Wildfires, driven by climate change, are raging across the Western United States crushing local economies. It's a wakeup call for the Trump administration.
Forest management, including years of fire suppression, does play a role, said Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Without prescribed burnings, which are typically low-intensity fires that target underbrush, flammable materials build up on the forest floor. That means that once a fire starts, plentiful underbrush causes more powerful flames, including those that shoot up into the canopy, bringing down big trees.
The U.S. spends billions of dollars fighting fires each year, but just a fraction of that is spent on preventative measures. One effective remedy might be to increase prescribed burning, although Balch said that can be difficult, thanks to opposition from local communities who don't want the smoke, among other things.
The carcass of a burned car is seen by the Oak Park Motel destroyed by the flames of the Beachie Creek Fire in Gates, east of Salem, Oregon on September 13, 2020.Since the 1980s, the total damage from extreme weather events has reached $1.75 trillion and the annual figures have quadrupled, according to Nathaniel Keohane, who is senior vice president for climate at the Environmental Defense Fund.
Fire is seen in Salem City, Oregon, U.S., September 8, 2020, in this picture obtained from social media. Picture taken September 8, 2020.The report concluded that "a world racked by frequent and devastating shocks from climate change cannot sustain the fundamental conditions supporting our financial system."
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
For Prisoners in the West, the Virus and the Wildfires Are Colliding ThreatsAs wildfires tore through huge swaths of Oregon last week, prisoners were hurried away from the encroaching flames -- not to freedom but to an overcrowded state prison, where they slept shoulder-to-shoulder in cots and, in some cases, on the floor. Food was in short supply, showers and toilets few, and
Weiterlesen »
Oregon governor seeks more federal help as wildfires burn in U.S. WestOregon's governor is seeking additional federal assistance as her state battles the deadly wildfires sweeping the western United States, and local residents pitched in on Tuesday to help the many people displaced by the blazes.
Weiterlesen »
Haze Spreads Across U.S. As Wildfires Continue To Tear Through The WestScientists have linked an increasing prevalence and intensity of wildfires to climate change, and residents of Western states are grappling with the dread that severe fire seasons are the new normal.
Weiterlesen »
Crews battle wildfires in U.S. West as smoke travels the worldAs fire crews continued to battle deadly wildfires sweeping the western United States, thousands of evacuees in Oregon and other states faced a daily struggle while scientists in Europe tracked the smoke on Wednesday as it spread on an intercontinental scale.
Weiterlesen »
West Coast wildfires still scorching millions of acresThousands of evacuees have been displaced by deadly wildfires in Oregon, Washington and California. Fire crews continue to battle the fires while search teams are scour the ruins of incinerated homes for the missing.
Weiterlesen »
Smoke From West Coast Wildfires Has Reached EuropeI'm a British-born reporter covering breaking news for Forbes.
Weiterlesen »