By Nancy Brune| September 30, 2015
Big problems, like the wildfires ravaging California, need big solutions. And big solutions generally can’t come from just one party without the other fighting, weakening or undoing it. Political dysfunction at the federal level leaves us ill-prepared to face one of the biggest threats of the modern era: climate change.
At the local level, the story is different. Leaders in Nevada and California are already dealing with the consequences of climate change as they cope with raging wildfires (again) and the worst drought on record. They’re confronted with falling levels in Lake Mead, a critical source of drinking water for the region. They know firsthand what NASA and every other major scientific institution has confirmed – the climate is changing and we’re responsible. Policy makers are starting to see conflicts arise among the various constituent groups – like Nevada’s farmers – that depend on critical shared resources, underscoring just how big the climate problem is.