It was bad enough to see homes in Malibu and Pacific Palisades razed to the ground while fire hydrants ran dry, but knowing that poor bureaucratic decisions led to water shortages made the horrific sight even worse.

California is full of water. The Golden State borders the Pacific Ocean, which holds countless gallons of seawater that can be desalinated to fill reservoirs and fire hydrants.

But California bureaucracy discourages desalination plants to secure additional water, and the $2.7 billion authorized in 2014 did not build reservoirs.

Los Angeles wildfires: Police warn of arsonists, California firefighters caught on video

Environmentalists prefer to blame climate change for wildfires, much like the ancient Greeks blamed their gods when something went wrong. This is passing the buck rather than looking in the mirror.

From 1916 to the mid-1940s, when carbon dioxide emissions were low, the number of fires on federal lands was as high as it was in the first decade of the 2000s.

In California, politicians have advanced an agenda to eliminate water, energy and minerals, increasing human suffering. The question is how they stay in power without the people voting them out.

This is especially true given the tragedy of the fire, which could have been prevented with water.

State agencies that must approve desalination projects include the State Water Resources Control Board, California Coastal Commission, California Lands Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Region and six coastal regions Water Quality Control Board. The system is designed to slow down progress.

In addition, approval is subject to tribal consultation, environmental justice, considerations of marine life and energy efficiency, among other factors.

California has earmarked $120 million for desalination projects, $1.4 billion for charging stations and $500 million for electric school buses. The California Air Resources Board has the authority to quickly enact clean air regulations.

Surely if California can afford to spend billions on electric cars, then the state can afford to fill reservoirs with water — especially since wildfires are more harmful to the air than gasoline-powered cars?

Countries with lower GDPs than California have no difficulty building desalination plants. In the United Arab Emirates, these plants produce more than 7 million cubic meters of water per day, accounting for approximately 40% of the country's drinking water. About 90% of the drinking water in Kuwait and Oman is desalinated, and the desalination rate in Saudi Arabia is 70%.

Bahrain recently completed its second desalination plant, using new reverse osmosis energy-saving technology from France-based Veolia Water Technologies. The plant, with a daily capacity of 227,000 cubic meters, will begin operations 22 months later.

The problem is that California's government created water shortages, just as it created energy shortages and severe mineral shortages.

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California requires 60% of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2030, so energy is scarce and expensive. The Legislature unanimously passed the Seabed Mining Prevention Act in 2022, which bans the mining of critical offshore minerals, leaving the United States at the mercy of China.

Environmentalists' agenda focuses on scarcity rather than abundance, giving governments the power to allocate these limited resources. In times of scarcity, people become dependent on government rather than on their own actions.

California is full of water. The Golden State borders the Pacific Ocean, which holds countless gallons of seawater that can be desalinated to fill reservoirs and fire hydrants.

One of the two houses on his street that survived the 2018 Malibu Volsey Fire is owned by Robert Koback, author of "Malibu Burning: The True Story Behind Los Angeles' Most Destructive Wildfires." (Robert Kerbeck), who learned ahead of time how to spray fire retardant on his home. They reduced the brush that could fuel the flames.

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As Koback recently wrote, "We need more water to fight fires, more reservoirs to store water, and more firefighters with the right equipment to fight these massive wind-driven fires."

California's policies are often based on an enigmatic myth, to paraphrase Churchill about the Soviet Union. Californians pushing an energy, water and mineral scarcity agenda for the sake of the environment should think again. Human beings should not worship nature at such a cost.

Click here to read more from Diana Fuchgot-Ross