iirc the long-term explanation of wildfires is that building human habitations too close to natural fire zones leads to over-aggressive control of small fires leading to underbrush build up over years and bigger fires. Is this roughly correct?
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pretty sure climate change and related droughts also have been playing a role
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Yup, they've acted as a compounding factor on base dynamics.
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I mean, there’s always wildfires (they’re natural and good!) but if the question is why suddenly more extreme probably base dynamics aren’t relevant. You’re looking for delta.
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Yeah, but the base dynamics themselves are shifting too don't forget, causing an organic delta (eg: increased population and more pressure on fringes). Important for climate action advocates to keep the attribution book-keeping honest.
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Yeah, I’d agree that truth is power and don’t know enough to really say, but I don’t see any broad change in those dynamics recently (e.g. Seattle yes but CA no)
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Ok I do appreciate catastrophe theory but seems weird that it’d be biggest factor now after growth significantly slowed in recent decades there vs a different trajectory for growth in WA. But again I certainly don’t know!
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Yeah, that's why I'm being careful. Plus climate change is phenomenologically a multiplier type effect not a direct effect so you need to consider what base is doing anyway.

