— Published with Permission of cfact.org —
California’s wildfires are a horrific tragedy.
At last report 63 people are dead, 631 missing and 11,862 structures have been destroyed.
We hold those lost and suffering in our thoughts and prayers.
Not unexpectedly, Governor Jerry Brown would have us believe the harm caused by California’s wildfires is the result of climate change. But that is false.
As CFACT’s Marc Morano explains through extensive coverage at Climate Depot, California’s rain and drought are historically normal. In fact, the total U.S. acreage burned by wildfires is actually down in recent years.
That said, there are anthropogenic roots to this catastrophe. But they are not the human causal links Governor Brown points to.
Rapid population growth, extensive development, poor water management, and most critically, irresponsible forest management are principally to blame.
Green activists blocked forest clearing in the name of species protection, leaving California with 129 million dead trees, clogging 8.9 million acres.
If government actually wanted to promote the rapid and uncontrolled spread of deadly wildfires, it would be hard-pressed to find a better approach. Once again the Greens find themselves on the wrong side of the implacable law of unintended consequences, as the very species they profess to care about, are incinerated before our eyes.
Governor Brown, if you are still searching for the anthropogenic link to California’s tragic fires, we expect somewhere in the governor’s mansion there’s probably a mirror.
