SAN FRANCISCO — As Californians suffer widespread power outages and mass evacuations due to wildfire dangers, former Gov. Jerry Brown is warning that the dark scenario may be “only the beginning” for Americans across the country — unless officials in Washington seriously tackle the issue of climate change.
“I said it was the new normal a few years ago,’’ Brown said in an exclusive interview with POLITICO. “This is serious …. but this is only the beginning. This is only a taste of the horror and the terror that will occur in decades.’’
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“And it will occur in various spots: in America, in Africa, in Canada,’’ said Brown, who will travel to Washington this week to speak on climate change issues. “It’s unpredictable, other than the fact that it will get worse in present trajectory. Washington, under Trump, is doing very little — and even the Congress has been unable to mobilize under Washington.’’
“It’s a real threat, but it has to be managed. This is the world we live in. And it will get more dangerous.”
Northern California grappled again this weekend with widespread power outages that affected as many as 2 million Californians, a preemptive effort by Pacific Gas & Electric to avoid sparking another massive wildfire after its wires started the state’s deadliest conflagration last year.
The shut-offs, which began in the middle of last week and persist Monday, may not have been enough. One of the biggest fires of the year has engulfed popular wine areas in Sonoma County and forced mass evacuations from vineyards to the coast. The Kincade Fire began last Wednesday near where PG&E says it suffered a wire failure around the same time.
Source: Brown: California fires show ‘the horror’ world will face from climate change
