While I’m generally no hardline presidential apologist, I do have to praise Obama for acknowledging that the record-setting Carlton Complex wildfire, along with other ongoing western blazes, can be attributed to climate change.
“A lot of it has to do with drought, a lot of it has to do with changing precipitation patterns, and a lot of that has to do with climate change,” the USA Today quoted the president as saying during a recent visit to Seattle.
Unfortunately since then, the media has been silent about the president’s statement, omitting it in any subsequent article about President Barack Obama signing a federal emergency declaration for the areas affected by the wildfires. The declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate disaster relief and help state and local agencies with equipment and resources.
That’s good news for this particular weather event, but it hardly trumps the fact that the planet is sure to experience this scale of catastrophic wildfire again and again in the future.
Perhaps the reason we’re not hearing about the climate change connection has to with the results of a recent survey revealing that Americans are more skeptical of climate change than others polled across the globe.
According to an ABC News article, when asked if they agreed with the statement, “The climate change we are currently seeing is largely the result of human activity,” just 54 percent of Americans surveyed said yes. Although this number indicates a majority, the United States still ranked last among 20 countries in the poll.
Meanwhile, China topped the list, with 93 percent of its citizens agreeing that human activity is causing climate change. Large majorities also agreed in France (80 percent), Brazil (79 percent), Germany (72 percent) and other countries.
Similarly, 91 percent of those from China agreed with the statement, “We are heading for environmental disaster unless we change our habits quickly.” Only 57 percent of Americans thought so — again, last among 20 nations surveyed.
Exposing the Big Game 
Hmmm. Admitting it exists and changing our ways are two different things. “A lot of it has to do with’ this and that isn’t very convincing. Whenever I am out and about, I see nothing but huge pickups and SUVs idling, like the owners of these vehicles don’t have a care in the world. I can only imagine its the same elsewhere.
The thing I don’t like about labeling everything under the heading of ‘climate change’ is that it, as always, removes human responsibility for anything and makes it something ‘otherly’ . ‘Climate change’ by any other name means too much human activity from too many humans, and pushing further and further into difficult areas to access. Fires that would normally burn as a healthy part of the ecosystem are interfered with because of threats to humans. I worry about the constant dropping of chemicals to put them out also. I agree we will probably be seeing a lot more of this in the future, and a lot more extremes in weather also. Whether it is part of a natural cycle that humans don’t have a concept of in our lifespans, or exacerbated by our activities, I don’t know.
It’s both.
It felt like a climate change event during the unusually long and early July heat wave, before the thunderstorms and fire. I remember thinking, “oh no, we’re going to get ours this year”, since we really haven’t felt as much difference as the rest of the country. Obama is late to the party.
Yeah, there can’t be a very long stretch of over 100* temperatures without something catching fire
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“A lot of it has to do with drought, a lot of it has to do with changing precipitation patterns, and a lot of that has to do with climate change,” the USA Today quoted the president as saying during a recent visit to Seattle.
Has a lot to do with ?? All of these symptoms are Climate Change/Disruption. This kind of language is indicative of continuing denial of what is happening.
Here in the Southwest, “record temps” are now becoming the norm–along with very strange, angry winds. This is not just Climate Change, but another Climate Shift, with the Earth trying to adjust to what this species has caused. There will be more Climate Shifts, stronger, stranger….the non-humans are having a very hard time already…