This thread collects and addresses popular wildfire myths that are currently circulating the internet like ... wildfire. Please free to add to this thread @LeroyWesterling @johnfocook @PeterGleick and other experts.
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Myth #2: as there's less wildfires in Canada than the US *at the moment* that somehow proves climate change isn't real Truth: Other times there will be more: that's weather, a single day, week or year. Climate is the long-term trend over decades. Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnMJedLHjpY …
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Myth #3: wildfire can be EITHER arson or climate change but not both. Truth: most wildfires in the lower 48 states are human-ignited but they are burning *much greater area* due to hotter, drier conditions + vegetation as a result of climate change.pic.twitter.com/gWW8LDUj4H
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Myth #4: the only reason wildfires are burning more area is because of poor forest management (and "raking" would fix that) Truth: Forest management absolutely plays a role; but "raking" doesn't work and climate change is making it a lot worse. Read:https://twitter.com/ErinEARoss/status/1305303927936544770?s=20 …
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Myth #5: those alarmists claim climate change is responsible for things that have always happened naturally Truth: climate change is - according to the US military - a threat multiplier. It takes naturally-occurring events and makes them WORSE. Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT4aZzjbl3w …
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Finally, for a thorough review of the myths about how climate isn't changing, or it is but it's the sun or volcanoes or natural cycles, see:https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/1032652591841386497?s=20 …
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And for a global perspective on wildfire--since, as our 2009 PLoS paper showed, climate change may actually decrease fire in some ecosystems and that's not necessarily a good thing either (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0005102 … )--read
@carbonbrief's excellent explainer:https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-how-climate-change-is-affecting-wildfires-around-the-world …Show this thread -
Here's an addition on the arson myth - according to CalFire, 7% of California's large fires were known to be deliberate. The rest were primarily accidental human ignitions + some lightning and some unknown.https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/How-California-s-biggest-wildfires-ignited-13907244.php …
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Myth #6: the wildfires and/or the smoke and/or climate change is being caused by a secret military experiment Truth: The only geoengineering happening right now is at miniscule scales and is well-documented. There are no secret expts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Bfr2Vzxbs …
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"We do a bit better with recognizing we're part of a continent"—I can tell I'm watching something Canadian because they call an issue "North American" when it concerns both the U.S. and Canada.
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Don't forget about Mexico
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. Climate scientist, Chief Scientist
