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Spain has been superxplying its aquifers. March rains have given us the historical opportunity to save them

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In recent years, we have spent hours and hours talking about swamps and reservoir water. And it makes sense: a good part of the country and its economy depend on them. However, if we only talk about reservoirs, we will be forgetting two out of ten Spaniards. And is that Spain is an aquifer country. According to The data of the Ministry of Ecological Transitioncover more than 90% of the national territory. That is between 20,000 and 30,000 cubic hectometers of water that are renewed annually. However, in the last decades we have been systematically overexploitation to the point that a good part of the country is being taken to the edge of technical bankruptcy. March rains give us a historical opportunity to solve this, the question is if we will be able to take advantage of it The clearest example is Doñana … The National Park lost “more than 80% of its marshes compared to the beginning of the 20th century.” However, more than half lost it in the last decade. That gives a clear measure of the voracity of the system: if the overexploitation has been able to denaturalize hectares and hectares of one of the most protected natural places in the country, what will not be happening with the rest? … But there are many more. Above all, because for most of the population what happens in Doñana It is still distant (problematic, rejectable, worryingYeah; but distant). The problem is that many regions depend critically on groundwater and the desiccation of aquifers exposes them to enormous water insecurity. The insecurity of which I speak has a very simple explanation: the agroganadero sector consumes 82.5% of the country’s water. That translates that most of the water passes through fertilized lands. It is not surprising that, according to the citizen network of measurement of nitrates, almost 60% of Spanish underground waters is contaminated by nitrates. If the subsoil is loaded with water, that pollution can be worrying, but is diluted. As soon as the water is scarce, the aquifers become unusable. The real problem is another. For decades, whether by their own decision or by omission, the Spanish authorities have lived back their aquifers. This explains a good part of the disorder and lack of control that surrounds them. Eyes that do not see, illegal irrigation that are allowed. Wwf Spain revealed in 2019 that The four most important aquifers in the country have been sheared for years. And presumably, goes much further. According to the reports of the Geological and Mining Institute“For decades, salinization of Mediterranean and insular Spanish coastal coastal aquifers have been known.” Despite this, “only in a few cases this situation is well managed.” As happens, for example, with the Malaga aquifer of Guadalhorce, Integral studies are missing of the entire aquifer to specify the existing reserves and determine the best extraction strategy “if it exists. Without knowing how much water there is and how that water is the situation becomes impossible to manage accurately. The opportunity of March. When we say that We have been failing for 30 years When preparing for the next drought (and diverting the resources we obtain from the improvement of efficiency to uses that abound in exploitation), we refer This kind of thing: The lack of a really ambitious management framework that recovers, manages and sanctions the aquifers of the country. March 2025 and the huge amount of water He has put in the channels has become a great opportunity to solve this. We have given us time to build these integral studies and make decisions for the future. Hopefully not missing her. Image | Scott Jasechko (via sync) | Niel Baars In Xataka | “In the next ten years, Spain and Latin America will suffer (and much) with water,” Robert Glennon (University of Arizona)

Google hoped that the new US government would save him from “chopping” in several companies. Bad news

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It doesn’t matter when you read this, it is almost certain that in the last hours you have used some Google service. Maybe you have sent an email in Gmail, received a message on your Android mobile, sailed with Chrome or made a google search. The company dominates so many aspects of digital life that is difficult to escape its ecosystem. But with that power the problems also come: antitrust authorities have been pressing years To detach from some divisions, and a possible separation is getting closer. DOJ VS. Google. The pulse between Google and the US authorities is not new. In October 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and eleven state prosecutors They filed a lawsuit accusing Mountain View company to monopolize internet searches. After years of litigation, in August last year, federal judge Amit P. Mehta failed against him, concluding that the technological giant had maintained his domain in the searches market by imposing entry barriers that hindered competition. One of its main strategies has been to pay mobile manufacturers such as Apple to ensure be the default search engine on its devices. A bold measure on the table. Throughout history, the authorities have intervened to stop the domain of large companies, although the most common strategy is usually imposing economic sanctions. Forcing part of the business, on the other hand, is a drastic and rare measure. In the case of Google, this option went to the forefront the same day the failure against it was confirmed, although informally. However, the judge had not yet determined the corrective measures, which will be announced throughout 2025. Even so, the possibility of a split becomes increasingly strength. The Department of Justice presses to fragment Google. Although, as we say, the judge has not explicitly supported Google’s fragmentation, the DOJ, which represents the US government, has insisted on that option as part of the corrective measures. He has argued that the only way to stop his monopolistic domain in searches is to force the company to get rid of Chrome and, potentially, of Android. The striking thing is that the first attempt occurred under the administration of Joe Biden, But the second has arrivedagainst any forecast, with Donald Trump in the White House. “Thanks to its colossal size and its power without restrictions, Google has taken consumers and companies an essential promise that is owed to them: the right to choose between different services. Its illegal practices have created an economic giant that dominates the market to the point of guaranteeing that, whatever happens, it always wins, ”said the DOJ in his last presentation asking for the disinversion of the company in key areas. “Google’s illegal behavior has created an economic giant that wreaks havoc on the market to make sure what happens, Google always wins. American consumers and companies suffer from Google’s behavior, ”he added. An uncertain panorama. The presentation has been signed by Omeed A. Assefi, who currently leads the antimonopoly division interimly while the Senate evaluates the confirmation of Gail Slater, the one chosen by Trump to assume the position. ASSEFI is no stranger to the former president: He was part of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice during his first term. Slater, meanwhile, has indicated that he hopes to apply Regulations with surgical precisionwhile Trump has not hesitated to accuse the great technology of acting without control, to quell the competition and take advantage of their market domain to restrict rights. With this panorama, it continues in the air if its appointment will mark a change of strategy or if, on the contrary, the pressure on the technological sector will continue to increase. Wasn’t Trump hope? Before even being elected president, several technological leaders went to him in search of solutions. Tim Cook, from Apple, for example, called him to complain of the regulatory approach of the European Union, to which Trump responded with a promise: he would not allow them to take advantage of US companies. SUCTAR PICHAI, from Google, shared a meal with himalthough the details of that conversation are still a mystery. The company itself also donated a million dollars at the bottom of his inauguration. Now, with a judicial ruling that could force her to divide, Google has already announced that she will appeal the decision to avoid the dreaded chopstick. Effects throughout the ecosystem. Chop Google would not only affect the company itself, but shaking the entire digital ecosystem. Chrome and Android are not profitable business for themselves, they exist to channel users to their search engine, the true gold mine of the company. Separating them would completely change the rules of the game, affecting online advertising, agreements with manufacturers and software we use on our devices. But that’s not all: if the authorities are seriously with Google, the rest of the giants such as Apple, Amazon or Meta could be the following in the sight. Images | Xataka with Dalle · 3 | Greg Bulla In Xataka | The enigma of 20,000 million: why Chrome is very valuable and inventible at the same time In Xataka | Telefónica’s commitment to open TV is not just a new business: it is a redefinition of its identity

47% of employees save more than 100 euros per month in derived expenses

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Teleworking has lost part of the thrust demonstrated during the last four years after the hardening of the policies back to the office. According to him ‘Teleworking Report 2025‘Prepared by the labor consultant Robert Walters, 67% of teleworkors enjoy two or less work days from home. This reflects a clear tendency towards More flexible work modelsbut with greater presence in the office. That paradigm change supposes An added cost both for companies and For workers. The price of teleworking. A study The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) revealed that employees were willing to give up up to 25% of their salary in exchange for continuing to telework. Robert Walters’s study has completed the monthly average economic cost for workers associated with the return to the office. 47% of the interviewees ensure that the return to the office represents an additional economic disbursement of between 100 euros and more than 200 euros per month. On the other hand, 46% of employees who thought remote work negatively affected its internal visibility And the options to ascend to better positions will see how their opportunities are matched. Less remote, more hybrid. The study reveals that only 2 out of 10 workers who currently do so before 2020, showing the impact of pandemic on the extension of remote work. However, this modality has been contracting to leave space to hybrid models with every time More predominance of face -to -face work. The data collected by Robert Walters analysts suggest that 36% of the hybrid days only allow teleworking one day. 31% of companies allow two days to work in remote and 7% leave three days to work outside the office. The data of the companies that allow teleworking full -time is 13%, a figure close to the percentage of employees who telework in Spainaccording to INE data. Face -to -face or flexibility? The data collected by the study also reveal a change in employee preferences. 48% of respondents would prefer to have a more flexible schedule instead of another day of teleworking. In addition, 32%of the participants said that their company did not allow them to choose the teleworking days, being Monday (with 44%) and Friday (32%) the most common days to telework. “In recent months, we are attending the decline regarding flexibility in many companies that just a few years ago, they defended the conciliation and flexibility globally so that their workers could adopt and balance their personal and professional lives with the aim of turning companies into a pillar, support and support of the mental health of their employees,” said Jane Bamford, Managing Director for the southern Europe of Robert Walters. No teleworking, there is no job. 79% of respondents said they would change jobs if their company will eliminate teleworking options or time flexibility policies. 74% expect your company to maintain the same conditions at least this year, while 25% are convinced that Teleworking options will be reduced. Among the advantages that value teleworking most is the saving in the time of the displacements (78%), as well as their cost (44%). 74% points to Advantages for family reconciliation that allows them to work from home, although 16% say that at home they are much easier to concentrate. Manage from distance. Among the arguments that companies have given to reduce teleworking days, 26% of the companies participating in the study have felt the decline in work quality. At 32% it costs more loyalty to the employees in remote and that complicates them the Internal talent retention. On the other hand, 42% ensure that teleworking has complicated the assessment of workers’ performance and, therefore, cannot value your productivity as They did it from the offices. In general, 73% of those responsible for teams that worked at a distance indicated the communication problems between employees as one of the most frequent problems of teleworking. In Xataka | Three Spanish companies tell us how it has gone after implementing a job utopia: the four -day week Image | Unspash (Yolk Coworking – Krakow)

Why keep doing sports in adulthood can save us a scare with hypertension

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As we become older, having an eye on our blood pressure is becoming more and more important. We know that regular exercise is important in order to reduce the risks associated with high blood pressure; But how, when and how much of the sport is still a mystery. One that we are solving little by little. Save strength. An example of this is a study led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, focused on how the different levels of exercise that we reach throughout our life lead to greater or lesser blood pressure in later stages. The conclusion of the study was that maintaining high levels of activity as we approach the middle age is An important key facing a healthier future. “Teenagers and early twenties can be physically active, but those patterns change with age. Our study suggests that maintaining physical activity during our adulthood-coun (at higher levels of what was recommended) could be especially important, ” explained in a press release Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, co-author of the study. The risks of hypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertensionit implies that the blood exerts high pressure on the ducts that transport it. Symptoms may include headaches, lack of air, or nasal bleeding, inter alia. The problem arises in the long term, however, since hypertension is linked to a series of cardiovascular risks, some of them potentially lethal, such as heart attacks. 5,115 participants. The study was conducted with 5,115 agent participants between 18 and 30 years old to whom a follow -up was carried out for three decades. The participants were chosen in the context of the cardia study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) in urban nuclei from different areas of the United States. In its study, the team defined hypertension based on the limits established in 2017 by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Associationthat is, a pressure of 130 over 80 mmHg. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Activity mirror. As explained by the team responsible for the study, the increase in hypertension levels was a reflection of change in physical activity levels. The results supported what was observed in previous studies, that is, that exercise makes our blood pressure remain low. Check the recommendations. As the team explains, its results indicate that increasing exercise levels up to five hours per week could give positive results when reducing the risk that hypertension makes an appearance in the middle age. This is double that the two and a half hours recommended today in the guides considered by the team itself. In your study, They observed that 17.9% of the sample reached five hours of moderate exercise a week during its stage as young adults. These activity levels were related to a reduction in the subsequent risk of 18%hypertension. The reduction, they point out, was even greater in the case of those participants who maintained these activity levels up to 60 years. Different contexts, various results. The study was conducted in a sample of participants that covered different ethnic backgrounds. They observed differences between the Afro -descendant group and the white group, both between men and among women. Differences not only in the levels of hypertension, but also in how the levels of physical activity evolved as age progressed in the different groups studied. In Xataka | Magnesium is increasingly useful: the last is to lower our blood pressure. The question is whether it really serves something Image | Kampus Production

The most millionaire form of Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson to save a slope

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Wolfgang Porsche, president of the Porsche Board of Directors and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, is raising controversy among the residents of Salzburg (Austria). The millionaire has proposed to build An underground tunnel deprived of about 500 meters under the mountain where one of its seventeenth century is located. The most striking of all, is the reason why he wants to build this tunnel: avoid a brief section of road that winds down the slope of Mount Kapuzinerberg by joining it with the urban center of the city. The new Millionaire neighbor. According to The published By the German newspaper DerstandardWolfgang Porsche bought in 2020 the villa Paschinger-Schlössl for about 8.4 million and is currently under rehabilitation works. That is, it is not even about Millionaire’s main house 81 years. The village of a palatial nature is located on a slope of the mountain of Monte Kapuzinerberg, which acts as one of Salzburg’s green lungs, and had belonged to the writer Stefan Zweig. “Complicated” access. As usual in the places built on a mountain, the narrow road with only access lane to the place, runs through the side of the mountain saving a slope with about 50 meters of unevenness. Apparently, the president of one of the largest manufacturers of German supercar distracks him to travel a brief section of mountain to reach his residence. According to local sources, the narrow access through a 16th -century wall tends to collapse due to the difficulty of access, it can be dangerous in winter. The least is the tunnel. According to published Spiegelto avoid the stretch of road, the millionaire believes more appropriate to build an underground tunnel under its mansion, so that the landscape value of the place would not be altered. This work would allow to communicate a private parking for nine cars that will be built next to the town, with urban parking located at the base of the mountain. The bureaucratic procedures for the execution of the work are already very advanced and even the millionaire would have already paid about 40,000 euros in concept of access to the existing urban parking. The neighbors see it as a privilege for rich. The Bürgerliste Local Party has questioned the modest access rate that the millionaire has paid. While the amount of your personal fortune is not publicly known, it is estimated that the fortune of the Porsche/Piëch family whose fortune is estimated in about 38.8 billion dollars. Beyond the protests for the supposed privilege of access to the new neighbor, there is legal level they have nothing to object. According to “Kellerrecht“or” Bodega Law “, the property of Wolfgang Porsche is not limited to the land and the town built in it, but also to everything under the town.” Theoretically, these lands could be used even to the core of the Earth, “said a report by the municipal technical entity. In Xataka | There are only two units of this exclusive Porsche 911. One of them was abandoned and taking dust in Dubai Image |Porsche

The crazy plan of Scotland to save forests

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If science is not wrong, and We have decades of examples To believe that does notthe climatic emergency is increasingly important to try to go some step ahead of that elephant in the room that is made to us with the climate of our planet. In recent years we have seen proposals of all kinds, since Fill the diamond dust stratosphereuntil cause desert rains with solar farms. The United Kingdom has just added one that nobody saw coming. Reintroduce the wolves in the highlands. Now, A study by the University of Leeds suggests that The reintroduction of wolves in the highlands of Scotland could promote the expansion of native forests and contribute significantly to carbon capture. According to researchers, this process It would allow to store up to 1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per yearwhich would represent approximately 5% of the carbon elimination objective of the United Kingdom in its forests. Context: The impact of running out of no wolves. Over the centuries, the wolves have been persecuted throughout Europe due to its impact on livestock and the direct orders of monarchs. Namely: in England, King Eduardo I (1272-1307) ordered his total eradicationprocess that culminated under the reign of Enrique VII (1485-1509). In Scotland, due to its mountainous geography and low population density, The wolves managed to survive until the seventeenth centuryalthough with constant persecution. Already in 1283, rewards were paid for lobos hunters in Stirling, and In 1427, King Jacobo I of Scotland promulgated laws for extermination. However, His final disappearance occurred approximately 250 years ago. For all these reasons, the eradication of the wolves generated ecological consequences, one of the most serious being the overpopulation of red deer, a creature out of control right now. In fact, Today it is estimated that there are 400,000 red deer in Scotlanda figure that has grown without control in the absence of natural predators. This increase has led to A serious overpair problemsince deer feed on young tree shoots, preventing the natural regeneration of forests. How can the return of these creatures help. The study used A Markov predator-prison model to analyze the effects of the reintroduction of wolves on the ecological dynamics of Scotland. The findings suggest that A population of approximately 167 wolves would reduce the density of deer to less than four deer per square kilometerallowing trees to grow again naturally. They count on their study that among the ecological and climatic benefits of this measure they include The expansion of native forestswhich currently cover only 4% of the Scottish territory, making it one of the less forested regions in Europe. Also carbon capture, with a potential of one million tons of co₂ per year Thanks to the increase in forest mass. And finally, the economic value of reintroduction, since Each wolf would contribute to the absorption of 6,080 tons of annuals, which is equivalent to 154,000 pounds per wolf in terms of carbon capture value. The main author speaks. In this regard, Professor Dominick Spracklen, principal author of the study, stressed the need to address the climatic crisis and biodiversity crisis jointly. He stressed that natural processes, such as species reintroduction, can play a key role in the recovery of degraded ecosystems and generate benefits for both biodiversity and climate. Challenges of the proposal. Of course, such an idea is not new. In fact, now We have seen other cases in the past where it was sent to predatory enclaves to tartar to limit or exterminate other animals, Sometimes with disastrous results. In addition, although the proposal has great ecological potential, the reintroduction of the wolf in Scotland remains a controversial issue and would require careful management, especially in areas close to human settlements and livestock areas. The authors point out how problems to take into account Conflicts with farmers and farmerswho fear attacks on cattle, The resistance of deer hunterswhose activity could be affected by the reduction of the population of dams, and Public perception and social acceptancesince the presence of wolves generates concern in some rural communities. In this regard, the study co -author, Lee Schofield, emphasized that before considering any reintroduction, It would be essential to carry out a public consultation and involvement process of the parties interested. He also stressed that conflicts between humans and predators are common, so any strategy must include policies that mitigate the impact on the population and economic activity. The future of the wolf in Scotland. At European level, the wolves have managed to recover part of their historical territory, with an estimated population of 12,000 individuals in Western Europecurrently occupying 67% of its original area. In countries such as France and Germany, the reintroduction of the wolf has generated intense debates, and in some cases, Compensation programs for affected farmers have been implemented. That said and how we indicate, if Scotland decides to move forward with the measure, it would join a growing global movement that seeks to reintroduce predators stop as a tool to restore ecosystems and face climate change. The success of this project would depend on the implementation of adequate management strategies that balance ecological conservation with the needs of local communities. Image | Pexels, ISK In Xataka | Japan sent the wrong creature to eradicate the snakes of an island. The disaster was so great that it has taken half a century to solve it In Xataka | In 1940 Japan eliminated this island from the maps to keep their activities secret. Now his creatures are dying

Cruises will save a lot of fuel through the sun through their balconies: a new German proposal

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Solar balconies have proven to be effective in terms of self -consumption in countries such as Germany, Netherlands And even Spain. But what would happen if we took them to the middle of the sea? Not in the form of floating panels, but integrated into a cruise. A cruise with solar panels. An investigation has developed A simulation to check the installation of photovoltaic in the cruise cabin. The objective of the project is to feed public services and, at the same time, reduce the environmental impact. The initiative raised by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Siemens Energy Global have taken cruise data that navigated the Caribbean already along the Norwegian and Danish coasts. These routes were not randomly selected: the differences in solar radiation between tropical and northern European regions offered an ideal range to evaluate the performance of photovoltaic systems in very different climatic conditions. The design. The study has raised a system that integrates solar panels of 250 W and 22 % efficiency in the boots of the cabins. In addition, each cabin would be equipped with two panels: one integrated into the glass barrier of the balcony at an angle of 90 ° and another placed at an angle of 30 °, between the ship’s covers. The scientists themselves have explained that if a cruise of the Helios class with 1,655 shots with balcony is extrapolated, in terms of scalability the maximum photovoltaic capacity would be at 827.5 kW, which is a significant step towards a cleaner energy in high high sea. The networks. Currently, cruises are adopting continuous current (CC) networks to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources. In each case, the researchers evaluated three integration approaches for solar panels. First, a network of 48 volts, which directly feeds the cabins, but its high cost and maintenance makes it less practical. On the other hand, the 350 volt network, which acts as a secondary distribution network, balancing security, efficiency and operational simplicity. Finally, the 700 volt network, which connects with the machine room to be a primary network, but has greater energy losses. After evaluating these options, researchers have concluded that the 350 V network combines security measures, lower cost and simplicity in maintenance for the integration of panels into the balconies. In addition, the system is complemented by iron and lithium phosphate batteries (Lifepo4), specifically designed to store energy in case of emergency, cushion demand peaks and guarantee a stable supply. The results. Scientists have performed simulations with Python taking into account more than 100 energy demand scenarios in the cabins during two cruise routes: a 15 -day tour of the Caribbean in March and an eight -day route along the coasts of Denmark and Norway during the months of August and September. With that recreation they have discovered that photovoltaic systems managed to cover 45% of the needs in the Caribbean and 47% in northern Europe. As for energy savings, it was an average of 3.2 MWh in the Caribbean and 3.8 MWh in Norway and Denmark. Finally, the environmental impact would reduce CO2 emissions between 1,500 and 1,800 kg per day, depending on the route. Other boats with solar panels. The study not only highlights the potential of solar balconies to improve the energy efficiency of cruises, but also ask questions about their scalability and future applications. However, it is not the first time that we see solar panels in ships, we have already seen progress in future candles with photovoltaic and, even, there are many millionaires who They bet on ideas more sustainable. Despite being a sector that It presents challenges For the autonomy of their batteries or the lack of load infrastructure, but this German idea in the cruises promises to open new possibilities of high seas efficiency. Image | DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems CC BY 4.0 Xataka | The solar panels have conquered the balconies of Germany. With this invention they can also store the energy surplus

Political Round: Mayor turns to allies to save herself

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The attack against the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass after the dramatic fires has placed her in a vulnerable situation, after the serious crisis took her by surprise in Ghana when she was making her fifth international journey. It is known that the progressive movement is looking for a candidate who can give them the fight when they try for re-election next year; and many wonder if his former opponent, Rick Caruso, would come for a rematch. The mall businessman raised $20 million for the Fire Department Foundation to purchase equipment to help save lives. And here comes the interesting thing: the mayor has realized the pit she has fallen into, and has turned to her political allies to save her. The president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Unions, Yvonne Wheeler, and even the international firefighters union headed by Frank Lima, another union of theater employees and two more representing service workers have publicly come out to clean him up. the image, splashed by fire. The campaign to remove blame for the fires is underway. First stop, the unions. The City’s budget problems, which will be aggravated by the expenses of the feared fires, will not help him in his quest to regain his lost popularity. And things have gotten so bad that the devastation caused by the fires prompted Councilwoman Traci Park to resign as chair of the Los Angeles Council’s 2028 Olympics Committee to dedicate herself full time to recovery efforts. as president of the Special Committee on Recovery newly formed by the councilors. Rob Bonta rises Contrary to Bass, the figure of California prosecutor Rob Bonta has risen to the skies with the arrival of the anti-immigrant hurricane Donald Trump to the White House. And no politician in California, nor Governor Gavin Newsom himself nor Mayor Bass, has been as open and vocal as the prosecutor after the avalanche of anti-immigrant measures by the new president.. Bonta, who immigrated as a child with his parents from the Philippines to California, immediately sued the Trump administration over its executive order that wants to end birthright US citizenship. The opportunity to make his name better known in the state comes when time is short for him to decide whether or not to enter the Democratic race for governor. De León opens fire Former councilman Kevin de León reappeared on the scene, publishing on site De León, author of the Sanctuary Law he introduced when he was a senator, said he made sure this legislation survived the most rigorous legal challenges, even winning approval from the Supreme Court in the early Trump era. De León tagged in his comment Prosecutor Bonta, who defended SB 54 against a Justice Department memo that calls on prosecutors to prosecute those who do not participate in federal immigration enforcement efforts. Without delay, Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley responded to De León, telling him that he introduced a bill to prevent California from going after local officials who do not comply with SB 54. Kiley’s plan is to end the Sanctuary State in California and MediCal for undocumented immigrants. All of this becomes more relevant following the announcement that Huntington Beach in Orange County has just declared itself a Non-Sanctuary City and filed a lawsuit against California’s Sanctuary State law.

The private firefighters that the rich in Los Angeles hire to save their properties from fires (and the criticism that this generates)

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Image source, Getty Images photo caption, The fires in Los Angeles have required all the resources of firefighters. Item information Author, Dario M. Brooks Author’s title, BBC News World January 18, 2025 In the midst of the emergency in Los Angeles, a request for help placed in X by a businessman uncovered a controversy a few days ago. Keith Wasserman, a CEO of an investment firm, wrote on the social network: “Does anyone have contacts with private firefighters to protect our house in Pacific Palisades? We need to act quickly. All the neighboring houses are on fire. We will pay any amount. Thank you” . Your house in Pacific Palisadesone of the neighborhoods where wealthy people live and which has been one of the most affected by the fireswas under threat of fire. Shortly afterward it was learned that it was consumed by flames. But Wasserman’s request for help from private firefighters generated a lot of criticism, from those who rejected the availability of resources to fight fires to the highest bidder, to those who considered it unethical to send workers to risk their lives. “So you’re suggesting that potentially vital (even ‘private’) resources be diverted to save your house because you’re rich while tens of thousands of people are trying to evacuate?” questioned a user identified as Renny. “The nerve is incredible… His family is evacuated and he tries to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a house that is probably insured,” wrote Sam Vance in another response to Wasserman’s message, who after criticism deactivated your account. However, what Wasserman was requesting is a private fire response service known for several years in Los Angeles and other parts vulnerable to this type of emergency in the United States. In fact, in that same city in 2018 another controversy arose after Kim Kardashian and her then-husband, Kanye West, hired a private fire service to protect their home in Calabasas from a forest fire. Kardashian then defended herself against the criticism, pointing out that the out-of-pocket hire not only saved her $50 million mansion, but helped her neighbors. Image source, Getty Images photo caption, Private fire control services primarily do preventive work. Specialists point out that private hiring of firefighters is more unusual than the current emergency makes it seem. The firms regularly serve businesses, insurance companies and, in the least cases, small clients. This is confirmed by Deborah Miley, director of the National Wildland Fire Fighting Association, which represents more than 300 private firefighting firms. Miley explained to the newspaper The New York Times that almost half (42%) of the firefighters in the United States are hired by this type of company. Joe Torres, from the private services company All-Risk Shield, explains to BBC Mundo that this is his case. “It’s usually an annual subscription. We do a lot of property preparation work long before any fire hits,” he explains. Although the law prohibits these companies from interfering with emergency operations, there are some that can offer their resources on their own. What do private firefighters offer? The firms, of various sizes, have tankers of different capacities, as well as fire crews and experts in protecting buildings against fires, forestry or other types. Regularly retired firefighters join the ranks of these companies. They use their own resources, including water, since they are prohibited from connecting to public service hydrants. In California, a law to regulate these services that emerged in 2018 – after the Kardashian and West controversy – even prohibits these services from having vehicles that look like red emergency vehicles, or that interfere with public operations. In the current emergency in Los Angeles, some private firefighters have been seen guarding residences in wealthy neighborhoods. According to reports, prices vary: from those who offer their services for US$2,000 per hour, to those who guard a property for between US$10,000 and US$14,000 per day. photo caption, The BBC saw several private services guarding residences in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Emma Vardy, a BBC reporter sent to cover the California emergency, found tankers from private companies doing preventive surveillance in the Brentwood neighborhood. “These can only be paid for by the very, very rich,” Vardy said. “There is a small army ready to protect these homes of very, very rich people. People have questioned how ethical this is while there are schools and homes of ordinary people that have been destroyed. And with public fire services in crisis,” he reported from that neighborhood, which still did not have an imminent threat of fire. But the current emergency has put many in the city in a difficult situation. More than 12,000 structures – including homes and businesses – have been consumed by the fire that has devastated some 16,000 hectares, between natural areas and neighborhoods such as Palisades, Eaton or Altadena. Unlike Wasserman, other businessmen have managed to save their properties. The case of real estate developer Rick Caruso has been cited in various media, as he hired a service that traveled from the neighboring states of Arizona and Oregon to protect his residence and a small shopping center in Pacific Palisades. Image source, Getty Images photo caption, Private services offer teams with trucks of different capacity and number of rescuers. BBC Mundo requested comments from the Los Angeles authorities about the private fire operation, but at the time of publication of this article it had not received a response. David Acuña, one of the spokespersons for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, explained to CBS News, a BBC partner in the US, that private firefighters do not respond to emergencies in general. “We do not want nor are we going to delegate to private firefighters the operations that we have to carry out with complex coordination,” he said. To provide help or not? When hired, employees of these private companies prepare property in an area vulnerable to wildfires with controls on the ground: clearing vegetation or flammable materials that cause flames to reach … Read more

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