Wildfire? Why so Powerful?
In the past few years, climate change has been one of the most important issues that have circulated through the media. There are many people that have dedicated their entire lives to combat the repercussions of climate change. Although there are many people who believe climate change is one of the most important issues, there are still many people who do not believe climate change exists. There have been ice storms, torrential rain, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires. Each time there is a natural phenomenon like a wildfire, there are always people who dismiss it as not a big deal. Americans have always been able to turn a blind eye to climate change and even when it unfolds right before their eyes. For many people, it is a problem for the next generation. For others, climate change is a problem that disproportionately affects people that come from lower-income families and lower-income areas of the country. In the image below, why is it so powerful?
There are a few reasons why the above image is so powerful. First off, the image is not only a picture of a wildfire but also a picture that has people playing golf while a wildfire roars in the background. This image is powerful because it represents how most people in the United States feel about climate change. A roaring wildfire is occurring very close to these people but they do not seem to be affected in the slightest. They might acknowledge that it is there and it is happening but will do nothing to help the cause or stop it. With climate change in general, this is a problem that occurs for a lot of people in the United States. Many Americans do not care about climate change because it does not directly affect them.
As you can see in the above image, people are playing golf while a huge wildfire blazes in the forest behind them. Golf is a leisure activity or recreational sport that is predominantly played by higher-income individuals. The majority of people who play golf are white individuals who come from high-income families. For someone to play golf while a wildfire torches a forest behind them means that they are not and could not be affected by the wildfire. Also, whenever there is a wildfire or other natural disasters, the higher income areas prioritized first. So, when there is a wildfire, high-income areas and neighborhoods are the first to be protected. Lower-income areas and lower-income families are the ones who are affected the most because they are the last priority when it comes to extinguishing the fires. Many low-income families do not have home insurance as compared to high-income families so when their house is burned down, they lose everything. This image is powerful because it represents who is affected the most by climate change and which type of people are affected the least.
Lower-income families are affected the most when a natural disaster like a wildfire occurs. NPR states, “Fires, like all natural disasters, disproportionately affect those who are low income. They often lack insurance and resources to rebuild or move elsewhere. The effects on families and communities can be long-lasting.” As seen in the above photo, there are people playing golf. People who play golf represent the higher-income families in America who aren’t affected as much as low-income families.
This image is very intriguing and powerful because it represents two major problems in the United States, climate change and the fact that low-income families are disproportionately affected by climate change. Photos of wildfires have been circulating on social media and the news for the past few years. Many people will look at images of climate change and go on about their day. The least that someone can do is share images of climate change so more people can become aware of how bad it is getting not only in the United States but also around the world.
Bringing awareness to the ongoing climate crisis is very important if we ever want to defeat it. Images like the one above are very powerful because it shows that there are still so many people who could care less about what is going on, even when it is happening in their backyard. Also, the image shows that high-income households are affected less than low-income families when a natural disaster occurs, which is a problem in and of itself. With more awareness and circulation of images that display the problems, maybe people can wake up and do something about both climate change and the fact that low-income households are negatively affected more than high-income households when natural disasters occur.
