How Do You Measure the Toll of the L.A. Wildfires? [Video]

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In my job writing about climate change, I’ve had the opportunity to visit communities around the world in the wake of climate-related disasters: flood-devastated Iowa, wildfire-torn Colorado, and drought-stricken Costa Rica.

Over the last week, I faced a uniquely challenging visit: returning to Los Angeles where my parents lost my childhood home and much of my hometown community burned to the ground. As a climate journalist writing for a global audience, I am always keen to drive home that these are not isolated incidents. While you may be isolated from the worst extremes, the effects of climate change will eventually hit us all. For me, and dozens of my friends and neighbors, “eventually” came last week. 

I am still processing the loss, and I expect that I will write more about the …