I usually frown on being happy about someone else's misfortune, but in this case it's deserved.
James Crump
Sept. 15, 2020
An Oregon Republican state senator who previously prevented a vote on a climate change bill, has had his house destroyed in wildfires.
Fred Girod was one of 11 Oregon state senators who refused to turn up to the state Capitol in June 2019, which prevented quorum for a vote on climate change legislation.
The bill was an attempt to pass a cap-and-trade proposal, which would set a limit on pollution and aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically by 2050 and help combat climate change in the state, according to Labor411.
The 69-year-old, alongside 11 of his colleagues refused to attend the session, which prevented the 18 Democratic state senators from reaching quorum, which needed 20 officials present.
The Oregon state Democrats attempted to pass a similar bill by working with Mr Girod earlier this year, but he quit the project and accused them of making “fake concessions”.
On Monday, Oregon Live reported that Mr Girod’s house was destroyed in the wildfires that have devastated large parts of the state and the US West Coast.
•••••
In response to the wildfires across the west coast, the Associated Press reported that scientists, along with the governors of Oregon, California and Washington, have all said that climate change is the reason for the widespread damage in recent weeks.
They reported that plants and trees dying out due to climate change are partly behind the unprecedented fires, and that the level of pollution needs to be tackled to prevent repeated incidents.
•••••
As the wildfires have spread, at least 10 people have been killed in
Oregon, 24 have lost their lives in California, and one person has died
in Washington state.
[Of course, more people will probably be found dead when it is possible to search the burned areas.]
•••••
No comments:
Post a Comment