We are on Fire
Romer Rosales
Fire after fire, California forests and plains glow in scarlet flames, blackening family homes and squashing national parks. You overhear news channels and peruse articles about the blazing and raging forests… or rather, the fazing and aging ashes. You think I hope everyone’s okay, but I can’t do anything about it. I hope everyone is okay too, but there is something you can do – and more than just some thing.
Prior to 2016, it was rare to see more than 1 million acres of annual forest fire damage in California. But, things have changed. The past five years have each beheld 1.5 million burned acres: houses turned to ash, air turned to smoke, and livelihoods turned to deaths and black hoods… yet, it gets worse. The year 2020 witnessed a record 4.4 million smoldering acres, nearly half of all US fire damage that year. I mean, we really are embracing our nickname The Golden State, but… maybe not in the right way.
It’s clear that we’re working hard. Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom successfully pushed for five new climate bills, limiting oil and gas companies: “We’re not interested in investing in the industries that have created the problems that we’re trying to mitigate.” California has been the most proactive state championing environmental protection and pollution mitigation: we have been combating climate change.
So, what’s wrong? Well… passing a few lightly-enforced laws is not enough; hoping that our gridlocked government deals with humanity’s problems is inadequate… Citizen action has always been necessary. This has been true in many instances throughout history: abolitionists with slavery, CORE with Civil Rights, NAWSA with Women's suffrage, and your class’ protests with the project due date. We have to be proactive. Sure, we can’t stop the accidental arsonists who forget to put out their campfires, or even the genuine arsonists who burn for the sake of burning… other than not becoming them ourselves. But, either way, we can mitigate the damage the blaze-storms inflict. How? By stopping climate change, the root of “increase[s] in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned area” (EPA).
I’m sure we’ve all heard the common ways to stop climate change, but it is necessary to restate them: walk when you can instead of driving – it adds up; find out where you money goes, because your support to an environmentally friendly or unfriendly organization could make all the difference; learn how to compost and recycle, but don’t get too over-ambitious!... recycling actual trash is harmful too; say no to single-use bottles… we’re all guilty of using them, but it’s not hard to stop; turn in your homework through email – it would be a stellar way to save paper; and most importantly, be proactive – maybe even write a blogpost!
Fire damage is just a grain of sand in the ocean of problems climate change kindles. It’s our generation’s responsibility to quell the raging fires of global warming. Maybe even “Put your sweater on!” instead of heating your home so vigorously. Jimmy Carter said that one.
