Los Angeles Wildfires & Global Warming - Ellen Fritz

Summary:
As of Monday September 4th, over 500 homes have been evacuated in Los Angeles due to the 'largest fire in the history of LA in terms of acreage' (Garcetti). Spanning over 5,000 acres, this wildfire has caused mass destruction to urban housing surrounding the city center which has led to evacuations all over Los Angeles. However, L.A. is not the only city effected by drier-than-normal temperatures, which lead to wildfires. Major fires similar to the one in La Tuna Canyon have affected other areas of the western United States. Montana and Washington have declared this crisis a "state of emergency" leading to the evacuation of thousands of residents within these states. Dry, hot weather and strong winds caused by climate change are affecting the western United States. These factors are perfect conditions for fires to begin and quickly spread, in the case of many densely populated cities such as Los Angeles.

Analysis:
This article is important because it brings awareness to an issue that is being seemingly shrugged at by political powers in the United States. A changing climate in the western U.S. means detrimental effects on the areas urban infrastructure, tourism, economy, agriculture, and general public safety. All of these factors can affect our daily lives and the future of our society. Global warming is causing irreversible damage to ecosystems all over the world. From the increased amount of hurricanes in the last century to rising sea levels, climate change can not only destroy the habitats of organisms everywhere but can also leave lasting effects on the global economy. This article shows the effects of climate change to normal American civilians, which may lead to people taking action to help the issue.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41143987

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/preparing-for-climate-change-california.html#.Wa4RM5N95sM