How Can We Plan for the Future in California?
The state’s heat waves, blackouts, and fires—amid a pandemic—offer a warning of our fossil-fuel future.
When I moved to California five years ago, I planted a tree in my yard. It was a Red Baron peach, chosen for its showy, bright-pink blossoms and its ability to grow fruit with few cool nights. For the past nine centuries, Southern California has been perfect for this tree, with mild winters and mild summers.
I planted the Red Baron for the climate we once had. That climate is no more. My neighborhood has already warmed by more than 2 degrees Celsius since the preindustrial period—twice the global average. In my short time as a Californian, I’ve seen a drought. I’ve evacuated my home as a wildfire closed in. I’ve lived through unprecedented heat waves.
