When I had the honor of working with scientists from around the world, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Over the course of three years, several unforgettable observations stood out.
Scientists told me that in North Carolina, Category 4 to 5 hurricanes along the East Coast are common, causing flooding far inland and far from the coast. He also said tornadoes and thunderstorms would become more intense. I don’t think I need to tell you that we all know they were right.
In Florida, scientists say a spectacular hurricane will form in the Gulf of Mexico. They also said that Miami Beach would someday be underwater. last month, new research A study by the University of Miami found that buildings along Miami Beach, as well as coastal areas of Miami, Broward County and Palm Beach, are sinking.
Climate change? “It’s probably a much bigger problem than we know,” said Paul Chinovsky, a civil engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. miami herald.
In California, I vividly remember a Stanford University scientist saying something to the effect that it would not be earthquakes that would destroy California, but severe drought and historic fires.
When I was told these things about 10 years ago, scientists said that all of these catastrophes would occur within about 30 years. Their prophecies came true much sooner than anyone expected.
Resource information for those affected by the LA fires:
For the latest information on evacuation zones and ongoing fires, please visit: LAFD and california fire.
For the status of LGBTQ+ For information about community centers and events, Los Angeles LGBT Center.
FEMAAssistance is available for both homeowners and renters affected by wildfires.
Transitional shelter assistance is available in the following ways: FEMAin disaster assistance.gov.
But when these natural disasters occur, no one wants to hear about climate change. Because lives are lost, ruined, and forever changed. Indeed, the only way to know the depth of suffering is to experience it. Those of us who have not been affected by fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes only learn about them by reading the news, watching the devastation on TV, and seeing images on social media. Several dear friends of mine lost their homes in a fire. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.
When a tornado touches down in Wilson County, Tennessee or Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, or a hurricane makes landfall in Perry, Florida, or flooding ravages the southern Appalachians, we shake our heads and think: How terrible, We will send our thoughts and prayers if we know someone who needs it and then move on. These places are remote to us, and so are people in remote communities such as tiny homes, trailer parks, and quiet neighborhoods.
You’ve probably never heard of these towns, counties, or townships. And it’s easy to end up being moved only a little by the stories of those who have been affected. Because we have no idea who they are. Yes, you can send money, clothing, and even offer prayers.
Then the next tornado, flood, hurricane hits, and the process repeats.
I often lament how pop culture holds so many of us in a vise. It’s nothing new. We are amazed at people who are in the public eye, who are rich and famous, who live in mansions, drive expensive cars, and wear only the finest clothes. In the face of media shrinkage and the bygone era of magazines, people This magazine is still selling like hot cakes. of number one publication Magazines that cover the lives of stars outnumber the next most popular magazine by two to one.
As fires continue to rage in Los Angeles and media continue to report on the destruction, they also… Total of all stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mel Gibson, Jeff Bridges, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Milo Ventimiglia, Billy Crystal and many others lost their homes.
But amid the media frenzy surrounding the wealthy elite, the stories of those most severely affected by the disaster – the maids, gardeners, nannies and other workers who support the lifestyles of the wealthy – are largely ignored. It’s here. This omission is emblematic of how climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, often relegating their struggles to the shadows.
While celebrities have the funds to rebuild and relocate, workers who depend on these areas for their livelihoods face an entirely different reality. Many of these people are immigrants or people of color and live paycheck to paycheck. They clean mansions, tend gardens, and take care of rich children. Their work is invisible and essential. When wildfires occur, they not only lose their jobs, but also the fragile stability they have to survive in expensive cities like Los Angeles.
For these workers, a fire can mean weeks or even months of unemployment. While the wealthy may take refuge in vacation homes or temporary accommodation, the people serving those homes are stranded, often without safety nets or legal protection. Undocumented workers are particularly vulnerable because many do not have access to disaster relief or unemployment benefits. The people who are helping the wealthy rebuild their lives after the disaster are themselves stranded.
These disparities highlight the brutal truth that climate change is not the great leveler. Instead, it will widen existing inequalities and place the heaviest burdens on those who can least afford to bear them. As the climate warms, wildfires become more intense and become a part of everyday life in California.
And while they threaten everyone, they disproportionately harm those living and working in precarious conditions. A gardener has to clean up a garden full of ash, a maid is tasked with cleaning a house full of soot, and a cook loses his job when his employer evacuates. The stories of these people are rarely told.
We also have our own community. disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This vulnerability did not occur accidentally. It’s systemic. Discrimination, economic instability, and a lack of equitable access to resources leave many people in our communities without the safety nets they need to weather disasters.
In moments of crisis, the first to suffer are those living on the margins. Queer youth without a home to shelter, transgender seniors isolated in their communities, and same-sex couples whose love may be treated as hostility in emergency shelters. They all face challenges that most of us would never have considered.
Addressing climate change requires more than just reducing emissions. We need to take into account the social inequalities that it exacerbates. Continuing to ignore the marginalized communities hit hardest by these disasters will not only fail to solve the climate crisis, but perpetuate a system in which the most vulnerable pay the highest price. Masu.
If these LA fires have taught us anything, it’s that we are all connected. The smoke that darkened the billionaire’s seaside mansion suffocated those who lost their homes under the overpass. The same sea level rise that threatens Miami’s skyline will submerge the entire city long before it can overcome the high-rise balconies. This is not just a crisis for the rich and the rural, the famous and the forgotten. It’s a reckoning for all of us.
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