The California Dream: Not All That It Seems
A recent article on NPR.org (September 12, 2020) questions if California, America’s golden state, is still worth living in. The post states that this season has brought a “cascade of calamities,” along with the recent Covid pandemic. It highlights an increase in droughts, fires, blackouts, and mudslides. It also highlights an increase in the cost of living, which has supposedly left many homeless. An image shows a tornado amidst smoke with the caption, “A funnel appears in a thick plume of smoke from the Loyalton fire last month in Lessen County, Calif. It is one of many wildfires to have hit the state recently.” This could be worrisome to anyone already residing in California. It may also be deterring for anyone considering a move to the state. After some research, it turns out that this is surprisingly true for the most part, with some minor exceptions.
Research Results
After some research on Google, I found some articles that verify most of the information given, with just a few exceptions. California is naturally prone to earthquakes due to its position on the San Andreas Fault. One source (emergancy.lacity.org) states that California has around 10,000 earthquakes any given year. It is also the leading state for damaging earthquakes. California is also naturally prone to mudslides in some areas due to mountainous areas with surrounding low valleys.
Although some disasters have always occurred with frequency in the state, the same source (emergancy.lacity.org) also states that wildfires have in fact increased in the past few years. Research into articles from National Geographic further supports this claim, marking climate change as a cause. One quote states, “Climate change exacerbates the factors that create the perfect fire conditions. Lower precipitation and higher temperatures dry the forests and other vegetation…”
An article from Los Angeles Times also backs the claim that the cost of living has become too high within the state. According to the article, the cost of living in California has had inflation rates of between 3.1–3.8% for metropolitan areas, while the national average is around 1.8% (for May of 2019). A shortage of housing has caused an affordability crisis, and the state is currently behind 3–4 million houses. This crisis has in fact driven up housing prices. According to Wikipedia, the median house prices in California are about 2.5 times the national average. Due to housing prices, 20% of the population currently in California is living in poverty. Homelessness in the state is the 3rd highest rate in the country.
As it turns out, California is not entirely the land of dreams it seems to be. First-hand quotes from residents help bring light to issues the state currently has and helps to warn those who may be thinking of relocating. While California still offers its beautiful beaches and sunshine, it may serve best as a vacation getaway rather than a permanent home.
Works Cited
Borunda, Alejandra. The science connecting wildfires to climate change. 17 September 2020. Webpage.
California Housing Shortage. n.d. Webpage. 31 May 2021.
City of Los Angeles. LA Emergencies and Threats. n.d. Webpage.
Simon, Scott. Opinion: The California Dream, A Catastrophic Wake-Up Call. 12 September 2020. Sound File.