you know that 95% of California’s wildfires are manmade? As we discussed yesterday:
It’s NOT true that half the fires are started by Mother Nature or acts of God. And it’s NOT kinda-sorta true either. 95% is an absolute landslide!
John Abatzoglou, a climatology professor from the University of California, has studied 30 years of wildfires in Los Angeles County. After examining the data, he was unequivocable: “More than 95% of these [California fires] are human-ignited fires.”
Abatzoglou added that arson is among the leading causes, but most fires are started accidentally.
This isn’t a story about Climate Change! It’s a story about deliberate arson and/or human carelessness, as well as the incompetency of California’s politicians.
And in a very weird way, that’s a GOOD thing: If 95% of California’s wildfires are manmade, then theoretically, 95% could be prevented. Here, the media really could play a positive role in preventing fires, elevating awareness, and saving lives.
In fact, I’ll go one step further: Hypothetically, what if 25% of all the “Climate Change” news stories were swapped with stories about wildfires? If environmental journalists focused their ire on Los Angeles County’s firefighting protocols and fire safety for campers, outdoorsmen, smokers, New Year’s revelers, etc., there’s a very real chance that lives could’ve been saved.
I’m not asking our friends in the media to forgo ALL their Climate Change hysteria. Clearly, that would be a bridge too far. (Besides, ever since Chappaquiddick, Democrats get nervous around bridges.) But just 25%! Please! Redirect just 25% of your “Climate Change” hysteria to relevant stories about preventable, actionable environmental policymaking — instead of long-term planetary doom-and-gloom Armageddon.
Like, maybe sound the alarm when Los Angeles guts its fire department. Or run an exposé on arson. Or interview experts and double-check if L.A.’s fire-prevention policies are still adequate.
Those are the kinds of environmental stories that really, truly could be the difference between life and death.
The incineration of Los Angeles is one of the biggest environmental disasters in recent American history: Aside from the horrific loss of lives, property, and infrastructure, I’m pretty sure a smoldering city leaves behind one helluva “carbon footprint.”
But the media doesn’t want to talk about that. Instead, they’re solely focused on “Climate Change.” Forget about arson. Forget about the 95% of manmade fires! Forget about fire safety, fire prevention, and government policy. Nah, this story is ALL about Climate Change.
Sadly, it’s more likely the climate will change than the journalists.
