California should, then, follow a University of Chicago conclusion: “Wildfire emissions need to be a key part of climate policy if California is going to meet its emission reduction goals.” Instead, Newsom and company use climate change as an excuse, suggesting in essence that their hands are tied until we reverse the Earth’s climate trajectory.

Many factors, such as strong Santa Ana winds and urban planning decisions, played into the recent destructive wildfires in the Los Angeles area. But the evidence is clear that climate change contribut