Guest essay by Larry Hamlin
The L A Times embarrassed itself with a clear display of its politically contrived “climate emergency” alarmism propaganda agenda regarding the horrific wildfires on Maui with the misleading, misrepresented and reality flawed August 11, 2023 headline and article shown below authored by their “Cultural Columnists and Critic” (apparently climate and energy issues are not driven by science and engineering data and competence but by musings of social “culture” ).
The L A Times achieved the feat of exposing their own flawed August 11 headline and article hyping their usual “climate emergency” drivel as driving the recent terrible wildfire on Maui by having to eat crow with these two headlining articles shown below on August 16 retracting their prior alarmist contrived phony claims with causes unrelated to “climate emergency” driving these terrible wildfires as noted in these Times articles.
The L A Times is not a newspaper but instead has evolved into nothing but a politically driven propaganda machine pushing incompetent climate science and renewable energy schemes devoid of any connection to actual climate science and energy use data that supports their alarmist hype.
Is that “newspaper” any worse than any of the other lying incompetent bribed scandalsheets?
It has a paywall
People pay for that?
Not if they can avoid paying.
Hyping the weather is the “new normal” for the media.
I see these kinds of articles every day on my newsfeed. People are being inundated with misinformation about the weather.
The LA Times spammed me with woke ideas that they print as news instead of opinion, which is why I unsubscribed in the first place. Then they spam me with emails and phonecalls to resubscribe. With their current staffing of millennial talent, they just don’t get it.
I almost didn’t bother reading this because I saw some more surprising headlines:
Water is wet
Government getting bigger & less competent
Biden falls down & wanders around
I believe the Daily Telegraph has the coordinating role in providing Climate Crisis hype.
It may be the LA Times is more guilty of carrying the provided ‘coordinated’ CC fraud message, than presenting factual journalism….stop laughing at the back.
I am sure that lovely governor Gavin Newsman (sic) will sort out the news facts from the new frauds…..
I would say that the Telegraph, the Mail and the Sun tend to play both sides when it suits them.
Did you ever see Drop The Dead Donkey?
The current state of the media is the result of the transformation of journalism from an almost blue collar business, learned on the job, positions being won by competence to an academic affair where degrees earned at journalism schools are what’s needed for entry. There’s also the issue of cuts in media staffing, apparently in the editing function. Television became and remains the biggest source of general information, setting the tone of the arguments for the print business to follow. The focus on immediacy, “breaking news”, dismisses the investigation and reflection that’s required in an analysis of any event or situation.
To put the glory where it belongs, American journalism has been destroyed by William R Hearst. The destruction proved very lucrative, and Mr. Hearst built a fake castle from the proceeds.
There are some windmills on Maui….did the windmills survive? Inquiring minds want to know.
The subtitle in the WSJ story version is more telling. This implicates advocacy groups and green politicos.
story tip
Hawaiian Electric Knew of Wildfire Threat, but Waited Years to Act
Four years ago, the utility said it needed to do more to prevent its power lines from emitting sparks.
It made little progress, focusing on a shift to clean energy.
Hawaiian Electric Knew Wildfires in Maui Were a Growing Risk, But Waited Years to Act – WSJ
In filings over the next two years with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which is tasked with approving utility projects and spending, the company made only passing reference to wildfire mitigation.
Renewables pushFormer regulators and energy company officials said the utility was focused at that time on procuring renewable energy. Hawaii has been on a push to convert to renewables since 2008, when a run-up in oil prices sent electrical rates at Hawaiian Electric—which relied on petroleum imports for 80% of its energy supply—through the roof. In 2015, lawmakers passed legislation mandating that the state derive 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045, the first such requirement in the U.S.
The company dove into reaching the goals, stating in 2017 that it would reach the benchmark five years ahead of schedule.
In 2019, under pressure to replace the output of two conventional power plants set to retire, the company sought to contract for 900 megawatts of renewable energy, the most it had pursued at any one time.
“You have to look at the scope and scale of the transformation within [Hawaiian Electric] that was occurring throughout the system,” said Mina Morita, who chaired the state utilities commission from 2011 to 2015. “While there was concern for wildfire risk, politically the focus was on electricity generation.”
The utility stock is down 40% and lawsuits have already been filed against the utility.
Reference: Montana kids win historic climate lawsuit
The Lahaina kids won’t get an opportunity. Lawsuits are a pitiful response.
This Maui fire was a preventable tragedy.
You beat me to it. My take-away from these WSJ articles is that utility, county and state authorities temporized when they should have been upgrading the system and remediating the fuel load issues. Why cut the weeds and pay for the necessary fixes to the old power grid when “mandates” and shiny new technologies are coming – all paid for by somebody else? Textbook case of the unintended consequences of government overreach and false promises.
WSJ also reports that besides the 100 cadavers found so far, there are at least 1,000 people missing. School was out that day and parents at work. Many of the missing will be children. When I was growing up kids pointlessly rehearsed for a nuclear attack by ducking under our desks and covering our heads. On the other hand, I think a modicum of training for this heavily predicted eventuality would have saved some kids’ lives.
” besides the 100 cadavers found so far, there are at least 1,000 people missing. ”
They have been missing for far too long .
Very likely all dead .
Anyone remember New Orleans before Katrina?
Blaming climate change and telling us that the solution is to cut CO2 by eliminating fossil fuels is extremely COUNTER productive because, not only is it wrong but it focuses on a non problem instead of addressing the real problems that can be fixed to save lives.
My years of working with the NWS, NOAA, Storm Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center and other entities that deliver timely messages to alert U.S. citizens to life threatening risks has been loaded with positive experiences and admiration but most of all, appreciation to them for saving tens of thousands of lives over the last century and giving operational meteorologists like me the information to pass on to people that follow us.
However, it’s extremely sad to have to fault the entities in Hawaii responsible for protecting lives in this situation for completely failing in catastrophic and numerous ways.
There were no warnings with a siren system that is tested monthly and designed for natural disaster/weather emergencies.
The lack of planning and lack of a mitigation strategy was malpractice and negligence.
At the very least, they should have controlled the invasive grass growth/fuel load. Spraying an effective herbicide over large areas in a strategic manner to kill or stifle the grass growth using misters could have cut off the fires access to unlimited fuel heading in the direction of the wind.
Herbicidal Weed Control Methods for Pastures and Natural Areas of Hawaii
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/WC-8.pdf
Application techniques and equipment:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Surinder-Rana/publication/339325272_Lecture_14Herbicide_application_techniques_and_equipments/links/5e4b961192851c7f7f43e513/Lecture-14Herbicide-application-techniques-and-equipments.pdf
Also, cutting that grass in some sections, especially surrounding the most vulnerable areas…… around telephones poles or ignition sources was an option.
The problem with cutting is that it will grow back. An herbicide lasts much longer.
These are my GENERAL suggestions:
1. Effectively identify the risk areas. Including those that seem far fetched but under the most anomalously dry and windy weather, have the fuel load to cause a massive fire, especially where people live.
2. Take actions to have a warning system in place……..like using tornado/severe weather warning sirens in the earliest stages of the event, so that people can evacuate in timely fashion.
3. Provide educational information so people understand the risk and know what to do.
4. Extremely important. Practice Mitigation. In higher risk areas, reduce vegetative fuel loads and use known principles that apply locally to each situation to reduce the risks.
5. Stop blaming climate change. It misleads and diverts attention and resources away from PROVEN strategies above that can be used to save lives.
Managed Fires Can Help Mitigate the Risks Posed by Increasing Frequency of Wildfires in some places.
https://climatecheck.com/risks/fire/mitigation-guide-for-homeowners
Wildfire Mitigation and Adaptation Guide for Homeowners
climatecheck.com/risks/fire/mitigation-guide-for-homeowners
Hear, hear!
I was struck by what appears to be an anomaly (although maybe it was planned)… A map of the burn areas showed a sizeable neighborhood – elementary, middle and high schools – north and east of the Lahaina proper that escaped the worst. That area appears to be on the hill above the town. It is bounded on the north by Kanaha Stream, and a substantial line of trees.
The sirens were apparently designed to alert for tsunamis. Ironically officials deactivated these alarms for fear that people who ran up-slope would meet the real problem head-on. It appears to me that most people needed to get out of their houses and head for the surf. People died in their cars trying to wait out traffic jams.
Green fire breaks, including well-hydrated trees and native grasses are being studied for mitigating Maui’s downslope wind condition. Trees break the wind.
Drone footage:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1690414307979169792
I found this incredible video from Dr. Daniel Swain, using a drone that actually shows how fast the fire was spreading.
North Kihei fire filmed at 11:30 PM
Cliff Mass gives his usual solid scientific explanation.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/08/16/the-real-cause-of-the-maui-wildfire-disaster/
“People died in their cars trying to wait out traffic jams”
The videos below are shocking/haunting!
Shadab Javed@JShadab1
Video footage of 8th of August before fires started in #Lahaina Electric poles falling off. May be this could be one of the reason of the deadly wildfires. Follow for more updates. Video Credits – @livingearthsystems (Instagram handle)
https://twitter.com/i/status/1690415918453800961
++++++++++++++
Mike@PantherMike182
Humanity is dead. They just drove right past her and left her for dead…
https://twitter.com/i/status/1689409366984949760
+++++++++++++++++
Shadab Javed@JShadab1
Devastating People of #lahaina wanted to share their first hand experience in the Lahaina fires. They wanted the world to see the reality of the situation. Follow for more stories.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1690431105080713216
++++++++++
Ivan@Ivankalema01
The historic town of Lahaina was leveled The death toll from the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii has reached 80. Thousands of people have been displaced, more than 1,700 structures have been destroyed.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1690344115223838721
++++++++++++++
@NikkiThaGodB1
Horrible aftermath of devastating fires in #Maui as death toll continues to rise.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1690378561964625920
Thanks, Mike. Somebody doing very calm narration in the drone footage. Fire advance at “1 1/2 to 3 miles an hour — you could outrun it if you hustled.
“around telephones poles or ignition sources was an option”
Whoops! Should be “power lines”
The problem is rampant and unrelenting. My local paper’s editorial board decided that they will not publish any counter climate related opinions or stories that line up with the Climate Change dogma. Essentially, they decided to end free speech in the name of promoting the climate hysteria. Sad day when the news no longer is news but propaganda. History shows that bad things happen when the “message” is driven politically rather than just the facts.
Rampant, unrelenting, and in some cases, dating back over a couple of decades. From my ongoing count below, (I had to update it again just days ago), the PBS NewsHour embarked on the path of excluding CAGW counterpoint arguments starting back in 1996, if not earlier:
NewsHour Global Warming Bias Tally, Updated 8/14/23: 118 to 0
There’s no shortage of newspapers or media outlets in general that refuse to publish any articles, no matter how factual, that refute or question the climate alarmist agenda, and chances are excellent that they’re all well-funded by a combination of leftist governments and environmental organizations. That’s the main reason that the media have had such a declining level of trust in the last few decades.
Articles reference “invasive grasses” – – –
I have yet to note the names of these.
The culprit in the western USA (and WA State) is commonly called cheatgrass,
and makes an appearance in written reports as Bromus tectorum.
Washington State adopted Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum) as an official symbol, being native to the eastern (dry side) of the State. When fire burns through a field with both types, the “cheat” is consumed and carries the fire easily across the space. The Bluebunch Wheatgrass shows its resilience. It is fascinating to see the results of fires as regards what burns and what doesn’t. Friends have a small vineyard that was impacted by “The Baird Springs Fire” in July.
Search wenatcheeworld (dot). Com for Baird Springs Fire
Media photos are lands north and east of the vineyard.
The grass most often mentioned is Guinnea Grass (es?), an African import from the pineapple days I believe they say. It bulks up like Arnold and then dries out in winter but unlike the Hawaiian grasses, it has adapted to a fire regime, so it’s back in the springtime, pumped more than ever. A tree they don’t like (possibly for the same reason) is the kola haole, an import from tropical America.
I learned two things when I vacationed in Kauai: 1) Don’t tangle with a Portuguese Man-of-War and 2) I am a haole. The word means something like non-islander; or just “white”. The tree has white flower pods. Don’t know how it fares in fires. If you read about other invaders I hope you’ll post it.
The other day, the LA Times had an article by their chief climate propagandist Sammy Roth about climate change. It had a photo of a section of Amtrak rail line along the coastal cliffs that was put out of service by debris falling from above. I asked how the implied cause of the debris from sea level rise is possible when the debris fell from above. I don’t expect an answer.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Hawaiian Electric, the biggest power supplier in the state, focused on shifting to renewable energy sources to combat climate change, rather than spending money to address fire risk around its power lines.
Earlier that day, John Podesta, a left-wing stalwart who advises President Joe Biden on clean energy, took to the White House podium to blame climate change for the wildfire in Maui, which destroyed Lahaina and has likely killed hundreds of people.
It certainly sounds like Climate Change is to blame .. Climate Change alarmism any way
I’ll continue to maintain that the mainstream North American and European media attract and accept big donations from environmentalist organizations like Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense etc. as long as they publish regular climate alarmist rhetoric while downplaying or suppressing anything that questions or refutes the manmade climate change theories. I see this occurring daily.
It’s called Pulp Fiction.
Not to suggest the “climate change boiling earth” scenario, but too many articles here are overly optimistic. The press stating, even “proving beyond a reasonable doubt”, that there was poor planing, political graft, political incompetent, diversion of funds to irrelevant projects, whatever one can think up, does not say that they are not still claiming “climate change” was the basic cause, only that the damage to persons and property could have been, should have been, largely prevented in spite of “climate change”. Even though there was is huge malevolence of earth’s human tickled climate, intent of riding itself of despicable humanity, the damage was not necessary because the “system” could have overcome the difficulties and prevented the damage.
Nonsense, there is NO embarrassment.
The did not “eat crow” nor did they “retract” anything. Their earlier propaganda still stands, it’s effect has already sunk into their dumb readers’ heads.
Today the Guardian is declaring unprecedented damage to Floridian corals … pre-emptively. It has not happened yet but that does not matter, they have found an “expert” who expects it to happen, so that’ near enough.
Looks very like gusting winds brought power lines and trafos down, sparking and exploding, just like CA a few years back.
Those power line poles look like something from the 1950’s – they should be underground.
That looks like an ENRON effect – deregulation, no infrastructure investment.