Trump’s Presidency Begins Amidst Climate-Driven California Wildfires
Khandaker Muntasir Hossain
In 2024, global organizations like NASA, the WHO, and the WMO officially declared it the warmest year on record.
However, despite overwhelming scientific evidence, many still dismiss the severity of climate change. Among them is Donald Trump, who is set to be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United
States. Following California’s devastating wildfires that destroyed over 12,000 buildings, claimed 16 lives, and burned more than 30,000 acres, the key discussion is no longer about the impact of climate change.
Change is real—it is about how catastrophic its impacts can get.
Wildfires are not new in California, but this year has been different in many ways. The fires engulfed regions, including the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Sylmar, Hollywood Hills, and Pasadena, demonstrating unprecedented intensity, duration, and timing. These concerning trends unmistakably reveal their telltale signs.
of change.
The rising temperatures have accelerated the conditions conducive to wildfires, and California is now experiencing their devastating consequences first-hand.
Firefighters, despite being some of the best-equipped in the world, have found this year’s fires particularly challenging to control due to exceptionally strong wind speeds.
Ongoing research aims to determine whether these altered wind patterns are directly influenced by climate change. Hot, dry conditions and strong winds have created ideal circumstances for a fire disaster.
For the past eight to ten months, California has experienced unusually dry weather, resulting in parched vegetation that has fueled the ferocity of the fires. The suburbs, with their abundance of wooden houses and poles, have exacerbated the destruction, igniting the flames more aggressively.
Donald Trump has been heavily criticized by climate activists for previously calling climate change a “hoax” and withdrawing the U.S. from climate agreements.
From the Paris Agreement, and failing to acknowledge the growing risks associated with the climate crisis. A week before taking office as President, he faces the aftermath of one of California’s most destructive wildfires.
Will the destruction, the displacement of over 200,000 people, the loss of wildlife, and the collapse of Ecosystems force him to reconsider his stance?
That remains an open question. However, one thing is certain: climate change is not a distant threat. It is here, real, and it is reshaping our world in devastating ways.
California Governor Gavin Newsom perfectly described the situation, stating that there is no longer a “fire.”
season” in California. Instead, fires are now a year-round reality, fuelled by rising temperatures, accelerated wind speeds, reduced rainfall, and increasingly dry landscapes.
This stark reminder leaves no room for negligence. Climate change is no longer a debate—it is an urgent call to action.
California is dealing with the aftermath of fires, highlighting the need for Donald Trump to take the climate crisis seriously. The future of California and beyond is at stake.
