Introduction
Western wildfires are becoming larger, hotter and more frequent, and the fire season is lasting longer than ever before. So far this year, more than 2.5 million acres have been scorched across Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Idaho and another 4.2 million acres in California — a record for the state. The largest California wildfire in history is still burning, having consumed more than 1 million acres. Experts say several factors are causing this devastating trend: a warming climate that produces drought conditions and high winds that spread fires rapidly across the land; increased human development near wildlands; and century-old fire-suppression policies that create denser, more-flammable forests. But establishing new fire prevention policies presents a challenge to communities near forests that are struggling to balance safety with population growth. Scarce workers and resources have inhibited efforts to thin forests of flammable debris, brush and saplings. Meanwhile, some conservative politicians, including President Trump, question the scientific consensus on whether climate change is exacerbating the problem.
A wildfire engulfs a building in Boulder Creek, Calif., in August. Wildfires, which have become larger, hotter and more frequent in recent decades, have scorched more than 8.6 million acres in the United States so far this fire season, leading to evacuations, high-risk rescues and millions of dollars' worth of damage. (Getty Images/Los Angeles Times/Kent Nishimura)
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Sep. 02, 2022 |
Preserving the Seas |
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Jun. 17, 2022 |
Plastic Pollution |
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Dec. 17, 2021 |
Endangered Species |
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Nov. 06, 2020 |
Preventing Wildfires |
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Jul. 10, 2020 |
Circular Economy |
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Nov. 29, 2019 |
Climate Change and Health |
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Sep. 20, 2019 |
Extreme Weather |
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Dec. 07, 2018 |
Plastic Pollution |
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Dec. 02, 2016 |
Arctic Development |
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Apr. 22, 2016 |
Managing Western Lands |
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Jul. 18, 2014 |
Regulating Toxic Chemicals |
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Sep. 20, 2013 |
Future of the Arctic |
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Jun. 14, 2013 |
Climate Change |
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Nov. 06, 2012 |
Vanishing Biodiversity |
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Nov. 02, 2012 |
Managing Wildfires |
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Nov. 04, 2011 |
Managing Public Lands |
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Aug. 26, 2011 |
Gulf Coast Restoration |
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Jul. 2010 |
Plastic Pollution |
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Feb. 2010 |
Climate Change |
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Jan. 09, 2009 |
Confronting Warming |
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Dec. 05, 2008 |
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint |
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Nov. 2008 |
Carbon Trading |
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Oct. 03, 2008 |
Protecting Wetlands |
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Feb. 29, 2008 |
Buying Green |
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Dec. 14, 2007 |
Future of Recycling |
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Nov. 30, 2007 |
Disappearing Species |
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Feb. 2007 |
Curbing Climate Change |
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Dec. 01, 2006 |
The New Environmentalism |
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Jan. 27, 2006 |
Climate Change |
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Oct. 25, 2002 |
Bush and the Environment |
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Oct. 05, 2001 |
Invasive Species |
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Nov. 05, 1999 |
Saving Open Spaces |
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Jun. 11, 1999 |
Saving the Rain Forests |
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May 21, 1999 |
Setting Environmental Priorities |
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Mar. 19, 1999 |
Partisan Politics |
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Oct. 16, 1998 |
National Forests |
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Jun. 19, 1998 |
Environmental Justice |
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Aug. 23, 1996 |
Cleaning Up Hazardous Wastes |
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Mar. 31, 1995 |
Environmental Movement at 25 |
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Jun. 19, 1992 |
Lead Poisoning |
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May 15, 1992 |
Jobs Vs. Environment |
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Jan. 17, 1992 |
Oil Spills |
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Sep. 20, 1991 |
Saving the Forests |
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Apr. 26, 1991 |
Electromagnetic Fields: Are They Dangerous? |
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Sep. 08, 1989 |
Free Market Environmental Protection |
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Dec. 09, 1988 |
Setting Environmental Priorities |
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Jul. 29, 1988 |
Living with Hazardous Wastes |
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Dec. 20, 1985 |
Requiem for Rain Forests? |
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Aug. 17, 1984 |
Protecting the Wilderness |
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Jun. 15, 1984 |
Troubled Ocean Fisheries |
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Aug. 19, 1983 |
America's Disappearing Wetlands |
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Feb. 22, 1980 |
Noise Control |
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Nov. 16, 1979 |
Closing the Environmental Decade |
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Oct. 13, 1978 |
Toxic Substance Control |
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Feb. 27, 1976 |
Pollution Control: Costs and Benefits |
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Nov. 28, 1975 |
Forest Policy |
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May 30, 1975 |
Wilderness Preservation |
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Dec. 20, 1974 |
Environmental Policy |
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Nov. 14, 1973 |
Strip Mining |
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Dec. 01, 1971 |
Global Pollution |
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Jul. 21, 1971 |
Protection of the Countryside |
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Jan. 06, 1971 |
Pollution Technology |
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Jun. 19, 1968 |
Protection of the Environment |
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Oct. 30, 1963 |
Noise Suppression |
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