This blog post summarizes a recent “People’s Hearing on Extreme Weather” held in Pasadena on August 9 at the historic Maxwell House. The event brought together elected officials, wildfire survivors, health professionals, scientists, students, and advocacy groups to share testimony, review emerging data, and press for urgent policy changes to confront the escalating climate crisis.
The People’s Hearing: A Community Confronts Extreme Weather
The gathering, organized by the Climate Action Campaign, was a grounded, community-centered response to the recent wildfires and other extreme weather events affecting the region. It combined personal testimony with scientific briefings and policy demands to make clear that climate impacts are already here and worsening.
Voices from the Front Lines
Five panels offered deeply personal accounts from residents who lost homes, families coping with long-term health effects, and public health professionals describing the ongoing toxic aftermath of the blazes. Wildfire survivors recounted not just immediate loss but the months-long trajectory of exposure-related illness and displacement.
Student activists from Pasadena 100 emphasized intergenerational urgency. They urged the city to adopt a 100% carbon-free energy portfolio by 2030 and reject complacency in the face of mounting extreme weather risks.
Scientific Evidence and Policy Warnings
Local testimony was complemented by citations of peer-reviewed and agency-level science. Officials and scientists at the hearing stressed that evidence-based action is needed now to protect public health and maintain global leadership in clean energy.
From JAMA to NASA: The Data That Can’t Be Ignored
Congresswoman Judy Chu highlighted an Journal of the American Medical Association report linking more than 400 deaths to the toxic aftermath of January’s catastrophic wildfires. This finding aligns with updated regional data presented at the hearing showing that wildfire-related fatalities continue to rise months after the blazes.
Assemblymember Laura Friedman relayed alarming assessments from NASA and JPL scientists about the speed of climate change and the narrowing window for mitigation. Their message was blunt: without urgent national and local action, U.S. leadership in the global clean energy transition is at risk.
Policy Failures and Local Demands
Speakers at the hearing pointed to a series of federal rollbacks that undermine the ability to respond to climate threats effectively. They framed these regulatory changes as active hurdles to community resilience and public health protection.
Rolling Back Protections and the Call to Action
Critics at the event singled out the recent dismantling of key safeguards, including rollbacks of fuel economy standards, methane regulations, and the EPA’s Endangerment Finding.
Attendees made clear that reversing these rollbacks is a necessary step to curb emissions and protect communities.
The hearing ended with a clear civic ask: write to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin demanding the restoration of environmental protections and bold national climate action.
City Councilmember Steve Madison acknowledged the community’s resilience and the emotional shock that followed a civic celebration—the Rose Parade—to the sudden proximity of tragedy days later.
Key community demands highlighted at the hearing included:
Here is the source article for this story: Guest Report | Suzanne York | From Helplessness to Action: Pasadena Hearing Calls for Urgent Climate Protections