We hope you and your loved ones are safe from the disastrous fires that have engulfed Northern California.
For those of us in the Bay Area who aren't in the immediate path of the fires, air pollution from smoke presents a serious health risk. During and after wildfires, everyone is susceptible to health impacts from smoke inhalation, but most at risk are children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with diabetes or heart and lung disease. Here are some helpful resources:
Tragically, this long season of unprecedented fires won't be our last, or the worst. A changing climate means longer and more severe wildfire seasons, as well as stronger hurricanes, harsher droughts, and catastrophic flooding (sound familiar?). Yet instead of taking action to improve the situation, the Trump administration and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt want to make things worse. Just this week, they announced their intention to repeal Obama's signature climate action, the Clean Power Plan. Click here to send a message in defense of the Clean Power Plan!
It's demoralizing, to be sure. But there's also plenty of good news. With the encouragement of the Sierra Club's Ready for 100 campaign, 153 U.S. communities including the Bay Area's own Novato have committed to go to 100% clean energy. Novato is the hometown of the Sierra Club's Jodie Van Horn, and she writes, "Watching this national movement hit home in Novato is a reminder that the clean energy revolution is happening town by town, city by city, all across the country, despite the hostility of the federal government."
Yes, the clean energy revolution is here! Today, more than 3 million people now work in the clean energy economy, which now employs more people than fossil fuels in almost every state in the country. And since Trump's inauguration, 10 coal plants have been retired. In fact, coal plants are retiring at the exact same rate since Trump was elected as they did under Obama.
So as we mourn and clean up from yet another climate-fueled natural disaster, let's take heart and recommit ourselves to the work we do as Sierra Club members. Thanks for being part of our movement.
Fire in Solano County courtesy Matthew Keys via Flickr Creative Commons.