I Think "Fires" And "Warming" Correlate

You can talk all you want about the terrible California wildfires not being the cause of global warming, but saying instead that the conditions that allowed the fires to sustain themselves and grow have an antecedent in the changing climate is a distinction without a difference. We just went through a series of major fires in Greece a couple months ago. Their Mediterrenean climate and the California climate, particularly in the mountains and the foothills where the fire is raging, are largely the same. In both cases, the desert conditions on the outer edge are moving up into these more habitable areas, creating the optimal conditions for the fires to spread.

And we're going to see a lot more of this in the coming years.

PARIS, Oct. 25 — The human population is living far beyond its means and inflicting damage to the environment that could pass points of no return, according to a major report being issued today by the United Nations.

Climate change, the rate of extinction of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population are among the threats putting humanity at risk, according to the United Nations Environment Program in its fourth Global Environmental Outlook since 1997.

“The human population is now so large that the amount of resources needed to sustain it exceeds what is available at current consumption patterns,” Achim Steiner, the executive director of the Environment Program, said in a telephone interview. Efficient use of resources and reducing waste now are “among the greatest challenges at the beginning in of 21st century,” he said.

Through innovation and proper sustainability we can combat this growing concern on all fronts. What we need are the political guts from all countries on the globe to enact what needs to be enacted. This week the head of the CDC, Julie Gerberding, was muzzled in testimony to the Senate Environmental Committee, with the White House heavily editing her comments about climate change and public health. We have a White House that, when it isn't asleep at the switch about the environment, is actively seeking to stop any prospects for combating the environmental challenges we face.

Let me mention one good thing this government has done: they levied the largest fine in the history of the Clean Air Act against British Petroleum for manipulating prices and a refinery explosion. But this was a plea bargain, and if the money collected doesn't go into research and development for sustainable resources, the effect is negligible. There is no doubt that the climate crisis is real, and requires specific steps to solve it. We need leadership willing to do the job.

UPDATE: This is not leadership:

Rancho Bernardo residents began their journey back home with a surprise today.

They were stuck in traffic for two to three hours sitting in their cars at a standstill because of President Bush's visit to their community.

Police and the CHP had blocked off Interstate 15 ramps to West Bernardo Drive, which leads to the recovery center that was opened yesterday. Cars lined up for miles on the freeway.

"I'm glad he's coming but it's unfortunate to keep us all waiting," said Joy Fleming, who lives in North Oaks.

Fed up with waiting, Barbara Gandre said she needed to drive her 87-year-old mother home to pick up medication for her 89-year-old husband.

Her mother just recovered from pneumonia in September and the family did not have masks to wear over their faces. They sat in their car with the windows rolled down because they only had a quarter tank of gas left.

"I cannot run the air conditioning or I'll run out of gas," Gandre said. "I am sick of this," she said.

If I never see another photo-op again, I don't think I'd miss them.