In this engaging discussion, Dr. Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, dives into the truth behind the devastating wildfires in Southern California. He unpacks the complex relationship between climate change and fire risks, emphasizing the phenomenon of 'hydroclimate whiplash.' Swain addresses rampant misinformation about firefighting struggles and local disaster response. He also advocates for proactive community solutions to face climate challenges, all while inspiring listeners to critically engage with climate issues and their impacts.

Saul Gonzalez, co-host of KQED's The California Report, shares on-the-ground insights from the Los Angeles wildfires. Chris Harvey, a CAL FIRE public information officer, provides critical updates on the Palisades Fire and its containment efforts. Jake Viator recounts his personal loss, having lost his home to the Eaton Fire. Climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses the link between climate change and escalating fire risks. The conversation touches on community resilience, the emotional toll on displaced residents, and ongoing support initiatives.

Climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses how extreme weather events are changing on a warming Earth, addressing the challenges in attributing specific weather events to climate change. The podcast explores the predictability of sudden extreme weather, the impact of climate change on weather patterns, and the importance of robust meteorological infrastructure for preparedness.

Climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses how extreme events are changing on a warming Earth, highlighting the impacts of climate change on extreme weather events. The podcast delves into the intensification and frequency of extreme weather events, the challenges in weather forecasting, and the importance of adaptation and preparedness for extreme weather events triggered by climate change.

From space, it looks almost elegant: a narrow plume cascading off the Pacific Ocean, spilling gently over the California coast. But from the ground, it looks like trouble: flash flooding, landslides and power outages. California is enduring the effects of an atmospheric river, a meteorological phenomenon where converging air systems funnel wet air into a long, riverine flow that dumps large amounts of rain when it makes landfall. "Atmospheric rivers can transport volumes of water many times that of the Mississippi River," says Dr. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the Nature Conservancy of California. Daniel joined Short Wave's Aaron Scott to explain where these "rivers" of air come from, how climate change is fueling more of them, and why you're a lot more likely to have heard of them if you happen to live on the west coast of almost any continent.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy