In the News

Prioritize Community Needs Over Politics

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Margaret Cooney writes about the wildfires in Los Angeles and describes the practical ways local policymakers can better prepare to offset the effects of climate change.

We’ve all been Californians these last few weeks. I was born and raised there. My experiences as a firefighter reached from the coastal redwoods of Humboldt County to the Santa Ana Fire Academy and Los Angeles County. My family and friends in Pasadena recently experienced one of the worst fires in California’s history. 

I’ve learned from my share of run-ins with extreme weather events that these disasters don’t honor state borders or party lines. Political distractions won’t help the people trying to rebuild their lives or safeguard their communities from the next disaster. We need to come together to protect as many people as possible — and that requires leadership that supports recovery efforts based on Americans’ needs, not scoring political points.

The above excerpt was originally published in InsideSources. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Author

Margaret Cooney

Senior Campaign Manager of Storytelling, Energy and Environment Campaigns

Department

Energy and Environment

Charting an equitable and just path to a 100 percent clean economy with net-zero climate pollution, protection of 30 percent of lands and waters, and community investments

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Default Opt Ins

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

Variable Opt Ins

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.