Oil and gas companies have to pay for disaster recovery in CA

It’s been a little more than a month since the wild fires were devastating, they forced tens of thousands of angelens to escape from their homes. So far the fires have left awakening in size of estimates up to $ 275 billion With more than 12,000 homes, businesses and other structures are reduced to nothing but ash.

“How” and “Why” are not complicated at all.

For decades, scientists have warned that the more fossil fuels we burn, the more we recharge extreme meteorological events including wild firesS According to a Recent analysis From an international group of scientists, extreme hot, dry and windy conditions, which drive explosive fires in the coastal southern California, became 35% more likely due to global warming.

But oil and gas companies led by profit and corporate greed have unleashed a smoke of denial and lies To protect themselves from the responsibility for the climate crisis they helped to create. Even worse is that taxpayers and local authorities are often left to bear the costs by Increased insurance premiumsTaxes, Utility accounts and reduced public services.

This status quo can no longer last. Fossil fuel companies have come into this crisis, and now it’s time to wear them responsible, adopting decisive legislation this year.

Unfortunately, President Donald Trump’s latest actions do not inspire much confidence that Americans will receive a highly federal guide to climate action. During his first week of service, Trump handed over our climate to the oil and gas companies that bankrupt his campaign.

Chris Wright, the choice of Trump to lead the Ministry of Energy and CEO of the second largest fracking company in the United States, stood in previous comments, rejecting the well -established relationships between climate change and wild fires as simple. “sypeS “The long list of executive orders of the president has Summary renewable energy support And he encouraged even more reading the fossil fuels. On his visit to California, Trump stated that the much needed federal help with families should be conditionedS

With the federal leadership hostile to our recovery, the lawmakers of California are already taking steps to remove fossil fuel companies. Recently State Senis. Wiener introduced Senate Bill 222Legislation offering a legal path for Golden State residents to restore climate disasters and extreme losses associated with time by oil and gas companies that have misled the public about the harm their actions would cause.

SB 222 will also strengthen the critical fair system, the state insurance market in California. The mass financial costs of any climate disaster increase the costs of taxpayers in California who pay on the market to secure their homes. SB 222 will allow insurance suppliers to carry pollutants financially responsible to cover the cost of climate -related benefits instead Make other policy holders to payS

California should also adopt legislation on establish a superfund Paid by oil and gas companies to help California pay for climate -related damage. The important thing is that the funds in this program must be prioritized for projects in black -brown communities, which are often disproportionately affected by fossil fuel pollution.

Superfund can raise the hundreds of billions of dollars needed to respond to past and future climate disasters. In 2020, California fires amounted to economic losses $ 19 billionAnd the estimates cause the damage from the latest fires to more than $ 250 billion. California’s Natural Resources Assessment conservatively estimates that Golden State will face at least $ 113 billion In the annual cost of climate change by 2050.

Further, this financial burden will become more difficult only for Californians.

Read more: California Infernos in January? That’s why the wild fire season continues to become more and more pernicious

As California is recovering, now is the time for these policies to come into force – policies that support working people.

Oil and gas companies continue to act for one purpose in the mind: increasing their lower row with complete disregard for the safety and well -being of our communities. ExxonMobile and Chevron report $ 56 billion and $ 36.5 billion In record profits, respectively in 2022, despite these massive figures, these companies are trying to hand over hundreds of billions of costs to clean our communities during the first few months of the year.

In the coming months and years, Los Angeles residents have been confronted with a long way to recover. Many have lost their homes and their most precious possessions. Some tragically lost their family and friends.

California legislators must put an end to fossil fuel companies with a profit that destroy our planet just to win another dollar. We need accountability and we need it now.