2023 prompt1 Climate change is a constant problem that the Los Angeles community has been

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Climate change is a constant problem that the Los Angeles community has been and is currently experiencing. It has caused much damage to people and the environment, by temperatures rising and natural disasters. Climate change is a severe threat to everyone living on earth. The earth’s temperatures have been increasing over the years. According to Chartteriee, “ over the last 8000 years, Earth’s surface temperature raised by 1 degree Celsius only and the present rate of global temperature would rise by 2.5 degrees Celsius by 2050” (2019). 

Another environmental condition that follows climate change is vector-borne diseases. Hotter temperatures can cause Vectors like mosquitoes and are an increasing concern in the Los Angeles Region. The Asian tiger mosquito, for example, is responsible for outbreaks of Dengue fever in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and has identified recently in the San Gabriel Valley (publichealth.gov). This and other species of mosquitoes feed more frequently and breed more rapidly in warmer weather. Changes in the environmental patterns introduce human diseases that could not have been a problem before. For example, malaria is one of the vector-borne illnesses which is sensitive to long term climate change.

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Two environmental conditions that are most impacting the area where I currently live, Northern California, are climate change and wildfires. Climate change has been impacting California’s fresh water supply for many years now. Most of our fresh water comes from the Sierra Nevada snowpack which is now at only 14 percent of normal (Howard, 2014). The climate continues to get hotter and drier forcing farmers and cities to turn to reservoirs and groundwater which can only last so long (Howard, 2014). The lack of water and hotter, drier climates has resulted in larger and more frequently occurring wildfires (Howard, 2014). Wildfires have been plaguing not only Northern California but the entire state of California more so in recent years than they ever did in the past. This is largely in part due to climate change and the drier land we are surrounded by (Howard, 2014).

Good resources to obtain data regarding climate change and wildfires are the CA.gov website and the Cal Fire website. Both of these sites contain useful information regarding the impact of climate change on California, indicators of climate change, daily wildfire reports, and what you can do to help your community.