Europe

Wildfires Rage Across France and Spain, Over 300K Displaced

Are European wildfires fueled by climate change or is poor forest management the real culprit?

5 days ago·Updated 4 days ago

Wildfires Rage Across France and Spain, Over 300K Displaced

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Above: A volunteer runs to fill a water bucket to help battling the fire in Lanton, France, on July 29. Image credit: Romain Perrocheau/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Climate change is making European wildfires worse and the data is undeniable. Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, and the record heat driving these fires would've been virtually impossible without climate change. Hundreds of thousands displaced in France and Spain is the new normal unless emissions are taken seriously.

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Climate-skeptic narrative

The root of the issue is gross mismanagement of forests, a cause that continues to get ignored. Rural depopulation and the absence of livestock grazing are exacerbating these wildfires the most, while those who push back on the climate narrative are branded deniers. These new climate measures in turn ensnare landowners and make forest management more difficult.

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