Julia Louis-Dreyfus

We lost everything, all of our family photos and treasures, every memento from my career. I mean, just everything. It's an unspeakable personal tragedy. But truthfully, in the end, we do count ourselves lucky. Our family is safe, thank God. We have a place to stay. We have some insurance. We have the resources to weather this storm, and God knows not everybody does have that.

We lost everything, all of our family photos and treasures, every memento from my career. I mean, just everything. It's an unspeakable personal tragedy. But truthfully, in the end, we do count ourselves lucky. Our family is safe, thank God. We have a place to stay. We have some insurance. We have the resources to weather this storm, and God knows not everybody does have that.

This wildfire happened about two weeks before Inauguration Day. And since that day, it has been a metaphorical wildfire. We have been overwhelmed with a chaotic frontal attack on everything from science to the economy to immigrants to democracy itself. It is just completely nuts. It's so nuts that we're barely even talking about maybe the biggest danger lurking in the shadows.

This wildfire happened about two weeks before Inauguration Day. And since that day, it has been a metaphorical wildfire. We have been overwhelmed with a chaotic frontal attack on everything from science to the economy to immigrants to democracy itself. It is just completely nuts. It's so nuts that we're barely even talking about maybe the biggest danger lurking in the shadows.

Actually, hardly the shadows. The climate disaster. It may feel existential right now, but, you know, truthfully, the climate crisis is not something that is on the way. It's actually something that is very much here right now. There's a metric that scientists use to determine the role of the climate emergency and fire risk.

Actually, hardly the shadows. The climate disaster. It may feel existential right now, but, you know, truthfully, the climate crisis is not something that is on the way. It's actually something that is very much here right now. There's a metric that scientists use to determine the role of the climate emergency and fire risk.

This metric considered a set of factors like temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation to estimate that the fire that burned down the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in Los Angeles was 35% more likely thanks to climate change. So, yeah, the climate crisis helped burn down my house, and I take that very personally.

This metric considered a set of factors like temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation to estimate that the fire that burned down the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in Los Angeles was 35% more likely thanks to climate change. So, yeah, the climate crisis helped burn down my house, and I take that very personally.

I know it's hard, of course, but now is not the moment to turn our attention away from championing the environment. Here's an example from right here in Santa Barbara, where I am right now.

I know it's hard, of course, but now is not the moment to turn our attention away from championing the environment. Here's an example from right here in Santa Barbara, where I am right now.

A decade ago, a decrepit pipeline in the Santa Barbara Channel exploded and spilled more than 400,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, closing fisheries, upending lives, killing sea life, and threatening a vital ocean ecosystem that is already under immense stress. It was one of the biggest oil spills in California history.

A decade ago, a decrepit pipeline in the Santa Barbara Channel exploded and spilled more than 400,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, closing fisheries, upending lives, killing sea life, and threatening a vital ocean ecosystem that is already under immense stress. It was one of the biggest oil spills in California history.

And now an oil company called Sable is trying to restart this same corroded, failed pipeline without environmental review or public comment. Sable's project has been issued a cease and desist order by state government agencies, but shockingly, the company simply ignores that order and keeps working.

And now an oil company called Sable is trying to restart this same corroded, failed pipeline without environmental review or public comment. Sable's project has been issued a cease and desist order by state government agencies, but shockingly, the company simply ignores that order and keeps working.

But, but, citizens in Southern California know how important our coast is, and we're not going to let them get away with it, not without a genuine fight. It's very hard to keep all the battles we need to fight right now straight. Every institution we hold sacred, everything dear seems to be threatened. And just like you, I am so exhausted, oh my God, and I am sickened by the whole thing.

But, but, citizens in Southern California know how important our coast is, and we're not going to let them get away with it, not without a genuine fight. It's very hard to keep all the battles we need to fight right now straight. Every institution we hold sacred, everything dear seems to be threatened. And just like you, I am so exhausted, oh my God, and I am sickened by the whole thing.

So I'm trying to pick my fights. I'm thinking globally, and I am acting locally, like battling this awful Sable oil pipeline plan. If you want, you can join me in that fight by donating at environmentaldefensecenter.org. There's a link in the show notes, and we'll also have it on the Wiser Than Me Instagram website. Or you can find a fight of your own right where you live.

So I'm trying to pick my fights. I'm thinking globally, and I am acting locally, like battling this awful Sable oil pipeline plan. If you want, you can join me in that fight by donating at environmentaldefensecenter.org. There's a link in the show notes, and we'll also have it on the Wiser Than Me Instagram website. Or you can find a fight of your own right where you live.

There are great, great rewards in fighting for something noble like the future of the planet, of a lake, of a river, a mountain, or the mighty ocean from which our gooey ancestors crawled and evolved into the beautiful, flawed humans that we are today. And that's why it's kind of perfect that on Earth Day, we have one of the greatest ocean activist scientists who ever lived as our guest.

There are great, great rewards in fighting for something noble like the future of the planet, of a lake, of a river, a mountain, or the mighty ocean from which our gooey ancestors crawled and evolved into the beautiful, flawed humans that we are today. And that's why it's kind of perfect that on Earth Day, we have one of the greatest ocean activist scientists who ever lived as our guest.