(USA)
“This is not the new normal; this is the new abnormal,” California Governor, Jerry Brown, said of the fires devastating the state.
What is happening in California is terrible: the fire is the most destructive in the state’s history. So far, 45,000 hectares of land have been burned, and the fire is not yet fully contained.
The cause of the fire is still uncertain, but what it is certain is that climate change is driving the fires.
As Gov. Jerry Brown pointed out, the fire season used to be during the hotter months, but now it is a phenomenon happening all year-round.
In the past few years, the weather has changed greatly, and the average global temperature keeps on rising. In areas like California, where temperatures were already high, global warming is turning forests in tinderboxes. This is why it is vital for all of us to spread awareness of climate change. Talk to your friends, your family, your community: get the word out there. Climate change is real and, if we do nothing, it is here to stay.
One significant initiative that will allow you and your friends to learn more about climate change, and get inspired to act, is 24 Hours of Reality, a ground-breaking live global broadcast event that focuses the world’s attention on the truth, scope, and scale of the climate crisis. The Climate Reality Project organises it every year, harnessing the power of celebrities, musicians, world leaders, and individuals working in communities around the world, to inform, inspire and encourage people across the globe to take action. This year’s theme: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves could not be more timely given the current situation in California. 24 Hours of Reality will be streamed on 3 and 4 December 2018 from Los Angeles (GMT-8).
If you are in America, you can also consider hosting or attending a watch party.