Climate Risk, Part 2: California's Crisis

This week, we present the second episode in our 3-part interview series on climate risk.

As the latest wildfires in California finally get under control, residents and public officials are in a state of panic. The scope and frequency of these disasters is expanding quickly. And it’s not solved by sprinkling more wind and solar on the grid — it’s a planning issue of the highest magnitude.

Our guest is someone who is thinking through the complexities of dealing with the growing impact of climate change on the geography, economy and the infrastructure of the world’s fifth-biggest economy.

In part 2 of our climate risk series, Shayle Kann talks with Kate Gordon, director of the office of planning and research for California. She is also senior advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom on climate.

It sounds like a dry job title. But it is an incredibly complicated role.

Topics covered in this episode:

• What are the risks the state of California faces due to climate change, today and in the future? How are the expanding?
• How should we think about housing policy and urban planning in light of wildfire risk? Should we be rebuilding homes that were burned down? How do we deal with rising insurance premiums?
• How might climate change contribute to water scarcity in the state, and what can be done today to mitigate that risk?
• What other climate risks should be at the forefront of Californians' minds — flooding, temperature, rise, impact on agriculture, etc?
• Are events like wildfires and power shutoffs galvanizing the public into taking action around climate resilience? If so, in what form?
• Does California look to any other countries as exemplary in building climate resilience? Who is doing it right?

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