As part of a swing through Northern California yesterday, Democratic Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders visited Paradise before hosting a town hall meeting in Chico.
At times jovial, and displaying a down-to-earth authenticity that has earned him loyal followers among progressive Democrats, Bernie Sanders packed the Masonic Family Center to capacity.
After briefly touring a Paradise neighborhood on foot, Sanders rattled off a list of fires, droughts, floods and savage storms that have buffeted the globe with growing intensity in recent years. And linked the speed, intensity and ferocity of recent California megafires to a climate altered by decades of human carelessness.
Moved by the enormity of death and scale of loss, Sanders noted that the inferno, which all but destroyed a town of 27,000 people, resulted in an estimated $16 billion in damages.
“Multiply that cost by towns all over the world that are threatened by fire and you understand, begin to understand what the magnitude of this disaster is about. My friends, the pain, suffering and tragedy you experienced here cannot and will not be forgotten. Let Paradise, California be the wake-up call for our entire nation.” Sanders said.
Sanders vowed to launch programs to retrofit homes for energy efficiency, boost cleaner energy, end subsidies for oil companies, drilling on public land, fracking and mountain top removal mining.
Sanders said successfully combating climate change would require concerted efforts worldwide. Without it, a host of catastrophes: wildfires, droughts, famine rising seas, flooding, ocean acidification, disease, death and suffering will grow worse.
“Now, people are telling me that Bernie, the plan you just released to combat climate change is expensive. And you know what, they are right. It is expensive. But the cost of doing nothing is far more expensive.” Sanders said.
Sanders was due to appear in Sacramento Thursday evening and San Francisco on Friday.