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California Wildfires: Uncovering Unexpected Connections to Environmental Politics and Ukraine
California Wildfires: Uncovering Unexpected Connections to Environmental Politics and Ukraine
Sputnik Africa
Multiple fires have spread across the Los Angeles area since Tuesday, driven by extremely dry conditions and high winds. Tens of thousands of people have been... 09.01.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-01-09T14:19+0100
2025-01-09T14:19+0100
2025-01-09T17:53+0100
joe biden
ukraine
united states (us)
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At least five people have died in uncontained wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, with the death toll expected to rise. Some are blaming green policies for exacerbating the disaster. Here’s why: Environmental Regulations The green lobby has pushed for changes to traditional fire management policies. For example, the US Forest Service announced on October 24, 2024 that it would suspend prescribed burning in California “for the foreseeable future.” Prescribed burns are controlled fires that remove dry vegetation which otherwise fuels wildfires and allows them to spread to taller vegetation. Critics argue this suspension has left California more vulnerable to large-scale wildfires. Advocates for limiting prescribed burns cite several reasons, such as prioritizing staff and resources for actual wildfire suppression, alleged risks to air quality, ecosystems, and carbon emissions in the context of climate change. What Critics and Research SayA 2023 study by Columbia and Stanford researchers found that low-intensity fires (including prescribed burns) reduce wildfire risk by about 60%. Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) warns that blocking prescribed burns increases wildfire severity. The Fire Surrogate Study (published in Ecological Applications) found prescribed burning and restoration thinning to be “very effective” in reducing catastrophic wildfire risks in California. The California Policy Center emphasizes that thinning forests is crucial for mitigating fire hazards. The Money TrailSpending on environmental lobbying has surged during the Biden administration. US environmental groups spent approximately $30.5 million on federal lobbying in 2023, with Nature Conservancy leading as the top spender, according to OpenSecrets.Ukraine ConnectionAs uncontained deadly wildfires ravage southern California, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has dug itself into a hole in its overzealous effort to support Ukraine. In 2022, the department donated “surplus” equipment to Ukraine, as reported by ABC 7. That gear could have been critical in addressing today’s crisis.Further compounding the issue, Mayor Karen Bass reduced the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by $17.6 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, while earlier proposing a $23 million reduction. The city has also been grappling with federal firefighter shortages since 2020. According to Fox News, fewer than 4,000 LA Fire Department personnel are tasked with serving a population of four million. However, the outgoing Biden administration is fast-tracking as much aid to the regime in Kiev as it can.
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California Wildfires: Uncovering Unexpected Connections to Environmental Politics and Ukraine
14:19 09.01.2025 (Updated: 17:53 09.01.2025) Multiple fires have spread across the Los Angeles area since Tuesday, driven by extremely dry conditions and high winds. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as firefighters struggle to contain the flames.
At least five people have died in uncontained
wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, with the death toll expected to rise.
Some are blaming green policies for exacerbating the disaster. Here’s why:
Environmental Regulations
The green lobby has pushed for changes to traditional fire management policies. For example, the US Forest Service announced on October 24, 2024 that it would suspend prescribed burning in California “for the foreseeable future.”
Prescribed burns are controlled fires that remove dry vegetation which otherwise fuels wildfires and allows them to spread to taller vegetation. Critics argue this suspension has left California more vulnerable to large-scale wildfires.
Advocates for limiting prescribed burns cite several reasons, such as prioritizing staff and resources for actual wildfire suppression, alleged risks to air quality, ecosystems, and carbon emissions in the context of climate change.
What Critics and Research Say
A 2023
study by Columbia and Stanford researchers found that low-intensity fires (including prescribed burns) reduce wildfire risk by about 60%.
Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) warns that blocking prescribed burns increases wildfire severity.
The
Fire Surrogate Study (published in Ecological Applications) found prescribed burning and restoration thinning to be
“very effective” in reducing catastrophic wildfire risks in California. The California Policy Center emphasizes that thinning forests is crucial for mitigating fire hazards.
Spending on environmental lobbying has surged during the Biden administration.
US environmental groups spent approximately $30.5 million on federal lobbying in 2023, with Nature Conservancy leading as the top spender, according to OpenSecrets.
As uncontained deadly wildfires ravage southern California, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has dug itself into a hole in its overzealous effort to support
Ukraine.
In 2022, the department donated “surplus” equipment to Ukraine, as reported by ABC 7. That gear could have been critical in addressing today’s crisis.
Further compounding the issue, Mayor Karen Bass reduced the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by $17.6 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, while earlier proposing a $23 million reduction.
The city has also been grappling with federal firefighter shortages since 2020. According to Fox News, fewer than 4,000 LA Fire Department personnel are tasked with serving a population of four million.
However, the outgoing Biden administration is fast-tracking as much aid to the regime in Kiev as it can.
