To the editor: As an environmental lawyer steeped within the fossil-fueled “climate whiplash” that unleashed the wildfires ripping via Los Angeles, I used to be nonetheless surprised to be packing up my household and cats to flee our Altadena house Tuesday evening.
As I write this, my house is in danger, my household’s synagogue and children’ elementary faculty have burned down, and lots of pals have misplaced all the things. My concern and grief are compounded by outrage on the failure to carry fossil-fuel polluters accountable for the devastation they’ve profited from inflicting.
At greater than $50 billion in estimated damages, the L.A. fires rank as one of many worst disasters in U.S. historical past. But, the oil corporations that fueled the local weather chaos contributing to those fires get off scot-free.
Certainly one of my group’s prime priorities is a California local weather superfund invoice anticipated this legislative session. It might make company polluters pay a part of their big income to restore the harm they’ve triggered.
It’s time to take the multibillion-dollar local weather burden off Californians struggling catastrophic damages and put it on polluters, the place it belongs.
Maya Golden-Krasner, Altadena
The writer is deputy director of the Middle for Organic Variety’s Local weather Legislation Institute.
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To the editor: The unprecedented hearth emergency that has engulfed Los Angeles is a costume rehearsal for “the Huge One” (earthquake) that can come in the end. Besides the Huge One may also include collapsed buildings, mass casualties and near-total communications breakdowns (lifeless cellphones, no web and spotty or nonexistent TV and radio protection).
Take heed, people: The Huge One will completely overwhelm first responders. You’ll be by yourself for days or even weeks.
Right here’s my recommendation: Be a part of your native Group Emergency Response Group chapter. Get educated on the right way to combat small fires, carry out gentle search and rescue, render first help and successfully talk with radios.
The cavalry gained’t be coming that can assist you instantly when the Huge One hits.
Jon Rowe, Costa Mesa
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To the editor: We have already got an inadequate housing provide in Los Angeles. And now, 1000’s of our neighbors have misplaced their properties in these catastrophic fires.
Native governments within the space ought to act instantly to finish all Airbnb-type short-term leases for vacationer guests and return these flats and homes to our housing market in order that the hearth victims may discover a place to reside of their house metropolis and begin to decide up the items of their lives.
That is an emergency, and our elected leaders should act now to offer housing to Angelenos of their time of want.
Kathy Reims, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Given the storm of fireplace we’re experiencing within the Metropolis of Angels, when all of that is lastly over, the mayor and Metropolis Council ought to unanimously declare that day a municipal vacation, one which honors the extraordinary, historic efforts of our firefighters and first responders. They’re certainly the angels of this technology’s Angelenos.
The day needs to be unforgettably marked with a citywide parade for our heroes, giving each certainly one of us the chance to return out and cheer them with a unity and gratitude we didn’t know we had in us.
Moshe ben Asher and Khulda Bat Sarah, Encino
