Our Home is Burning: The connection between wildfires and climate change

Adrianna Schwaiger is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a participant in our Spring 2021 Climate Advocacy Methods Program.

Dear Editor, 

The article published on February 6, “SoCal Edison, and other utilities spend $13 billion to reduce the risk of wildfires” addresses the issue of wildfires in California, and we cannot ignore the connection between wildfires and climate change. California has experienced record-setting fire seasons due to climate change, and it is clear that these fires are costly for both the economy and the environment. 

It is imperative that we reduce our carbon emissions to combat climate change and reduce the impacts of wildfires in California. As a resident of Murrieta, CA, I request that Rep. Ken Kalvert take action by supporting the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763). This policy will reduce America’s carbon emissions by at least 40% in the first 12 years.

The only home we have is burning, and it is costing us billions of dollars. That is why we need to take immediate action against climate change by enacting bipartisan climate legislation like the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.