New Year On Fire

By Roz Larsen, 12th grade, Santa Monica, CA, Member of the JYCM Leadership Board

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On Tuesday the 7th, I watched from my math class as the Palisades fire caught and consumed the hills right in front of me. No one really knew what was going on; we were in shock and almost paralyzed with fear. By Wednesday morning the fire had burned more than 12,000 acres, school was canceled, and more fires were popping up in Los Angeles as the day went on.

Now, just after Shabbat, the Palisades fire is over 20,000 acres and Los Angeles is burning and choking on smoke all over. I think most Angelenos, if not all watching, can agree that this scene is something straight out of an apocalyptic horror film.

I am grateful to have a safe home and family, so these past couple days I’ve spent sheltered inside answering the “are you okay?” texts and trying to reflect on if I am. In multiple meanings of the word “okay,” I am. My house, family, friends, and school are safe, and I have the resources to help those around me, but in many other senses of the word, I do not feel okay.

The city I grew up in now looks like the dystopian horror stories that first motivated me to fight for climate justice; right now my world is on fire and I can feel the heat. More than that, I am not okay because these fires aren’t just some terrible, random accidents like a once in a lifetime tragedy, no. These fires are the result of hundreds of years of overconsumption of natural resources. Overconsumption that has led to an insatiable and aggressive search for more, causing the fossil fuel industry to thrive.

These fires were fueled by, if not caused by, climate change. The harshness and strength of these dry winds; the drought conditions that have allowed so much to burn so fast and so far; the lack of rain which will leave LA covered in a thick layer of smoke for weeks until it finally dissipates, followed by unimaginable muddy destruction. All of this is the result of fossil fuel companies and the insurance industry fighting more for their profit than our livelihoods. This is completely unacceptable.

So in these next couple weeks, while we continue to give support and relief to the victims who have lost everything, please add one more thing to your to-do list: fight back. Get involved in organizations fighting climate change, attend the next protest in your community, or contact your congressional representatives and tell them that we cannot live in a world where the new year comes in already hot. If you need resources on where to start, JYCM and many other organizations are able to help direct your fight. We need to make sure that our government and those in power know that fighting for climate justice isn’t something to put on the back burner, it is a priority now!