This blog post summarizes a recent “People’s Hearing on Extreme Weather” held in Pasadena by the Climate Action Campaign. Community members, health professionals, elected officials, and survivors of devastating wildfires spoke out against federal rollbacks on climate protections.
The hearing brought together firsthand testimony about the human, health, and environmental costs of worsening wildfires and extreme weather. Participants called for urgent policy responses to protect air quality, public health, and ecosystems.
What took place at the People’s Hearing
The event convened local leaders, activists, and residents to document the impacts of extreme weather. Attendees pushed back on recent Environmental Protection Agency moves.
Attendees expressed deep concern about federal decisions that could weaken the nation’s ability to respond to increasing wildfire smoke, toxic runoff, and air pollution. Speakers framed the hearing as a community-driven record of harms and a direct challenge to policy choices that ignore climate science.
Voices from the front lines
Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires delivered raw, emotional testimony about homes lost and trauma that persists long after flames are extinguished. Their accounts emphasized that wildfires are not abstract statistics but life-altering events that displace families and damage mental health.
Wildfires erode community resilience. Youth advocates also stood up to highlight generational consequences.
Palisades High student Sophie Smeeton and other young speakers connected the dots between local fire devastation and broader, systemic denial of climate risks that threaten their futures.
Health and environmental consequences discussed
Public health professionals provided sobering context on the consequences of wildfires and degraded air quality. Testimony emphasized increases in respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses during and after fire seasons.
The disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children was highlighted. Environmental specialists added that extreme weather and fires compound problems like toxic algae blooms and ocean pollution.
These disruptions affect ecosystems and local economies.
Expert testimony
Health experts including Dr. Alfred Glover and Dr. Jerry Abraham described a cascade of health impacts tied to smoke exposure and air pollution—ranging from asthma flare-ups to long-term cardiovascular risk. They criticized recent federal inaction and warned that reduced protections would leave communities exposed.
Policy stakes and political responses
Several speakers directly criticized recent EPA actions, notably plans to revisit the 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. This regulatory rollback was portrayed as undermining the legal foundation for many climate protections.
In a prerecorded message, Sen. Alex Padilla warned of worsening air quality and more deadly wildfires. Reps. Judy Chu and Laura Friedman framed federal rollbacks as an attack on science and highlighted the human toll—displacement, illness, and death.
Calls to action
The hearing concluded with a unified demand for stronger climate safeguards.
Participants urged policymakers to restore and strengthen protections that address greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard air quality, and fund community resilience and health services.
Key priorities voiced at the hearing included:
- Maintaining the EPA’s scientific authority and the 2009 endangerment finding
- Investing in public health systems to respond to smoke and pollution
- Supporting wildfire survivors with housing, mental health, and recovery resources
- Addressing broader ecosystem threats, including toxic algae and ocean contamination
Here is the source article for this story: ‘People’s Hearing On Extreme Weather’ targets Trump climate policy