“Don’t need a weather person to tell which way wind blows” backyard still here but fire sill surrounds. Topanga town and San Fernando valley parts unscathed. Thanks to fire fighters, helicopters and waterscooper planes Bags packed for next few days. Controlled brush clearance Native Americans did for thousand years. Lived sustainable life. Now have to wonder where do you dispose contaminants waste? Ocean is not an option there’s no swimming for months.
May I spend a moment on “climate activists” who oppose controlled burning. Folks - you are shooting yourselves, and us, in the foot! Please stop it and swallow your nuance medication.
May I ponder the algorithm The New York Times uses, and every major media outlet is using? Newspapers and every social media platform cater to paying customers, based on its own, in house, algorithm. Duty, ethics, what the public needs to know, are secondary issues.
The reason social media platforms are even worse than established, major media publications, is that they are protected from liability by Section 230 of The Communications Decency Act, passed in the sunnier internet days of the Clinton Administration. Why? Because it was a nascent industry we wanted to encourage. Nothing, no matter how absurd or outrageous, uttered on a social media platform, can bring ruin to Facebook/Meta, X and their like.
Since this is Earth Hope, I’ll say something hopeful: “We the people” can still rule. It isn’t too late. The tools are available. Particularly when the billionaires involved are widely disliked. “No-fact-checking” Zuckerberg - I am looking at you.
Here’s an idea: stop clicking ads on Facebook, X, Instagram, etc. Never click them - and buy what you want without telling Zuckerberg and Musk’s minions what you like.
In no small measure, it is a matter of priorities and, in no small way, media literacy. Especially now, when people can pick whatever narrative they like and “check out” of what we used to call “reality.”
In the past few months, I've found two wheelchair users on YouTube that vlog nature walks: Disabled in Nature is in the US and Pippa Stacey is in the UK. Pippa Stacey keeps getting invited on trips to places where they rent scooters for use on trails and I'm a bit jealous. They've really convinced me to look into getting a power wheelchair.
Thank for sharing those. I watched a couple and got a kick out of this one: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yDkkeehfjT0 It is kinda hard to clean a wheelchair once it's been outside.
It’s astounding that news outlets are already looking away and aren’t highlighting the devastation. Wildfires in January after 8 months of no rain should be turning more heads. Thank you for writing about this.
As always, thank you for all the hopeful headlines. My favorite is the newt crossing volunteers and the endangered dormice! 100% we need accessible trails!
Well put together - great perspectives. I like you you kind of "led with your chin" but qualified it in a way that keep me interested and wanting to take the time to read ALL OF IT.
Our reaction to climate change reminds me of the scene on the Titanic when the mom knew what was happening and chose to read her children a bedtime story to create some last-time normalcy.
But I hope I would have been fighting and clawing to take my children to a place they were most likely to get on one of the lifeboats.
We are all balancing acting to make change and finding joy ans hope in our lives.
I really appreciate your publication. We all need to keep talking about what is happening.
Thank you for this intelligent, reasoned, and ultimately hopeful piece. Here in LA Country our hearts are so heavy and it is all incredibly compounded by the vitriol, disinformation, and distraction of the heartless right wing.
The NY Times' lack of coverage of important events in the West is too typical as you know. I live in the West and am originally from the Midwest but spent a few years on the East Coast, and there's definitely an East Coast chauvinism. There are people there who think the world ends at the Appalachians. I mean, some Bostonians refer to their city as "the hub of the Universe" ffs.
I very much needed your insightful writing this morning. I’m drowning in sorrow over the Los Angeles fires, and you helped me focus my fears and come to terms with both cause and effect. Yes, humans are the key factor in the equation and yes, we can solve it. The political blame game that has already begun is most unhelpful, and will possibly delay vital efforts necessary to cleanup and restore housing for millions. Thanks, also, for coping it off with your good environmental news.
I think we'll need to keep feeling the sadness. We can't look away. And we need to open our hearts. As you know, we in Northern California are already receiving the refugees.
"Like those winds, we are unstoppable." ❤
You and I, especially, rena. Unstoppable, beautiful words.
“Don’t need a weather person to tell which way wind blows” backyard still here but fire sill surrounds. Topanga town and San Fernando valley parts unscathed. Thanks to fire fighters, helicopters and waterscooper planes Bags packed for next few days. Controlled brush clearance Native Americans did for thousand years. Lived sustainable life. Now have to wonder where do you dispose contaminants waste? Ocean is not an option there’s no swimming for months.
Richard, stay safe and keep us posted.💗
So far so good west valley end.
I restacked this great article.
Thank you Amanda!
Madam Royal! You are talking my language.
May I spend a moment on “climate activists” who oppose controlled burning. Folks - you are shooting yourselves, and us, in the foot! Please stop it and swallow your nuance medication.
May I ponder the algorithm The New York Times uses, and every major media outlet is using? Newspapers and every social media platform cater to paying customers, based on its own, in house, algorithm. Duty, ethics, what the public needs to know, are secondary issues.
The reason social media platforms are even worse than established, major media publications, is that they are protected from liability by Section 230 of The Communications Decency Act, passed in the sunnier internet days of the Clinton Administration. Why? Because it was a nascent industry we wanted to encourage. Nothing, no matter how absurd or outrageous, uttered on a social media platform, can bring ruin to Facebook/Meta, X and their like.
Can we stop now?
Now that it's created billionaires, who knows if the law will ever change.
Since this is Earth Hope, I’ll say something hopeful: “We the people” can still rule. It isn’t too late. The tools are available. Particularly when the billionaires involved are widely disliked. “No-fact-checking” Zuckerberg - I am looking at you.
Here’s an idea: stop clicking ads on Facebook, X, Instagram, etc. Never click them - and buy what you want without telling Zuckerberg and Musk’s minions what you like.
In no small measure, it is a matter of priorities and, in no small way, media literacy. Especially now, when people can pick whatever narrative they like and “check out” of what we used to call “reality.”
It is up to us - you and me and them.
Great post, Amanda. And thanks for sharing my post. :)
In the past few months, I've found two wheelchair users on YouTube that vlog nature walks: Disabled in Nature is in the US and Pippa Stacey is in the UK. Pippa Stacey keeps getting invited on trips to places where they rent scooters for use on trails and I'm a bit jealous. They've really convinced me to look into getting a power wheelchair.
Thank for sharing those. I watched a couple and got a kick out of this one: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yDkkeehfjT0 It is kinda hard to clean a wheelchair once it's been outside.
Our experience with a power wheelchair was not so great. It's really heavy, which means it's very stable and safe. But it can't be put in a car and taken anywhere, unless you have a giant van or bus. We use a scooter like this one. It comes apart into four pieces that are each only 30 pounds. DM me if you want to chat more. https://medmartonline.com/quickscoot-4-wheel-mobility-scooter?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAnKi8BhB0EiwA58DA4cSdjVOLrWtK_JDPemgRs51JSeLCQV6K_DPPtC7pC-mpS-78zcTWwxoCXXQQAvD_BwE
Agree with Rena on the most powerful words.
It’s astounding that news outlets are already looking away and aren’t highlighting the devastation. Wildfires in January after 8 months of no rain should be turning more heads. Thank you for writing about this.
As always, thank you for all the hopeful headlines. My favorite is the newt crossing volunteers and the endangered dormice! 100% we need accessible trails!
Well put together - great perspectives. I like you you kind of "led with your chin" but qualified it in a way that keep me interested and wanting to take the time to read ALL OF IT.
Excellent. Thank you. 🙌
Thank you for talking about the hard stuff.
Our reaction to climate change reminds me of the scene on the Titanic when the mom knew what was happening and chose to read her children a bedtime story to create some last-time normalcy.
But I hope I would have been fighting and clawing to take my children to a place they were most likely to get on one of the lifeboats.
We are all balancing acting to make change and finding joy ans hope in our lives.
I really appreciate your publication. We all need to keep talking about what is happening.
Thank you. I think we can defeat this thing. I do.
Thank you for this intelligent, reasoned, and ultimately hopeful piece. Here in LA Country our hearts are so heavy and it is all incredibly compounded by the vitriol, disinformation, and distraction of the heartless right wing.
You're welcome. Please stay safe. And hopeful. And please keep in touch. Sending love 💗
Thank you!
The NY Times' lack of coverage of important events in the West is too typical as you know. I live in the West and am originally from the Midwest but spent a few years on the East Coast, and there's definitely an East Coast chauvinism. There are people there who think the world ends at the Appalachians. I mean, some Bostonians refer to their city as "the hub of the Universe" ffs.
Substack to the rescue? Paul Krugman "In Praise of California": https://substack.com/@paulkrugman/p-154682655
I very much needed your insightful writing this morning. I’m drowning in sorrow over the Los Angeles fires, and you helped me focus my fears and come to terms with both cause and effect. Yes, humans are the key factor in the equation and yes, we can solve it. The political blame game that has already begun is most unhelpful, and will possibly delay vital efforts necessary to cleanup and restore housing for millions. Thanks, also, for coping it off with your good environmental news.
I think we'll need to keep feeling the sadness. We can't look away. And we need to open our hearts. As you know, we in Northern California are already receiving the refugees.
Yes.