This paper is to be 3 -5 pages in length. As the instructions state, you are to “carefully describe the event you have selected, explaining the consequences of the event to living and non-living things” and then “assess the damage that occurred as a result of the human agency.” What kind of damage have humans done to the environment in this incident? Be sure to apply the concepts of intrinsic and instrumental value in your assessment of the damage.

That is my topic.

The California 2018 Camp Fire has been termed as being the deadliest. Close to 85 people died and 19,000 buildings destroyed. After an investigation of the cause, it was revealed that the fires were due to electrical transmission lines owned by Pacific Gas & Electric. The company later admitted that their equipment might have been responsible for the fires. Due to climate change, California has had increased threat of wildfires. This has been due to the intense droughts and heatwaves. With this, there have been increased efforts by residents to try reduce risks associated to wildfires. In this case of the 2018 Camp Fire, PG&E has been criticized of mismanagement and inefficient efforts in trying to put in place a safety culture. After the fire the company faced close to $30 billion in liabilities. They even went ahead to file for bankruptcy. This is an example of an environmental disaster that was partly cause by human agency that I will be seeking to look into in detail going forward.

Resource Article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/business/pge-fire.html