China Daily, August 23 -- Two weeks have passed since the Maui wildfire, Hawaii, which nearly destroyed the historic local town of Lahaina. According to the latest notice issued by the Maui County Government of Hawaii on the 21st, the fire has caused 115 deaths and about 850 missing. Politico pointed out in a report on the 20th that in the face of the deadliest wildfire in modern American history, the US senator said that the inability to respond to disasters should not become the country's "new normal", and other lawmakers and climate organizations also pleaded with the White House to take more measures to prevent climate-related disasters in the future.
They wonder, if such an environmental catastrophe does not prompt the president of the United States to act, what else can? This isn't the first time the White House has faced calls for such measures, but the ongoing crisis in Hawaii and a series of climate events this summer — including Tropical Storm Hillary Clinton's first landfall in southern California in 84 years — have fueled calls for stronger measures.
On August 20, 2023, local time, Hawaii, USA, a woman looks at the burned-out town of Lahaina. Local communities have lost trust in the government due to the government's slow response to the fires. (Source: Visual China)
Senator Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said in a statement: "The devastation on Maui clearly demonstrates that the U.S. government must declare a climate emergency immediately." While FEMA is providing resources to local responders to save the lives and livelihoods of Hawaiians, climate-driven fundamentals such as drought, extreme heat, environmental injustice, and resilient infrastructure will remain. Kaniela Ing, national director of the Green New Deal Network, a seventh-generation indigenous people on Maui, Hawaii, said, "Tomorrow, when you wake up, the whole community could be reduced to ashes." ”
U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer said: "I don't think it's our new normal for people to choose between being burned alive and jumping into the sea for hours on end. This is a crisis, and the administration needs to free up significant federal resources and emergency powers to help these communities prepare for and recover from deadly climate disasters. ”
Declaring a climate emergency could pose a political risk to the incumbent president heading into an election year. In addition, any executive action taken by President Joe Biden could face legal challenges. Still, amid the recent crisis, advocates and lawmakers are urging the president to take bold action, arguing that the move will also reap political benefits among disappointed young voters and communities of color disproportionately affected by climate change.
Screenshot of the Politico report
The website has previously reported that in this era of polarization in the United States, even a human tragedy like the Maui wildfire cannot avoid being influenced by political factors, not to mention the upcoming US election. After President Biden's initial reaction to the incident was criticized, both the White House and Democrats in Hawaii were very careful to emphasize the response and mobilization of the US administration.
Kanila Ying, a former Democratic state representative, wrote in a deleted social media post: "I'm campaigning for you. Now, I have lost dozens of friends, family, and neighbors. This? This question, full of dissatisfaction and anger, comes because President Joe Biden, when asked by reporters in Rehobbs Beach, Texas, if he had any comment on the "rising death toll on Maui," he replied "No, no comment" and smiled.
Last week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden had used the Defense Production Act to start heat pump manufacturing and grid construction, and also allocated funds through the Defense Production Act to support the procurement of materials needed for solar manufacturing and electric vehicles. She also mentioned the Inflation Reduction Act's investment in combating climate change, and the White House recently celebrated its one-year anniversary... Weber, co-founder of the nonprofit Our hawaii, has been working to help his state recover, while his friends in Lahaina continue to search for family. In response, he said, it was ironic to watch the anniversary celebrations at the White House this week, where his state was burning and survivors were providing DNA samples to identify the ashes of their loved ones.
Fires and storms have become more frequent and intense this summer in the face of extreme weather shocks, exposing a nationwide problem: state governments are not prepared for emergencies in the face of unprecedented conditions. Limited budgets and inadequate staffing will only make the situation worse.
The campfire that ravaged Paradise, California, five years ago is a classic example of a failed U.S. federal and state emergency response. Local relief workers have been criticized for failing to communicate evacuation instructions to all residents, leading to bottlenecks on several roads out of the city. But the local sheriff's office has only one employee to coordinate these efforts.
However, according to the Capitol Hill website, Hawaii established a large outdoor warning system after a tsunami in 1946 that killed more than 150 people. On the official website of the state and county of Hawaii, sirens are described as early warning systems for "natural and man-made events," including tsunamis, hurricanes... Wildfires are also included. But Herman Andaya, director of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, defended the decision not to activate an emergency alert when wildfires broke out in some areas, saying the alarms would cause chaos.
Yucel Ors of the National League of Cities said the reality of emergency preparedness is much more complicated than "they should have been prepared for." "Preparedness, mitigation and resilience planning require significant resources, such as skilled personnel and funding, that are often lacking in small and medium-sized cities in the United States," he said. "This is not an isolated incident. Dawn Shiley of the International Association of Emergency Managers said disasters that require advance preparation and follow-up response are likely to become increasingly common in the future.
(Compiled by Mary)