It seems more likely that a decline of total precipitation and humidity would be the direct cause of both temperature and fire incidence (“The Long Burn: Warming drove recent upswing in wildfires,” SN: 7/8/06, p. 19). It is fashionable to blame every weather problem on greenhouse gases and global warming, but in this case doing so may lead to false conclusions.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.