AMAC Exclusive – By B.C. Brutus
As the death toll from the Maui wildfires has continued to mount, so too has liberal alarmism about how climate change is supposedly responsible for the disaster. But a growing body of evidence suggests that it is the left’s “green” political agenda which actually bears the blame for the scope of the devastation in Hawaii as well as blazes in other states in recent years.
Following the complete destruction of the town of Lahaina earlier this month that left over 100 dead and hundreds more missing, the New York Times proclaimed, “climate change turned lush Hawaii into a tinderbox. The Washington Post similarly claimed that climate change is “fueling stronger hurricanes” and “creating drier conditions,” while CNN asserted a “human-caused climate crisis has exacerbated the hot and dry conditions that allow wildfires to ignite” and NBC News declared “climate change is intensifying wildfires.”
But a Wall Street Journal report last week pointed to a much different reason for why the fires were so deadly – the liberal obsession with fomenting a “green revolution.”
As the Journal revealed, an analysis from Hawaiian Electric released following the 2019 wildfire season found that the company needed to do far more to prevent sparks from power equipment and implement more effective mitigation measures for when fires did break out, like clearing highly flammable grasses from around power lines.
But the company invested just $245,000 on wildfire-specific projects between 2019 and 2022 – in large part due to laws passed in Honolulu. In 2015, Hawaii became the first state to mandate that power companies move to a 100 percent renewable model, requiring that the shift be complete by 2045.
Mina Morita, a former chair of state’s utilities commission, told the Journal that as a result of the push for renewables, “While there was concern for wildfire risk, politically the focus was on electricity generation.”
Doug McLeod, a former consultant for the Maui County energy commissioner, added, “Looking back with hindsight, the business opportunities were on the generation side and the utility was going out for bid [sic] with all these big renewable-energy projects… But in retrospect, it seems clear, we weren’t as focused on these fire risks as we should have been.”
Although the exact cause of the recent blazes in Maui has not yet been determined, mounting evidence suggests Hawaiian Electric’s equipment was likely involved. At least one video that went viral on social media appeared to show downed power lines igniting grasses just east of Lahaina.
As journalist Michael Shellenberger pointed out on Twitter, Maui isn’t the first time liberals have run this play.
Back in 2018, wildfires in California burned nearly two million acres, leveled the town of Paradise, and left 100 people dead – the most for a single season in the state’s history. Again, the left insisted that climate change was responsible for the destruction. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, “this is what climate change looks like” along with a photo of one of the blazes. The Washington Post declared that what happened to Paradise would soon be the fate of many other communities as a result of human-caused climate change.
But it was later revealed that the cause of the inferno was crumbling equipment belonging to Pacific Gas & Electric – the nation’s largest utility company. In 2020, the company, already in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings, entered a guilty plea accepting responsibility for the 84 deaths in the town of Paradise and admitting “our equipment started that fire.”
Again, liberal government policies played a role in the disaster. The Democrat supermajority in Sacramento had for years forced PG&E to devote resources to transitioning to renewable energy, siphoning money away from projects like wildfire prevention.
This pattern is continuing today. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who upon taking office in 2019 declared fighting wildfires to be one of his top priorities, has actually dramatically reduced the state’s fire prevention budget. According to a 2021 report from a California NPR affiliate, Newsom has “slashed roughly $150 million from Cal Fire’s wildfire prevention budget” and has “done just 13 percent of the job he’s touted on his highest priority projects.”
For the left, wildfires are just another opportunity to “never let a good crisis go to waste.” Even though the evidence suggests it is the left’s “green” agenda that has made wildfires more common and more deadly, Democrats insist that every American must embrace that same green agenda to reduce the frequency of deadly wildfires. Meanwhile, common-sense actions like better forest management, upgrading power equipment, and improving fire safety practices have fallen by the wayside.
The losers in this situation are the American people – lied to and neglected by the individuals charged with serving them. The question is, how much more abuse are they willing to take?
B.C. Brutus is the pen name of a writer with previous experience in the legislative and executive branches.
Yes, the WSJ articles that came out on the subject last week did a very good job of documenting how state government agencies mandated Hawaiian Electric’s hard shift from forestry management and overall system maintenance of its infrastructure to adding so-called renewable energy at any cost by an arbitrary deadline. In short, it highlighted how government can impose inane policies that result in substantial human deaths and massive property loss.
The Washington Post article was literally a cut and paste job to push the hysteria around so-called man-made climate change. Literally all the writer of the piece had to do was dig up a generic story about how such and such was due to climate change, swap in the names Maui and Hawaii to make it specific to this tragedy, and the story was good to go. If it took the writer more than 5 minutes to churn out, I would be surprised.
Yes, the losers in all this are the American people, who in the case of the Hawaiian tragedy made the fatal mistake of electing leftist ideologues who ultimately made decisions that killed a lot of people in Maui. Elections do have consequences. The question is will be the people of Hawaii learn from this tragedy to make better decisions at the ballot box in the future? My sense is if they are like the people of New York City, LA or San Francisco, many more lives will have to be lost, in one way or another, before voting attitudes change.
Liberal policies are nothing more than Communist policies! As long as I live, I will NEVER accept Communism!
It is very sad how the left wing socialist (communists) have so many people disillusioned believing things like climate change, and that we can support our energy needs with only wind and solar. They do this to further their political agenda, in the name of power and personal profit. Maybe one day our technology will allow green energy to support us. For now we should focus on research and development, not only wind and solar, but also others, like hydrogen and cold fusion. Attempting to force everyone into something that will not come to fruition for many, many years in the future, only results in things like these fires.
The Left says us Conservatives are the ones disillusioned. Helps them sleep at night I guess, and is part of the illusion. Its simply a matter of ignorance. If one was to educate themselves, for example on climate change. Climate change does occur, and has been cycling since the creation of the earth over four billion years ago. Look up “Milankovitch Cycles,” the varying tilt, procession and orbit of the earth is well defined, with predictable cycles into and out of glaciation. Once you understand this, the “Right’s” position is much easier to understand and accept.
Leave energy production and future development in same, to consumers need. Let capitalism and common sense in commerce dictate our path. To this end, incentivize development in green energy. Maybe one day batteries, and the like will have energy density as good or better than gasoline. Until then, leave energy producing companies alone, allow them to do what is right, not what is politically correct. We would have less fires.
Maui Fire sources:
Wind, power lines?
Directed energy laser?
Water shut off
(like it was planned)
Too bad the bozos “developing” those policies weren’t victims of that conflagration. It would have been “problem solved”.
There also was an issue with the fire fighters not having access to water for hours because of some government regulation that the farmers have priority. Overall, the people of Hawaii put the lives in the hands of Liberals and got disappointment and death.
F J B
Another example of ‘them’ diverting money to their pet projects is human infrastructure. And look what’s happening around us. And it’s getting worse. My husband keeps telling me, “God above all”. Surely, the Lord is the lifter up of my head. Without Him, where would my hope be?
The problem in so many areas is what happened with eruption of Tonga underwater volcano. Instead of sulfur and ash and CO2 it put 50k tons of water vapor into the stratosphere. According to several liberal sites liberal funded scientists say they don’t know enough about it. While scientists not funded are saying it will and is having a warming effect. And they say also it will thin our ozone layer. The sky in the last couple of years has been amazingly blue as if someone washed all the dirt from the sky. That started with our extremely cold winter almost 3 years ago. What I am saying we would be in the same place only with less money paid out to all the Chicken Little Society projects. And have more of our money.
The Greeniacs will never see their green energy at any cost strategy as a contributing factor in this fire. They know what they know and they don’t want any additional information. Zealots are like that. With much of the press participating as enablers, career politicians won’t be able to take a more nuanced approach. Elections may have consequences, but we tend to complain and then vote for the same crew to perpetuate our ongoing misery.
The climate change story like the Biden presidency is Enron only bigger and deadlier. The families who remain on Maui must realize it is time to discount theories and be practical.
Climate change did not start this inferno. Aluminum dust particles from the chem trails is what made the fire into an Inferno.
This was a planned burn to make Lahaina a 15 minute City.
Put the blame where it belongs by Gates, the climate altering “genius”and the elites of the WEF
Lets not ‘beat around the BUSH’ – Hawaii ‘wild fires’ were ARSON. Same as those fires 1 and 1/2 years ago, that destroyed food processing plants. It is all planned by leftist NWO in furthering their sham agendas of ‘global warming’, ‘ecological footprints’ and rest of that fear mongering nonsense by today`s media.
Please don’t trouble the Leftists with FACTS. They get upset and then they get violent.
There were other problems also. There were invasive grass species that took over former pineapple and sugar cane fields. Instead of planting these fields with more fire resistance native plant species, the government allowed these grasses which were highly flammable when dry to cover much of the island. Then there was that bureaucrat who refused to release water to the fire fighters when the fires seemed almost under control. He has yet to be fired or put in jail.
Another Global Warming lie instead of the Electric company doing their job instead of playing politics and WASTING MONEY with charging customers OUTRAGEOUS Electric bills.
Just like the lies about the China Virus. Surprised that Dictator Beijing biden hasn’t blamed Global Warming on it. But give it time.
Meanwhile, Dictator Beijing biden takes another vacation between his trip to Maui and back. They didn’t have any Ice Cream and no little girls hair to sniff.
We need to get the politicians out of the energy grid. Let the experienced workers take care of what the needs are and when and how to meet our future needs.
This green policy is so disastrous and ill conceived by politicians and citizens of our present consumption and future that needs to be meshed without arbitrary political mandates. Example: with the space program we set a goal and then let the trained, knowledgeable people set the wheels in motion.
OAC has no business to set blame for any disaster, she does not have investigative experience or training.
When the firefighting system, which requires reliable water pressure, breaks down due probably to insufficient regular testing, the problem is not climate change. When fires begin due to negligence or crime, that’s not climate change.
Climate change is the occurrence of the four seasons in which the climate changes with the occurrence of the different times of year, it is called weather. Wildfires are caused by careless or arson, not hot weather where the extremely dry brush just suddenly ignites itself. The fables that the perverse climate change demons produce are insane as they.
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All it takes is dry brush, high winds, and a spark to generate a fire disaster. Common sense says, manage the potential fuel (do controlled burns, create fire breaks); have resources available for early detection and fast response; eliminate hazardous conditions (like faulty power lines); and have early warning systems in place and clear evacuation strategies. That is the government’s job. Did they do their job?
As far as I can tell, they think their job is to say, “it was all caused by climate change!”
The ones who are lying and blabbing about climate change are the ones responsible for these horrible fires. Mainly the media and the politicians who push the climate change agenda. Let’s face facts and put the blame where it belongs. Politicians making money and hoping to make more. Corrupt and crminal politicians are all too prevalent in this society. As long as “we the people” put up with it they will continue.
DAMN CLIMATE Change melted my ice cream cone.
I’d say it’s just par for the course… more Democrat idiocy.
Absopositivlutely NOTHING the Climate Change people have predicted, or said- is true. NOTHING.. all lies and bs to destroy the economy. and control the people.
Would have to agree with the locals and proudly display the center digit of the upper extremity!
The Memphis TG shooter was quickly forgotten too. You can always tell when there’s a “liberal screw up” when something that is “huge news” one day is barely mentioned the next. The MSM is all but forgetting there was even a fire in Maui…
“Added word on the street. The only way to stop this insanity and “get rich” for many is to vote these A__hats out of office. The public has to stop hiding behind the curtains, get out, speak up, vote, and refuse to be intimidated.” That speaker was a big, strong and forceful male.” Not of white skin for all the naysayers!
“The more they lie, the more we get pissed!”
“THAT will equate to votes for Republicans.”
“Instead of common sense discussion, planning, use of science, facts, and truth – fools rush in and whine when the BS fails. For example, electric cars.”
“Americans are standing up to be counted, and the still silent are rising like a tsunami.”
anyone else come across stories alleging that the wildfires too conveniently affected communities where residents were unwilling to sell their properties to developers? If so, have you seen any kind of evidence either verifying or debunking the allegations? I’d really like to find out the answer about this, so I can start telling people either “yes, it went down that way” or “turns out they were wrong about that” instead of constantly having to ask everyone if they’ve seen evidence
Of course.
Wildfires don’t/can’t incinerate boats moored away from shore! Government has been trying to buy, or force these homeowners out for some time. Curious, isn’t it. FEMA has issued a lockdown…no more photos or videos from the fire site! For those who don’t know, that’s called a coverup!
Everyone is ignoring the federal coverup…except the residents, who are also gagged. This doesn’t pass the smell test! Count to 3 before you buy the accidental wildfire story! Climate Change or Wildfires…I believe neither is the truth.
Ask yourself…why the coverup? What harm is there in seeing the remnants?
I think it is the “clean energy” agenda that is causing the climate change choas. Starting with the push for electric vehicles. The production of just 1 unit contaminates our atmosphere more than driving my 20 year old truck 50,000 miles for 5 years.
Where are the Forestry Management Teams across America? Why are the climate fascists keep pushing climate change policies, but not willing to call out absolute negligence on trimming and clearing out forest and parks? We are wasting money on new green policies when facts have proven contrary that not addressing the dry leaves from year to year on the grounds, having dry tree limps hanging, and at times the stupidity of campers and ill intent folks leaving lit objects and walking aways are contributing factors. Within the last three decades, we have neglected our forestry obligations from the east to the west coasts, from north to south.
I hope liberals continue to push climate change. The dumb fkrs don’t even know what the real climate change is and it doesn’t have a thing to go with weather. It’s a complete robbery of your rights and life style all brought to you by the new world order where people are their sheep, slaves, minions and so forth. Wait until you have no appliances that they want to eliminate, machines to produce food. Electric cars that don’t function and cost a fortune. And so much more, like medical care. One choice and run by the government. Feel good yet ?
Wait until you are given orders to do things that you don’t like. Yup. Lots to learn by people on the left,,, until they realize they are targets too.
DEW’s! Looking at photos from the area the blue car was not hit nor the blue umbrellas.
The water was shut off, police stopped people trying to flee, schools were closed?
Read this and weep, literally! The Lahaina fire and deaths were 100% caused by Damnocraps and greens. As many as 1000 people may have died in that tragedy. Will anything change? No, because the entire state of Hawaii votes Damnocrap.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/08/green_policies_and_government_incompetence_led_to_the_tragedy_of_the_maui_fire.html?fbclid=IwAR2ArX8N0Tm72e3bu5NsfQrVIfOGzS8c5zd5N2QFVv0Kr_wZa2g4OtBb8EQ
LIBERAL THINKING IN ALL SUBJECTS IS WARPED AND EXAGERATED BS.PAYING MORE TAXES WILL ONLY MAKE LIBTARDS GOOFIER AND MORE DELUSANAL THAN EVER. PLEASE DEMORATS GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS
I live in the evacuation zone of one of the big fires near spokane. Democrat governor Jay Inslee showed up after the fires were at the biggest and did his climate fire speech.
The fires were barely being fought before the speech and they put up road closed sign at before he did his speech. my spare truck was right behind Jay Inslee while he was doing is climate lies speech. once his speech was done suddenly there was money for hundreds of contract fire fighters, airplanes and helicopters started dropping fire retardant. Sunday afternoon and Monday there was a beehive of activity and the fires were pretty much out.
You don;t have to believe me. here is the NASA thermo map day by day of the area. Inslee’s speech was Sunday at noon.
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2023-08-19;l:landsat,noaa20-viirs,viirs,modis_a,modis_t,street;@-117.2,48.0,12.3z
Democrats are destroying american for their agendas.