The fossil-fueled Los Angeles fires are a heart-wrenching reminder of what the world is in for as we speed past 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. Climate disasters have outpaced our ability to deal with them. As recovery efforts get underway in Los Angeles, rebuilding for more resilience is paramount, especially in the face of federal hostility to climate progress under the new administration.
Reconstruction in the L.A. fire zones will be challenging. Toxic ash, unstable hillsides, and other dangers mean most people won’t be rebuilding anytime soon. The scorched area is nearly three times the size of Manhattan and some worry these fires may cause mass homelessness.
While the new presidential administration is busy dismantling climate progress nationally, evacuees in Pacific Palisades are busy helping each other meet basic needs. In Altadena, hundreds of volunteers are distributing donations and cleaning up debris. But the onus of being resilient can’t rest solely with fire-ravaged communities.
State policymakers must ensure equity and resilience are prioritized in long-term rebuilding efforts. That means implementing policies to support an affordable, clean, and resilient electricity system and the removal of methane gas infrastructure. It also means policies supporting the buildout of climate-smart neighborhoods with fire-resistant buildings and halting the expansion of development into ever more high-risk fire areas. That requires building more densely in safer areas instead of sprawling out into more fire-prone ones. Lastly, it means learning from communities that have burned about how to rebuild climate-wise and affordably.
Early estimates suggest that rebuilding Los Angeles could cost more than $250 billion. Right now, polluters are making record profits while working-class Californians are paying for climate disasters. Polluters have fought to escape their financial responsibility, but that has to end now.
This blog first appeared in The Climate Center’s bi-weekly newsletter. To keep up with the latest climate news and ways to take action for a climate-safe future, subscribe today!
