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Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Heidi Stevens: As our land literally burns, we don't owe the president quiet subservience
On July 23 — three weeks into a month that saw close to 100 million Americans living under heat alerts, 17 million people living under flash flood warnings and Oregon's massive Cram Fire barreling toward its 100,000th acre burned — the United Nations' highest court declared climate change an 'urgent and existential threat.' 'The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of other human rights,' World Court Judge Yuji Iwasawa said in the court's advisory opinion. The court ruled that countries must, under international law, address climate change by working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Trump administration just drafted a plan to do the opposite. Under a new proposal sent to the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency would rescind 2009's 'endangerment finding,' which scientifically validates that greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations. That finding is what allows — and compels — the federal government to limit the toxins that pollute our air and contribute to climate change. Rescinding that finding is what allows — and compels — the federal government to look the other way while the world, quite literally, burns. The EPA proposal would also, according to the New York Times, rescind limits on tailpipe emissions, freeing up the transportation sector — the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. — to spew more of the toxins that have been linked to smog, respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues and climate change. Make pollution great again. Every week, there's a new example of the upside-down logic at work in the White House: platitudes that say one thing, policies that portend another. Oregon's Cram Fire is one of 40,934 wildfires that have burned in the United States in 2025. At least 135 people were killed in Texas flash floods over the July 4 weekend, including at least 27 counselors and young girls at Camp Mystic Christian summer camp. Weather disasters have cost the United States billions of dollars so far this year. An urgent and existential threat, indeed. But the very people we elected to serve us — and save us — are working to drown out the science and the solutions that would slow the climate's deadly march. President Donald Trump would rather protect us from Rosie O'Donnell, who he called a 'threat to humanity.' He wants to strip the actress of her U.S. citizenship, claiming she is 'not in the best interests of our Great Country' because of her longtime criticism of Trump. Is this a tactic to distract us from the Epstein files? From the lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency? From any number of issues that don't place this administration in a flattering light? Sure. Possibly. Still, it's worth noting that threatening O'Donnell — or Bruce Springsteen, or Beyoncé or Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City — because they've criticized the president and his policies is a dangerous and wildly ill-informed approach. Criticizing the president of the United States is very much in the best interests of our great country. It's actually in the vital interests of our great country. A country that doesn't allow citizens to criticize their leaders is not a democracy. It's not where liberty or justice flourish. Criticizing the president — whatever party he belongs to — is one of the most American things you can do. The Founding Fathers believed that so strongly they codified it in the First Amendment. There are reams of court cases upholding a citizen's right to criticize the U.S. government. But you shouldn't need to check a single one to know this is all wrong. Check your gut. In a haunting guest essay in the New York Times, former U.S. ambassador to Hungary David Pressman writes about watching the rise of a strongman in Hungary and seeing the parallels all around him here. 'After years watching Hungary suffocate under the weight of its democratic collapse,' Pressman writes, 'I came to understand that the real danger of a strongman isn't his tactics; it's how others, especially those with power, justify their acquiescence.' That acquiescence doesn't happen overnight. Or by accident. So it's worth noting — and resisting — when dissent is threatened with punishment, including outright banishment. So much of what makes this nation great is at risk of disappearing: our ingenuity, our moral authority, our willingness to work toward a better, healthier, more equitable version of ourselves — a version that comes closer to the ideals set out by, if not always lived out by, our Founding Fathers. So much of what needs our urgent attention, meanwhile, is going unaddressed. The president serves the people. The people don't serve the president. And the people certainly don't owe the president quiet subservience. Not when so much of what we hold dear, so much of what's precious and vulnerable, so much of what we live for and love, is at stake.
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Climate
- Toronto Star
A look at megafires as an Oregon wildfire approaches the 100,000-acre mark
A wildfire burning in a sparsely populated region of central Oregon has become the largest fire this year and is on the verge of surpassing 100,000 acres to become what's officially known as a megafire. Nearly 900 personnel have been battling the Cram Fire about 100 miles (160.93 kilometers) southeast of Portland, and they have it about 73% contained with more than 95,000 acres burned.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
A look at megafires as an Oregon wildfire approaches the 100,000-acre mark
A wildfire burning in a sparsely populated region of central Oregon has become the largest fire this year and is on the verge of surpassing 100,000 acres to become what's officially known as a megafire. Nearly 900 personnel have been battling the Cram Fire about 100 miles (160.93 kilometers) southeast of Portland, and they have it about 73% contained with more than 95,000 acres burned. Here's a look at what megafires are and their increasing frequency in the warming world. What is a megafire? A megafire is generally defined as a fire that burns at least 100,000 acres, said Craig Clements, a climate scientist and director of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University. That translates to about 156 square miles (404 square kilometers), or about half the size of New York City, which has a land area of 300 square miles (778 square kilometers). Not all researchers agree that megafire is a scientifically sound term, though Clements has used it, and with its usage by the media increasing, he believes it's 'here to stay,' similar to 'heat dome' and other popular weather labels that aren't formal scientific terms. References to 100,000 acres as megafires can also be found in some government reports and research in recent years. Are megafires happening more often? There were at least 14 wildfires that burned more than 100,000 acres in the U.S. in 2024, according to a report by the National Interagency Coordination Center. A 2022 Interior Department report found that the number of megafires, which it defined as more than 100,000 acres, had increased in the preceding decade. The link between wildfires and climate change Wildfires naturally occur in healthy ecosystems, but extreme wildfires can slow the regrowth of native plants and trees and create favorable conditions for invasive species. The threat is growing as climate change can make wildfires more frequent and severe, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wildfire seasons are also influenced by lightning, land management practices and human-caused fires. Fires started by humans account for 70-90% of wildfires depending on the state and year, according to the USDA. This includes fires started by fireworks or discarded cigarettes. Rising temperatures and longer droughts have dried out plants and leaves, driving wildfires in the western U.S. over the past 20 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'Fires are getting bigger and this has been linked to drying of fuels from a warming climate,' Clements said. 'As we are seeing play out so far this year in California, day-to-day weather plays the largest role in fire behavior,' said Clements. This includes weather conditions like low humidity and strong winds. When and how did the Cram Fire start? Firefighters responded to a fire burning on private land along U.S. Route 97 in the Willowdale area on July 13, according to Central Oregon Fire Information. It just over 2 square miles (6 square kilometers) at the time, and uncontained. By the next day, it had grown so much that Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act after county officials requested assistance, allowing the Oregon State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to support local agencies. It was the sixth time this wildfire season that the governor invoked the act. The cause is under investigation. What kind of damage has it caused? The fire has destroyed two homes and 14 outbuildings such as barns, pump houses, workshops or sheds, officials said. The threat to structures was significantly reduced when containment reached 73%, officials said Monday. Some evacuations remained in effect Monday, but some zones have been downgraded. ____ O'Malley reported from Philadelphia and Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland. ____ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Oregon K9 teams to aid in search for missing Texas flood victims
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two local K9 teams are joining others from across the country to aid in the search for those lost during the catastrophic Texas floods. According to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, their K9 teams, made up of volunteer handlers and their dogs, are being deployed at the request of Texas state officials. Cram Fire approaches megafire status, crosses 90K acres The floods originally began just before daybreak on July 4, when destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. The waters laid waste to the and an all-girls Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic, lost at least 27 campers and counselors. So far, officials estimate the floods have killed over 132 people. After search operations were temporarily paused due to threats of more flooding in the area, FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue teams fully resumed operations on Monday, Here is where extreme drought can now be found in Oregon At a news conference the same day, authorities said 101 people remain missing, including 97 in the Kerrville area. The other four were swept away in other counties. Swift water rescue teams have also been sent to Uvalde, Del Rio and Concan in anticipation of possible flooding in those communities on the Frio River, officials added. 'This is incredibly difficult work, but it's also profoundly important,' said Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley. 'Our hearts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the communities facing unimaginable loss. We're honored to lend our support however we can.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
The largest wildfire in the US this year looks set to become a ‘megafire' after covering nearly 100,000 acres
A huge wildfire burning in Oregon could swell to become a 'megafire' after spreading over more than 95,000 acres. The Cram Fire, which is ablaze in the Treasure Valley near the city of Madras, is the largest wildfire to burn in the U.S. this year, and fire crews are continuing to tackle it more than a week on. The fire broke out July 13 and tore through central Oregon, prompting evacuations, threatening hundreds of buildings and destroying at least four homes, USA Today reports. Flames first ignited near Willowdale – a remote neighborhood in Jefferson County situated 133 miles southeast of Portland – and charred grasslands in the region, fire officials said. The cause of the blaze is unknown and remains under investigation, officials said. However, if the blaze grows to at least 100,000 acres, it would be classified as 'a megafire' – the first to strike in the U.S. this year, said National Interagency Fire Center spokesman Stanton Florea to NBC News. Megafires were once considered a rare phenomenon, but in recent years, they have become increasingly common and are lasting longer. They are broadly defined by their size - 100,000 acres or more - though some experts say they must also have an unusually large impact on people and the environment. Over the last four decades, the average number of acres of forested land affected by wildfire annually in the U.S. has increased by 1,000 percent, says the National Geographic Society. Scientists have attributed the surge and frequency of wildfires to climate change. On Sunday night, fire officials said: 'Firefighters remain vigilant on the north end of the fire, continuing to monitor for any remaining heat. On the south end, crews are working to secure and connect fire lines in preparation for potential gusty winds from an approaching cold front.' They advised that any smoke north of the city of Madras was coming from other fires in the region. Roughly 35 miles from the Cram Fire, the Greely Heights fire burns across nearly 400 acres, while 25 miles north, just west of Simnasho in Wasco County, the Butte Creek Fire burns across 2,000 acres. On Sunday, the Warm Springs Police Department said that evacuation levels around the Butte Creek Fire had been downgraded to 'Level 1 – Be ready' in the Schoolie Flats Zone and the Island Zone. A 'Level 1' warning alerts residents that there is no immediate danger, but conditions could change. Officials continue to advise people to remain aware and monitor official information sources. Residents should prepare a plan and supplies. In California, where wildfires raged through Los Angeles County in January, senators are growing increasingly concerned over President Trump's federal staffing cuts at the National Weather Service.
