'It's like a war zone here': Everything bad about climate change hits Calif. town

The scene last month in Montecito, California, after a powerful storm hit.
The scene last month in Montecito, California, after a powerful storm hit.
Daniel Dreifuss | AP

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First, drought. Then fires. Next, heavy downpours. Then came the mudslides.

"It's like a war zone here. There's homes that are just missing. And I walk down the street and I see, balls and toys and bicycles and shoes and socks," one woman said while describing her hometown to a BBC News reporter.

Is this one California town the new poster child for climate change? We start Climate Cast in Montecito, which is feeling just every symptom of climate change. Here's a rundown of the show.

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"See Everything Bad About Climate Change in a Single California Town." Wired doesn't mince words in that description of what's happening in Montecito. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain, studies changes in the already sensitive climate zone of California, tells us what's happening.

Tree rings can teach us a lot about the climate's past. University of Minnesota researcher Daniel Griffin explains how.

A Minnesota town learns from Germany. Morris, Minn., city manager Blaine Hill shares what he's a href="http://www.urbanet.info/learning-from-a-frontrunner/">learning from a sister German city that's on the leading edge of climate solutions.

A coal museum goes solar? The Kentucky Coal Museum has installed 80 solar panels on its roof. The Courier-Journal reports that the museum used to spend $2,100 a month on electricity. The switch to solar power is expected to save the museum $8,000 on its annual electricity bill.

Hear the whole show by using the audio player above.