California Fires Show Devastating Risks Posed by Global Warming

Our thoughts and prayers are with those displaced by the devastating California Wildfires. The firefighters and other first responders have been doing remarkable work assisting the nearly one million Americans who have been evacuated from the advance of the flames.

But even as we care for those in the wake of this devastation we must redouble our efforts to reverse the effects of global warming as described by Dr. John Holden, President of the American Association of the Advancement of Science: "We are experiencing -- all around the world -- an increased incidence of heat waves, an increased incidence of drought, an increased incidence of wildfires, an increased incidence of the most intense tropical storms."

It is impossible to say that global warming caused these fires. But the worst effects of global warming will cause fires like these to be more intense and more frequent.

As of this afternoon, there are nearly one million environmental refugees in California. The UN predicts that we could see 450 million people fleeing environmental devastation of global warming.

We must make the environmental imperative of reducing global warming pollution a priority at the national level. With your help, we can do it.

For more coverage of the California wildfires, including information on evacuees:

Click here for LA Times coverage of the fires.

Click here for San Diego Union Tribune coverage.