No Solutions, Only Tradeoffs

This is still true when it comes to California climate alarmism and resulting policies.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 3:26pm

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This opinion piece argues that there are no solutions, only tradeoffs, when it comes to California's climate alarmism and resulting policies. The author cites the example of the Santa Ynez Reservoir being empty when needed to fight the Pacific Palisades blaze due to $130,000 in needed repairs, leading firefighters to use smaller storage tanks instead.

Why it matters

The article highlights the difficult trade-offs and lack of easy solutions when it comes to addressing climate change and its impacts, even at a local level. It suggests that alarmism and rigid policies may overlook practical considerations and lead to suboptimal outcomes.

The details

The author argues that the Pacific Palisades blaze, which caused tens of billions in damages, could have been better fought if the 117 million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir had not been empty due to $130,000 in needed repairs. Instead, firefighters had to rely on three smaller storage tanks holding a million gallons each.

  • The Pacific Palisades blaze occurred in 2026.

The players

Bjorn Lomborg

An author who wrote an op-ed criticizing Gavin Newsom's climate alarmism.

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California who has been accused of climate alarmism.

Thomas Sowell

An author who is quoted in the article saying "There are no solutions, only tradeoffs."

Scott Kaufmann

The author of this opinion piece.

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What they’re saying

“There are no solutions, only tradeoffs.”

— Thomas Sowell

The takeaway

This article suggests that when it comes to addressing climate change and its impacts, there are often difficult trade-offs and no easy solutions, even at a local level. It cautions against alarmism and rigid policies that may overlook practical considerations.