The embers have yet to cool in the eerie, blackened moonscape of what used to be Pacific Palisades. Thousands of residents face a difficult, uncertain rebuilding process. The loss of life, so far, has been mercifully small, but that is surely little consolation to those grieving.

Meanwhile, our self-styled expert class wants us once again to focus our attention on the real villain behind the disaster: climate change.

Medical programs present climate change as a health emergency, pulling valuable time and resources away from teaching critical subjects like anatomy, diagnostics, and patient care.

To take one example: According to University of Colorado fire scientist Jennifer Balch, “Fires have gotten faster. The big culprit we’re suspecting is a warming climate that’s making it easier to burn fuels when conditions are just right.”

It's undeniably true that the conditions — an unusually dry winter and extremely powerful Santa Ana winds -- were primed for a disaster of this magnitude. It's also undeniably true that when man battles nature, man often loses.

What is very much open to question is whether or not the Democrat-led state of California and city of Los Angeles were adequately prepared for the coming conflagration.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass — who inexplicably chose to join a Biden delegation to Ghana despite clear warnings that a catastrophe was on the horizon — cut the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget by almost $17 million last year. Instead, taxpayer money was lavished on the usual failed projects to address the homeless problem.

Then there's been the state's years-long focus on vague, endlessly-expandable DEI issues at the expense of more practical concerns such as education, security, and the economy.

Kristin M. Crowley was appointed Los Angeles fire chief in 2022. To her credit, Crowley warned Bass last year that her drastic budget cuts had left the LAFD unprepared.

At the same time, Crowley was explicitly promoted as a DEI hire — "the first woman and LGBTQ fire chief!" — and was outspoken that her own priority was to increase "diversity" in the fire department.

Why were the hydrants empty? Why was there so much uncleared brush waiting to burst into flames? Why did the brave firefighters battling the blaze seem to lack essential logistical support, not to mention adequate reinforcements?

Raise these practical questions, and you'll get something like Governor Gavin Newsom's rambling, buck-passing response yesterday:

“I mean when you have a system — but it’s not dissimilar from what we’ve seen in other extraordinarily large-scale fires, whether it be pipe, electricity, or whether it just be the complete overwhelm of the system. I mean those hydrants are typical for two or three fires — maybe one fire and you have something of this scale, but again that’s gonna be determined by the local.”

Behind Newsom's smug dismissal of these concerns is the same cynical assumption: It's climate change, stupid.

A big problem requires big solutions: electric vehicle mandates, carbon credits, eating bugs not beef. These solutions all tend to impoverish regular people while lining the pockets of big shots like Newsom.

Much could be written about this, but here let's focus on the spiritual demoralization these cynical climate crazies inflict on Americans — especially those just coming of age.

A new type of anxiety

In 1981, Kim Wilde’s iconic hit “Kids in America” captured the thrill of being young, wild, and full of hope — a generation ready to conquer the world. Fast forward to today, and the picture couldn’t be more different. The grand dreams of yesterday have morphed into nightmares. The kids of America aren’t chasing aspirations; they’re sinking in a sea of climate doom, consumed by visions of a planet in freefall. What was once boundless optimism now bleeds into a suffocating existential dread, infecting every part of their lives.

Eco-anxiety is skyrocketing. Two-thirds of Americans aged 18 to 23 say they’re struggling with it. This isn’t just some trendy buzzword. Eco-anxiety is a serious issue, showing up as migraines, chronic insomnia, and, in extreme cases, even suicidal thoughts. The constant drumbeat of climate doom has left many young people feeling frozen by fear and overwhelmed by hopelessness. They’re stuck in a world where even the simplest choices, like grabbing a coffee or commuting to work, come with a side of guilt over their supposed hand in destroying the planet.

But — and I cannot stress this enough — the panic is completely overblown.

Reality check

Recent research by marine biologists from the U.K. and Spain dismantles the doomsday tone that dominates climate discussions. Their studies show that marine life releases sulfur gases that naturally cool the planet. This cooling effect, amplified by secondary compounds, is far greater than previously thought. These findings highlight the rather remarkable, self-regulating abilities of Earth’s ecosystems — a crucial detail completely ignored by the relentless “end-of-the-world” climate narrative.

At the same time, other recent studies reveal serious flaws in the climate models driving these apocalyptic warnings. Independent research from Canada and the U.S. shows that these models consistently overestimate atmospheric warming — and their accuracy has only worsened over time.

These revelations call for a serious rethink of the climate debate. But instead of acknowledging reality, institutions are doubling down on fearmongering, injecting climate change ideology into every facet of education—even in areas where it has no place. Medical schools have become the epicenter of the climate change crusade, with Columbia University hosting health boot camps to indoctrinate clinicians on the supposed perils of climate change. Instead of focusing on real medical education — critical for those entrusted with the health of millions — they're drowning future doctors in a swamp of jargon and ideological drivel.

These programs present climate change as a health emergency, pulling valuable time and resources away from teaching critical medical subjects like anatomy, diagnostics, and patient care. Right now, a coalition of medical students, residents, and faculty from the Global Consortium for Climate and Health Education, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, UCSF, and Emory University School of Medicine is working to inject climate change propaganda into medical curricula across the U.S.

This isn’t just misguided — it’s downright dangerous. Medical schools are already grappling with declining standards due to DEI initiatives that prioritize identity over merit. Adding climate activism to the mix only makes things worse. Future doctors should be mastering life-saving skills, not parroting environmental doomsday propaganda. Their mission is to save lives, not play planetary saviors.

High schools aren’t faring any better. MIT’s Climate Action Through Education initiative aims to smuggle climate change narratives into every subject from science to social studies. This obsessive focus on climate activism comes at a time when basic skills like reading, writing, and math are in free-fall.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals that high school students’ scores in these fundamental subjects have plummeted to historic lows. Yet instead of tackling this crisis, schools are likely to pile on more ideological lessons, further diverting students from the critical thinking and foundational knowledge they urgently need.

Dire consequences

The consequences of this trend go far beyond individual classrooms. By replacing education with indoctrination, we’re raising a generation that’s woefully unprepared for reality. Forget cultivating curiosity and critical thinking; young people are being trained to see the world through a lens of fear and blame. This doesn’t prepare them to tackle future challenges — it burdens them with unnecessary anxiety and a distorted sense of their ability to drive meaningful change.

In the apocalyptic climate change narrative, free will is erased — nihilism, however, thrives.

The spread of climate change hysteria in educational institutions not only erodes academic integrity but also puts societal stability at risk. Medical professionals distracted by nonsensical noise may be less prepared to handle real medical crises. Misdiagnoses and substandard care will likely rise, further undermining public trust in health care. Faith in the system has already plummeted since COVID revealed just how politicized medicine has become. Adding climate change panic to the mix won’t rebuild that trust — it’ll obliterate it.

Likewise, high school students are being conditioned to echo emotional but empirically hollow rhetoric. The country needs more great thinkers, not more Greta Thunberg clones.

The madness needs to stop.