Headline RoundupJune 8th, 2023

Canadian Wildfires Cover Northeast in Smog: Is Climate Change to Blame?

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Voices across the spectrum are divided on the role of climate change in the Canadian wildfires enveloping the northeast United States in smog. 

Increased Intensity: An analysis in ABC News (Lean Left bias) stated that while wildfires are not started by climate change, “the conditions that make wildfires more intense and severe, including heat and drought, are strongly linked to human-induced changes in the climate.” The article goes on to describe forests filled with “damaged trees, dead trees, brush” as a result of drought conditions increasing the fuel for wildfires. 

Neglected Forests: A piece in the New York Post Opinion (Right Bias) pushed back against “climate alarmists,” stating that “pressure from green activists” wary of harming wildlife and “bureaucratic obstacles” have resulted in declining maintenance in Canadian forests. The writer argues that preventative measures, such as controlled burns and commercial logging, would have reduced the severity of the fires by clearing out the dead trees and brush. 

Worsening Conditions: An article in BBC News (Center bias) looked into the connection, finding spring seasons in Canada have been “warmer and drier than usual, creating a tinder-dry environment for these vast fires.” The report predicts wildfires to increase in the coming decades “as climate change worsens.” The report also attributes worsening wildfires to changes in wildfire response protocols, stating, “modern practice of trying to totally suppress fires can stop forests creating natural firebreaks that would historically have reduced wildfire spread.”

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