Scientists from Canada, the U.S., the Netherlands and the United Kingdom published a report Thursday saying that climate change played a major part in the wildfires that burned more than 7 million acres in Canada this summer.
Weather conditions, including the heat, wind and lack of moisture, made these fires twice as likely, World Weather Attribution said in the report.
President Donald Trump previously blamed forest mismanagement for the fires, and even threatened Canada with punishments such as higher tariffs over the smoke drifting into the United States.
Experts, though, said this shows a lack of understanding about the root causes of these fires.
“Smoke does not carry a passport, but carbon pollution does have a history. That history shows that the United States contributed more than any other country,” University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver told The Associated Press. “President Trump is pointing at the smoke while ignoring America’s fingerprints on the climate conditions behind it.”
Round out your reading
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- After years of denying other elections, MyPillow founder won’t accept his own defeat.
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- Why an over-scrolled generation is turning to ‘grandma hobbies’ for mental health.
- Our personal information is for sale on the internet. We know — we bought it.
