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LA inferno

Editorial Board
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2025

One does not need scientific and climate agencies to tell us that the planet is warmer than it has ever been. Nevertheless, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed on Friday (January 10) that the last two years exceeded the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit, on average, for the first time as global temperatures soared "beyond what modern humans have ever experienced". While this does not mean the internationally-agreed 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold has been permanently breached, humanity is drawing dangerously close to a possible ‘point of no return’. What is certain is that 2024 was the warmest year on record and while the current year is not expected to set a new record it will still likely rank among the top three warmest years in the history books. According to experts, this excess heat will supercharge extreme weather, with climate disasters costing the world an estimated $300 billion last year alone. And these are just the upfront costs, with the cost of repair and restoration likely being higher. In some cases, rebuilding might not even be possible. In fact, just such a case might be unfolding in the world’s entertainment capital right now.

The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, California have utterly devastated the city, killing at least 24 people thus far and putting a further 100,000 under evacuation orders. At least 10,000 properties have been destroyed and entire neighbourhoods are gone, bringing one of the wealthiest cities in the world’s richest country to its knees. While their actions may suggest otherwise, the rich world is in fact not immune from the effects of climate change. Being less exposed than the Global South still means an event like the LA wildfires or worse is possible. And while LA has never experienced a blaze quite like this one, it has had increasing problems with wildfires in recent years, with at least five serious wildfires since 2018. However, the current blaze is the only one to have taken place in January. The conditions for this sort of timing, drought-like conditions and near-hurricane strength winds, have simply never existed during this time of year before.

This fire stands as a testament to both how rapidly the world’s climate is changing and just how unprepared we are for it. While some on the US online right have pinned all the blame for the fire on the Democrats who run LA and California, people might have to reckon with the fact that governments are facing weather extremes that humanity has never dealt with before. Containing the spread of disaster is likely the best one can do given the circumstances. This is also a warning to the rich countries of what could happen should they continue to take their climate duties as lightly as they have been, pumping out yet more C02 emissions every year. It is not just countries like Pakistan that will drown in the consequences. Hopefully, all of this will make an impression on the climate change sceptic assuming the US presidency.