Topic: Global Warming News - Wildfires Are Linked to Global Warming — But Media Obscure the … - AlterNet

With one notable exception , from the San Francisco Chronicle , none of the coverage explored the possibility that the fire might be linked to climate change, despite ample evidence that such a link exists. A few major outlets, such as Time , did posit such a connection after Australia's Black Saturday fires in February, although that country has a former Australian of the Year focusing attention to the connection. Perhaps editors didn't see the upside of filtering a visually rich story packed full of human drama through the sieve of a politically divisive issue that appears — although it can be hard to tell — yet to gain really serious traction among many Americans. Forests need fire to clear dangerous ground fuels, generate new growth in trees like Aspen and Pine, (fire opens the pine cones) and to keep the spacing of trees at a healthy distance so firestorms don't destroy old growth trees. read more

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