CEO Note: It’s the climate, stupid.

By Glenn Hurowitz, Founder & CEO

As devastating fires continue to rage across Southern California, anti-climate politicians have tried to pin the blame on everything from the travel schedule of the Mayor to alleged DEI hiring practices.

Here’s the reality: regardless of where any public official was or who runs the fire department, Los Angeles and other areas around the world have become tinderboxes because of an unholy trifecta of rising temperatures, human construction and agriculture expanding into wildlands, and a failure to address a build-up of flammable materials.

For everyone who works to protect Nature, the fires in LA are merely the latest manifestation of a phenomenon we’re seeing around the world. Last year was the hottest in history. We’ve seen enormous fires in Brazil, Canada, Australia and beyond. Even in relatively wet places like the Eastern United States, we’ve repeatedly experienced the smoke blowing in from other parts of the continent from enormous conflagrations.

That’s why we’re working not just to decarbonize the economy, but also to protect and restore Nature so that ecosystems and human settlements alike are more resilient when fires or floods come along.

Here are some ways to help and resources to share:

• The California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund will provide immediate relief and address long-term recovery efforts after media attention fades.
• GiveDirectly is partnering with Google to utilize government data and provide cash assistance to low-income residents in the hardest hit areas of Los Angeles. You can contribute to the emergency fund here.
• Pasadena Humane is actively serving animal needs in disaster-affected areas in collaboration with local LA organizations such as American Humane, and North Valley Animal Disaster Group.

Thanks for all you do to help protect Nature and aid those on the front lines of climate change.