Climate flashpoints. Record wildfires in Canada and Maui. And massive flooding from the first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years. What does it say about our planet?

President Joe Biden is touring the damage on Maui, the Hawaiian island devastated by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. 

Across the border, Canada has seen a record number of wildfires, more than 5,800, burning more than 150,000 square kilometers from one end of Canada to the other. 

And Southern California is seeing flash flooding in typically dry communities as Tropical Storm Hilary dropped more than half the average annual rain on some desert and mountain areas. 

Joining the discussion: 

• Mojtaba Sadegh is a climate scientist and Associate Professor at Boise State University. 
• Hilton Raethel is the President and CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii. 
• Michael K. Dorsey is the Chair and Director of Arizona State University’s Sustainability Solutions Service, and a Professor at ASU’s College of Global Futures. 

Tropical Storm Hilary lashed Southern California, prompting rescues from swollen rivers and forcing school closures.

Police said emergency phone lines were down in the desert resort city of Palm Springs even as the storm began to weaken. https://t.co/Zswck0t7Wr

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 21, 2023

Biden heading to Maui to meet with wildfire survivors https://t.co/Svw6dqlnYQ pic.twitter.com/uF7kNvWwG6

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 21, 2023