Global warming activists are shamefully exploiting the tragic and deadly California wildfires by pushing a false narrative that global warming is causing more frequent and severe wildfires.
President Donald Trump stood up against this propaganda by pointing out that environmental activists’ agendas and local government ineptitude are more to blame for the wildfires than global warming.
California Gov. Jerry Brown, the environmental left, and the establishment media are vilifying Trump for this response. The objective facts, however, clearly support the president.
Cliff Mass, a University of Washington climate scientist, studies wildfires and has focused specifically on those in California.
Citing official state of California data, Mass points out in his Weather and Climate blog that, “the numbers of California wildfires over the past 30 years has declined––dropping roughly in half.”
It is difficult to credibly assert that global warming is responsible for California wildfires when wildfires are currently much rarer than they were three decades ago.
Wildfires Aren’t Trending Upward at All
Mass further notes the total area burned has grown “slightly” during recent decades compared to the late twentieth century, with the trend too small to be significant.
Moreover, the acreage burned “was as large or larger at the beginning of the 20th century as now.” At the beginning of the twentieth century, temperatures were lower than they are today, and there were no coal-fired power plants or SUVs.
“The bottom line of the real fire data produced by the State of California and in the peer-reviewed literature is clear: there has been no upward trend in the number of wildfires in California during the past decades,” Mass wrote. “In fact, the frequency of fires has declined. And in most of the state, there has not been an increasing trend in area burned during the past several decades.”
“The story can’t be simply that warming is increasing the numbers of wildfires in California because the number of fires is declining. And area burned has not been increasing either,” Mass added.
Mass observes that the cause of the Southern California wildfire is not certain. Regardless, objective, long-term data show no increase in the number of acres burned by California wildfires in recent decades, and it is especially difficult to credibly blame global warming when national wildfire data strongly agree with the California data.
National Interagency Fire Center data document there has been no increase in recent years in the number of U.S. wildfires.
The total number of acres burned has been somewhat higher than normal the past few years, but the number was lower than normal during the middle of this decade.
In total, there has been no increasing trend.
Wildfires Are Not More Frequent And Severe
The fact that wildfires are no more frequent or severe during recent decades is remarkable considering anthropogenic changes that should make wildfires more prevalent.
Mass observes that wildfires are a natural historical part of the ecology of California.
There is an increasing human population; humans are starting most of the fires; forest mismanagement has allowed tree- and debris-choked landscapes; plus, people have brought invasive and highly flammable non-native species like cheatgrass into California that accelerate fires.
Much of this information was summarized this September when Brown hosted his Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.
Brown’s summit presented no scientific discussion, data, or evidence showing any link between global warming and wildfires.
At the same time and at the same location, the Heartland Institute hosted and live-streamed a climate science rebuttal in which scientists summarized the evidence strongly contradicting the notion that global warming is causing more frequent and severe California wildfires.
Brown would be well-served to watch the video and educate himself on what the science says.
So, if global warming is not to blame for the current California fires, what is? Mass observes that the likely cause of the Northern California wildfire (known as the “Camp Fire”) was strong winds causing a Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) power line to fail in the Feather River Canyon.
At the site of the failed power line, high winds were forecast in advance.
“PG&E, even with very [high] winds forecast, decided not to de-energize their line––probably a big mistake,” notes Mass. “Our ability to forecast these wind events has become very, very good…The threat was clear. It is unfortunate that power lines appear[ed] to start the Camp Fire and that the lines were not de-energized before the fire was initiated,” Mass wrote.
But there is more to the story than PG&E failing to de-energize a power line when very high winds were forecast. State and local government officials failed to provide aggressive warnings and responses when the fire began.
“Importantly, the winds were again highly predictable, poor warnings were given to the communities,” Mass wrote. “And just as disturbing, local officials did not use the Amber Alert system to warn people of the exploding Camp Fire,” he added.
People died when they were caught unaware and were unable to flee the fire. An Amber Alert from local officials could have saved lives.
This week, Trump issued an expedited approval of a major disaster declaration, unlocking federal resources and funding to aid California.
He expressed sympathy with the victims and admiration for firefighters and first responders.
Just as importantly, by threatening to withhold future grants if California officials do not come up with better land management practices, he served notice that he will not tolerate California government failing the people again.
James Taylor is a senior fellow for environment policy and vice president for external relations at The Heartland Institute.
Read more at The Federalist
The culprit and cause of the arid conditions across parts of California that have led to increased fire risk is a combination of the cold sea current that flows along the coastline and the trade winds that blow from the land towards the Pacific ocean for 6-7 months every year. In reality California is a desert region in which millions of Americans have chosen to settle over the last two centuries. The pressure on the local environment is enormous as a consequence of this settlement. Proper management of the forested and wooded areas, as well as scrub land, is now essential. The environmentalists have to accept these facts and take action now to create adequate fire breaks that limit the risk of serious fires spreading over many acres and square miles of the state.
Thoughts:
A thought for your most capable mind for the future. Environmental Imperative.
The consistent argument and I heard this yesterday re pipeline construction is that it will harm the environment. In contrapose, if a Tree Hugger builds a log cabin he is harming the environment and if he uses wood for fuel he is adding to AGW.
Lebensraum or territorial imperative, practiced by flora, fauna and homo sapiens can harm the environment. Solar and wind farms (dead raptors) harm the environment. A hurricane from natural causes harms the environment. Forest fires long before the existence of man harmed the environment.
The word harm is totally incorrect. It is only change that is occurring. The indigies fighting the pipeline (money) have a history of starting forest fires. Etc, etc.
As an attorney for the pipeline builder I would say, ‘No pipeline then no solar/wind farm.’ To put this in reverse the renewables construction should be legally challenged and with all projects stopped by judges citing negative environmental impact, those rulings should be used as precedents.
Droughts and subsequent fires have occurred in California for all of recorded history, both natural phenomena and part of nature’s system of regeneration. It is also to be understand that the fires have increased to both human carelessness and perversity. As below:
Although often harmful and destructive to humans, naturally occurring wildfires play an integral role in nature. They return nutrients to the soil by burning dead or decaying matter. They also act as a disinfectant, removing disease-ridden plants and harmful insects from a forest ecosystem.
Just as rediclous as those iidots blaming Animal Agriculture for this Global Warming/Climate Change and those two crack-pot Doctors urging us to all go Vegan over this whole Global Warming/Climate Change scam.Beware of Modern Enviromentalism it makes you STUPID
The thought of terrorists setting fires in the north-west brings back memories of World War Two when the Japanese sent balloons across the Pacific ocean with incendiary bombs.
YOU HEARD THE Warmist & Coolist arguments about the CALIFORNIA’s FOREST FIRES, now read the correct scientific approach; and you compare; YOU be the judge:
Devastating forest fires are happening in Portugal, Greece, Spain, Australia and California. What those places have in common? A: FACT: every one of those places have a desert in the distance. So what?
1] the dry heat created in the desert gets blown away by the winds in every direction, every day and night, and for many months is preparing the foliage for intensive fires, on distant places. A] when that dry air is blown to where the fires are happening; vacuums the moisture off the foliage and the topsoil. In the topsoil the beneficial bacteria are destroyed – those bacteria, worms, supposed to get out at night and get the dead debris / mulch into the soil, away from any fire – also they create the topsoil to be like sponge with organic matter – so when the rain eventually comes, retains that rainwater – instead of rolling down in flash floods and after is dry, when bacteria dead, those benefits don’t exist. So, when less foliage on the surface, and permanent moisture in the topsoil; even if fire starts, the moisture cools the fire by evaporating – and you can send the kids to put that fire off. Fires burn essential organic matter; than those essential trace elements lost by the wind and flash flood; and goes into the creeks and rivers to suffocate the fish and other marine critters. Desert is a destructive beast, that’s how is working on expending and growing.
2] when the dry heat blows towards the sea, is destroying the humidity created for the last 2-3 days => denying that humidity of going over the land, because humidity decrease evaporation, of the moisture from the mulch and the soil. B] Farmers need to irrigate more often, to protect the stunted crop from that dry heat = less water available for all farmers. C] But nobody is irrigating the forest… 3] by destroying the humidity => less often rain and showers, and less snow on the mountains (that humidity that dry heat destroys; is the raw material for rain and snow) if less snow in the mountain => less water in the dams. Plus, the dry heat is absorbing part of the existing snow, by sublimation, never to become water in the river.
That makes ‘’blaming CO2 for forest fires as double crime – CO2 is fire retardant gas, can put the fire off by CO2 better than by water. If the truth is known, people would have applied the appropriate solution and solved the problem; but doesn’t fit the Warmist theology, for fear mongering:
APPROPRIATE SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROBLEM:
1] if the Federales in Washington pass a legislation: any company or companies that separate salt from the seawater in Death Valley; for the next 50 years; any profit they make from selling the salt, do not have to pay any tax; because that project is FOR IMPROVING THE CLIMATE. Needs a 5 feet diameter pipe, to bring water from the sea, to Death Valley. Salt is needed in chemical industry, for fertilizers, for making chlorine and salt is necessary for human consumption. Where salt is separated now from seawater on the beach; is valuable real estate that should be used for aquaculture, producing shrimps and fish; instead of salt. B] on the beach is low evaporation, because of the constant humidity present on the beach; and would take only 10% of the time to evaporate the water in the ponds in the Dead Valley, c] less chance to rain 1-2 days before is dry enough for the salt to be collected, and rainwater dilute it again. The humidity created in the Death Valley would reverse the damages on distances – will have more regular showers to seal the dust and add some moisture in the topsoil, to keep the beneficial / essential bacteria. The crops will not get stunted every time when dry heat arrives from the desert – trees will be bigger and density increasing – will be higher humidity in the sea and more snow on the mountain. Gradually even in the Death Valley where is hilly and not suitable for salt ponds, grass and trees will cover the surface; AND DESTRUCTIVE FIRES WILL BE HISTORY.
2] or they can pipe all the brown water from LA and San Francisco into the Death Valley and make a lake on the hottest / lowest spot. No, its not too expensive; they are making pipes for oil all over the place; imagine ALL the benefits of no devastating dry heat going in every direction as a machine-gun.
(climate is in constant change, improves or deteriorates, nothing stays the same – human has the two choices: 1: destroy the desert, or 2: desert will keep destroying the vegetation on greater distances, and expending desert can only be more powerful and more devastating; and only SUITS THE Warmist devastating cult. Fighting the climates or tides not to change; next generation, when is known that the PHONY global warming is just that P H O N Y; history will judge both cults; and every Warmist politician will be treated as now Stalin and Hitler are regarded now. Water regulates the climate, not CO2, otherwise under the contemporary propaganda the climate 400km around Beijing, where the most air pollution is, would have been the worse climate – instead is beautiful, mild climate (and that area is producing food for 500 million people), BUT similar area inland Australia, where is no CO2 and is clearest sky in Simpson Desert, is terrible / extreme climate. (one earthworm knows much more about the real climates; than all the Warmist & Coolist combined. Reason garden worms refuse to live in any desert. Do you know why??!?Q: is it more CO2 in Sacramento valley, or in Death Valley?? Hint: If you don’t know, ask the earthworms. Worms are smart and cannot be brainwashed on the net and by TV, plenty worms in Sacramento Valley, but they refuse to live in Death Valley. If is known that ‘’water regulates the climates, climates in deserts and semi-deserts CAN be IMPROVED – most other places is nothing wrong with the climates. Deserts are a living beast and working on expending enlarging themselves; because in nature nothing stays the same – expends or shrinks and deteriorates. Therefore: anybody referring to the PHONY global warming, as climate change is a premeditated mass murderer. {{ please compare my facts and proofs about the Californian devastating fires, with the Warmist & Coolist arguments}} fact: No carbon tax can stop the dry heat from the desert -fact: fire management authority cannot use vacuum cleaners, to collect the dry foliage off the ground
Israel is the only true friend of America in the Middle East. So, help strengthen with the Israel Longhorn Project at http://longhornproject.org
War has come to Israel
Shalom, please share this with your community,
Do you want forest fires behind the backs of our soldiers while they are defending Israel? Do you remember how many died in the last forest fire?
The arson attacks have started. Hezbollah threatens Israel with 100,000 rockets and missiles. One small missile, bomb, or arsonist can restart major forest fires in Israel. Death and destruction come from major forest fires in the Galilee. Don’t make our soldiers fight the enemy AND fires. http://longhornproject.org
There’s a long-term solution to the risk of fires: The solution is CATTLE, yes – CATTLE! Cattle that eat the shrubs that catch fire! Learn more at Israel Longhorn Project.
To solve this problem: Year one $120,000; year two $140,000; years three through six $315,000 will make project self-supporting.
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