知之外外 - 听Rex读经济学人

Rexpresso Vol. 1当地时间2025年1月7日，美国加州南部地区突发山火，并在大风助推下迅速蔓延，该州主要城市洛杉矶成为重灾区，正遭遇当地有记录以来破坏程度最严重的火灾。这次山火，给洛杉矶带来了多沉重的打击？洛杉矶这座人们口口相传的“天堂”缘何变成了灾难的重灾区？野火焚城的痛苦下，为何政治互撕又在火上浇油？本期Rexpresso，Rex和大家一起深入分析，了解真相。————————————————————————————————————————————————文本供参~Currently, five wildfires are still blazing in and around Los Angeles, California, killing 24 people at least as of this podcast is recorded. The total area burned is approximately 38,629 acres, according to official figures released, which is bigger than the city of Paris. More than 130,000 people were told to leave their homes, and 2,000 buildings have been destroyed.This is not the first time Los Angeles has faced such devastating natural disasters. Wildfires, earthquakes and floods are likely to happen in Los Angeles at any time.People, assets, forests, all in Los Angeles have been suffering since the fire ignited on Jan. 7. So many, including me, would wonder... How can a paradise become such a place so vulnerable to natural disasters, especially fire?Well, I have dug deep into several articles and videos that discuss the reason behind such vulnerability, XXXXFirst, LA’s rich neighborhoods and exurbs are where cities meet nature. One term needs to be noted, which is WUI, Wildland Urban Interface. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, it means areas that experience wildfires. Merely from 1990 to 2010, nearly half of California’s housing units were built in WUI, reaching a total area of over 1,000 square miles. Over 2 million families have been living at high risks of wildfires all the time. That’s so horrible.For those who are rich, or well-heeled, they just want to have a perfect mountain view. And for those who are not, their goal is just to find cheaper housing, especially with more and more people flowing into LA, including migrants, foreign workers, and international students. That’s why wildfires in LA always hit these people.Secondly, climate change is extending California’s fire season. To put it this way, the average number of days per year where the vegetation is prone to fire has doubled since the 1980s, and also, over the last two decades, California has also been facing compounding drought conditions. In the future, climate change will only worsen the case.Thirdly, winds are another key factor to worsen the wildfires in LA. Yes, I’m saying Santa Anas, or Santa Ana winds, and they do earn their title the “devil winds”. In cooler months during fall and winter, they blow warm and dry air from the Great Basin, yes, vast desert, towards the coast, and in this case, California. Remember the second reason? Climate change has made California parched by the drought. So the Santa Anas, dry and warm, can carry embers great distances. Then new fires come out in more places. And that’s partly how the LA is engulfed by the wildfires.Actually, there are many more reasons, but in my view, those three are the most critical currently. What’s making things worse is that now such a natural disaster is becoming a political one. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has blamed California governor Gavin Newsom, creating ever more tensions between them. Now, California needs federal assistance more than ever before, but as the White House welcomes a new president, it will only become more difficult.文本参考：The Economist January 11th 2025, United States, Los Angeles against the flames