Seattle meteorologist Cliff Mass has this to say about the last two years of forest fire smoke:
Northwest Wildfires: Are We Seeing a "New Normal" Due to Climate Change or The "Old Normal"?
Some of the news media, politicians, and environmental advocacy groups have claimed that the smoke hitting western Washington during the past two summers are a "new normal." That Northwest summers should be smoke and fire free, and that anthropogenic global warming has created a new regime of fires and smoke that has never been experienced before.
What is it with these people not reading their history - they would just need to Google it and see that this is nothing out of the ordinary. Cliff cites a few memorable fires and then says this:
Today, the bill for our suppression of fire and poor forest management in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia has now come due. Those who blame our dangerous situation on a "new normal" solely resulting from climate change, are not only misinformed, but they can act as obstacles to the actions that are acutely needed: a massive effort to thin our forests and bring back low-intensity fire. Some enlightened politicians, like Senator Maria Cantwell, are calling for such an approach...they should be supported.
Emphases by Dr. Mass. This is a case of bad management and not climate change. Lots of great comments to read too. Good post!
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