As California Fires Rage, Experts Point to Climate Change
*By Carlo Versano*
Two new wildfires broke out in Southern California's Ventura County on Monday, as firefighters strained their resources to contain the three blazes already rampaging across the state. In Northern California, the Camp Fire is now the deadliest in the state's history, with at least 31 dead.
Outside Los Angeles, the Woolsey Fire has killed at least two and forced mass evacuations of some of the wealthiest zip codes in the country, including the celebrity haven of Malibu.
Cheddar's Alyssa July Smith reported from Santa Monica that the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway was closed to non-essential services going into Malibu. The cars allowed to pass on the PCH from the north were stained by soot and ash.
If the superlatives from this year's fire season sound familiar ー historic, deadliest, once-in-a-generation ー it's because they are. Of the most catastrophic fires in California's modern history, nine of 10 occurred after 2000, according to Popular Science senior editor Sophie Bushwick.
And while no fire can be blamed on any sole factor, climate change is unquestionably making wildfires worse and more frequent, Bushwick said ー by way of drier land and warmer temperatures which, when combined with the accelerant of the famed Santa Ana winds blowing through the mountain passes, creates a tinder-box effect.
"Global warming is making conditions ripe for \[fires\]," Bushwick said. "Ignoring it is just fool-hardy."
In California, the situation is made worse by a growing population that's building homes and infrastructure closer and closer to the state's parched forests. The town of Paradise, which was more or less burned off the map by the Camp Fire, was built shoehorned into a canyon pass ー with one way in and one way out. That proved to be a death sentence for some of its residents, who tried to flee the fast-moving fire on the single road. Firefighters found at least seven bodies burned beyond recognition still in their cars, according to media reports.
Bushwick considers it parallel to hurricane victims in low-lying, flood-prone areas: in other words, people living where nature says they shouldn't.
"Where people choose to build their homes can make a natural disaster more of a disaster."
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As controversy dogs the run-up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China is hiring TikTokers and other social media influencers to promote the nation's history, culture, diplomatic efforts, and current trends.
Talent Resources Sports is partnering with ABG Entertainment to host Sports Illustrated The Party during the weekend of Super Bowl LVI, featuring musical performances by Kygo, Jack Harlow, and other guests. David Spencer and Mike Heller, co-CEOs and founders of Talent Resources Sports, joined Cheddar to discuss the details behind putting on the event. “We’re just really pumped that after all of the things that got canceled people will finally have a place to let some steam off in such an exciting moment, such a charged moment with the Super Bowl,” Mike Heller said about putting on the live event after previous COVID-related cancellations.
Coming off of a horrible week for Peloton on the stock market, another character from a TV series died after riding the stationary bike. Mike Wagner on "Billions" was the latest fictional tragedy, just a month after "Mr. Big" suffered a similar fate on the "Sex and the City" reboot "And Just Like That." Peloton tweeted it had not worked with the Showtime series on the episode.
Exercise equipment maker Peloton is attempting to run away from a recent bout of controversy. CEO John Foley published an open letter to employees on Thursday after reports that said Peloton was pausing production of its Bike and Tread products, delaying the opening of a new U.S. factory, and considering job cuts. In the letter, Foley wrote that the information in the reports was 'incomplete,' 'out of context,' and not reflective of Peloton's strategy. Peloton's stock responded on Friday, with shares bouncing back after falling nearly 24% in the regular session on Thursday. CFRA Research's Director of Research Ken Leon joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
