Fiery Implications of Climate Change

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source: Chicago Tribune: Water vapor rises from a cooling towers of the lignite-fired power station in Boxberg, Germany, on Oct. 30, 2017. 

An undeniable epidemic is working against Ojai’s people, businesses, and water resources. According to an EPA study released in 2016 California's climate has seen a three degree increase over the last 100 years. This substantial increase in heat is limiting the amount and duration of snowpacks on mountains throughout California, and what used to act as a frozen reservoir of water for summer months is quickly fading away. Officials warn that the continued higher temperatures and more extreme droughts, caused by Climate Change and human consumption, will increase the severity and frequency of wildfires in California. The farmers of the Ojai Valley are also at a high risk of reduced crop and livestock yield due to warmer winter months and the increasingly arid climate of California. 

Global human-caused Climate Change is happening, and we as a community, both global and local, must actively choose and participate in the preservation of our planet’s ecosystems. The way of life  people(s) around the world are threatened, and we are running out of time to make this choice. Choose to help, choose sustainability, choose our planet. 

An exceptional way to become active in reducing climate change is to vote. Make your voice heard on the political stage and we will see climate change legislation move forward. Check out the League of Conservation Voters link below to see how your state and local politicians score on eco-friendliness. Some other great ways to help are to buy locally grown crops (to reduce shipping emissions), and avoid unnecessary use of climate control devices such as air conditioning!

For more information check out these sites!

EPA on California Climate Change:

League of Conservation Voters: 

State scorecards: 


By Luke Hanst

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