As California battles record-breaking wildfires, fueled by drought and rising temperatures, President-elect Trump continues to undermine climate science. Meanwhile, Fox amplifies his accusations against Democratic leadership, sparking outrage among officials who call for unity and immediate action to address the escalating crisis.
California's Economy Rivals World Powers in GDP Rankings
The GDP of California surpasses that of the United States, China, Germany, and Japan when measured per capita. Put aside comparisons based on per capita income; when measured in absolute terms, the state economy of California ranks fifth globally, trailing only the national economies of the aforementioned four nations.
California is the most populous US state, with 39 million people calling it home. The devastating fires in California may prove to be the costliest natural disaster in American history, and their effects will be felt across the country.
Wildfires Highlight the Human and Economic Cost of Climate Change
Only a sociopath would seek out an edge while forty thousand acres burn, animals are burned alive, and the number of people killed rises.
Donald Trump, the soon-to-be president, is trying to profit from the catastrophe by blaming Democratic leadership rather than facts or science, and he is doing it by confounding and kicking terrified people at a time when they need it the most, The Raw Story reports
Trump's Attack on California Governor Sparks Political Divide
Half the country is hearing Trump's complaints that Governor Newsom "doesn't care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!"
Trump's political attacks on California are a calculated attempt to divert attention from his persistent rejection of climate science, which he has been pursuing for quite some time.
Climate Change Fuels Deadly Disasters, Scientists Warn
The catastrophic wildfires that leveled Maui last year and the L.A. fires this year are both caused by climate change, according to mainstream media reports.
Over the past few decades, climate scientists have been sounding the alarm about the increasing destructiveness of natural disasters including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. Repeated warnings from scientists have reached Trump and Republican lawmakers: global warming will make disasters more powerful, devastating, and deadly-and more often.
Nearly every Republican in Congress, including Trump, has openly opposed climate science and sought to hasten global warming by bolstering fossil fuel consumption. In contrast to Joe Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, Trump's Project 2025 will increase fossil fuel production while completely eliminating federal funding for sustainable energy programs.
Drill, baby, drill! The Republican Party has spent decades trying to debunk climate science so they may continue to fundraise for fossil fuels. Whatever little progress has been achieved, Trump intends to obliterate it. While Trump's choice for the director of the Department of the Interior, Doug Burgum, has pledged to expand oil drilling on public lands, Trump's choice for head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, has pledged to oppose climate progress and "rip back rules" that safeguard the environment and cap carbon emissions.
As long as companies are able to fund political campaigns according to Citizens United, politicians like Trump who receive campaign contributions supported by coal, oil, and gas will seek to defend those industries. This hazardous symbiosis has been going on for a long time and is now about to reach a breaking point.
It is well-documented that the fossil fuel business has waged a well-funded campaign of disinformation on the contribution of fossil fuels to climate change. This effort has been much more damaging and successful than the one run by the tobacco industry.
The US House Committee on Oversight revealed the following at a hearing titled "Exposing Big Oil's Disinformation Campaign to Prevent Climate Action" a number of years ago:
At least as early as 1977, there was scientific evidence circulating within the fossil fuel business regarding the risks associated with climate change. Even as the global climate catastrophe was getting worse and was having a more devastating effect on Americans, big oil continued to disseminate doubt and denial about the dangers of its products for decades, destroying faith in science and blocking real action on climate change.
Because of Murdoch's heavy investment in big oil, Fox News, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, mirrors Republicans' rejection of climate science. As expected, Fox has joined the chorus of voices blaming Democrats, rather than climate scientists, for the tragedy in Los Angeles. Trump should seize control of the state, according to Fox News' Jesse Waters.
He went on to declare that the current state of affairs is biblically disastrous, that the federal government must step in completely, and that the Stafford Act must be used.
Fortunately, Newsom has decided not to reciprocate. Governor Newsom extended an invitation to Trump to view the devastation in person over the weekend, rather than criticizing him:
"As you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California again, to meet with the Americans affected by these fires, see the devastation firsthand, and join me and others in thanking the heroic firefighters and first responders who are putting their lives on the line in the spirit of this great country. We must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines. Hundreds of thousands of Americans- displaced from their homes and fearful for the future- deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuilt."
No word from Trump regarding Newsom's invitation yet.
No one should be surprised if Trump tries to stop FEMA monies from going to cities and states that are ruled by Democrats, like California and Los Angeles, given that Republicans persist in rejecting climate science and politicizing the fires rather than taking climate change seriously. It would also not shock us if California gives Canada's offer serious consideration and starts making plans to secede.
