The California wildfires this year are worse than ever and President Donald Trump continues to ignore scientific proof that climate change is responsible for these deadly infernos. During a briefing Monday, the president exchanged unfounded claims with local officials on what he thinks are the real causes of the wildfires such as putting the blame on not clearing dead vegetation.
What We Know:
- With the election season in full swing and Trump’s reelection bid in jeopardy, the handling of these fires could prove detrimental along with the coronavirus pandemic, economic instability, and social unrest, if not handled right. The presidential Democratic nominee Joe Biden recently gave his own speech on the topic of fires and climate change. He essentially noted that the rising death toll from the fiery devastation in California, Oregon, and Washington require a stronger president.
- Trump traveled to Northern California and was briefed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and federal officials over the situation unfolding in their state. Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot urged the president to “recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests”.
- The briefing with the governor was merely a stop near Sacramento before Trump’s original destination of Phoenix for a campaign visit. The president has been rather silent on the wildfires plaguing the golden state or the past few weeks. He did, however, tweet his appreciation of firefighters and emergency responders on Friday, marking it the first time he mentioned the spreading flames that have burned millions of acres, forced removal of residents, destroyed infrastructure, and killed dozens.
THANK YOU to the 28,000+ Firefighters and other First Responders who are battling wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington. I have approved 37 Stafford Act Declarations, including Fire Management Grants to support their brave work. We are with them all the way! pic.twitter.com/Uu9vArw70Z
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2020
- Trump continued his rhetoric that Democrats are to blame for the failure to clean up dead amber and leave from the forest floors. Per usual, Trump neglected to give any reasonable evidence for these claims and many wildfire experts state that simply “raking leaves” makes no sense in this scenario. Many fires have rampaged through coastal chaparral and grasslands, not forest.
- Perhaps the most solid evidence of Trump’s stance on climate change came in 2015 when he stated, “I’m not a big believer in man-made global warming.” He mimicked that thought in his response after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report was published saying he “read it but didn’t believe it”. Last September he also inaccurately critiqued the Green New Deal in a statement, “No more cows. No more planes … no more people, right?” Implying its alleged ineffectiveness in his view.
More and more climate scientists attribute drought and rising temperatures in California to climate change. In particular, the state’s annual fall wildfire season has gotten worse over time. It’s worthy to note that many of the state’s largest fires in history have occurred within the past couple of years.
