As the northeastern U.S. continues to be covered in thick and hazardous smoke stemming from wildfires burning in Canada, Senators Tommy Tuberville and Steve Daines of the GOP have used the event to push pro-logging talking points while ignoring the overwhelming evidence linking climate change to the severity of the fires. While many U.S. forests are overgrown and prone to destructive blazes, simply preventing trees from aging will not solve the problem. Actually, mature and old-growth forests have proven to be more resistant to fire, and they serve to capture substantial amounts of carbon emissions. The current smoke crisis has been spurred on by hundreds of early-season wildfires in Canada caused by an unprecedented heat wave. As greenhouse gas emissions continue to contribute to the increase of global temperatures, extreme heat waves and droughts set the stage for worse wildfire activity. Although the problem is complex and requires nuanced discussions, Republicans are framing logging and thinning as the only solution to the issue, whilst ignoring science-based management. However, this approach is shortsighted, and forest restoration, including scientific management, is required for progress. It is high time that Congress improves the composition to address the climate crisis urgently.
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