Southern California wasn’t always this hot, this dry, and this smoky. Our state hasn’t always felt like an unlivable hellscape for large chunks of the year, year after year. Climate change is a major factor in influencing the extreme weather events that are coming at us in a seemingly unending cascade. And WE are responsible for climate change. Support for LAist comes from Covering Climate Change Across the planet, hundreds of news organizations — including this one — are spending a week focusing on what it's like to be living through the climate emergency. The global collaboration is called Covering Climate Now, and this story is part of it. You are also part of it. Use the form below to tell us what's on your mind, or if there's something you'd like to know.