Art imitates life, or so it is suggested, but what should we do when life imitates art? That's exactly what we're seeing unfold right now in California and other states, where wildfires are burning indiscriminately. What is left in the aftermath, other than devastation, are questions about how this could happen and for Governor Newsom, of California, the answer is obvious. Climate change is responsible for the fires which have claimed 3.2 million acres over the course of this calendar year.
In his press briefing with President Trump, Newsom made his feelings on this matter abundantly clear, when speaking to President Trump on the matter. "And final point: I’d be negligent — and this is not — and we’ve known each other too long — and, as you suggest, the working relationship, I value. We obviously feel very strongly that the hots are getting hotter, the dries are getting drier. When we’re having heat domes, the likes of which we’ve never seen in our history; the hottest August ever in the history of the state; the ferocity of these fires; the drought, five-plus years; losing 163 million trees to that drought — something has happened to the plumbing of the world. And we come from a perspective, humbly, where we submit the science is in and observed evidence is self-evident that climate change is real, and that is exacerbating this." When pressed on the fires, specifically, and the root cause of those fires, Governor Newsom stated, "This really isn't about blame so much as it is a call to recognize that the Earth is crying uncle and asking us for help! We can either ignore those cries or we can put our heads together and work towards solutions that lead to genuine change." Another reporter then asked Newsom why he is still blaming Climate Change, when many of the fires burning in his state have already been attributed to arson. "Haven't you seen 'The Happening' movie", asked Newsom, who was referring to the 2008 film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. "In that movie, nature is forced to move to more drastic measures in order to get humanity's attention. I believe that's what we're seeing here. Yes, many of these fires have been started by people, but not becasue they want to to watch things burn. These individuals are starting fires becasue some strange and explainable phenomenon is forcing them to start them. Watch the movie, the answers are all there." The same reporter then asked if he was suggesting that the fictional film is now playing out in reality. "Look, I don't want to spend too much time on this today, but I will say this. When we reject the settled science and ignore the clear signs that nature is giving us, what else is Mother Nature supposed to do? If we won't use our hands to help her, then she is left with no other choice than taking matters into her own hands and that's what we're seeing here. These fires and hurricanes and earthquakes and countless other natural disasters are Earth's last act of self-preservation and we not only acknowledge this, but we must also lead towards genuine change, in order to ensure we don't get to a place where it's simply too late." For the time being, much of this remains hypothetical, but California has already put funding behind this initiative, as several grants have been awarded to state-run universities under the strict understanding that these funds will be used to invest and research anything that would further prove the Governor's assertions. In the meantime, as fires continue to uncontrollably burn in California--and many other states in the Pacific Northwest--and as Joe Biden calls President Trump a 'Climate Arsonist', we are left with evidence of real arson. And if a person chooses to look at this evidence with a biased and partial lens, it will help prove the Governor's assertions.
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