Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau is shrugging off the blame for the
ferocious wildfires wreaking havoc on the northeast, attributing them entirely to
climate change and ignoring any suggestion that poor forest management may have played a role.
Biden yesterday sent 600 American firefighters to
Canada to help battle the fires that have been raging for six weeks north of the border.
Those fires came into sharp focus yesterday when a choking blanket of smoke blew south, giving New York City the unhealthiest air of anywhere on earth and sparking chaos in many other states.
Outdoor events were canceled, all New Yorkers were told to stay indoors (or wear masks outside) and flights bound for LaGuardia Airport
were grounded. They were grounded again today, triggering a ripple effect of cancelations and delays that will wreak havoc in airports both in the US and further afield.
The origins of the fires are yet to be definitively identified, but Canadian officials have for years been warned that better forest management is required to avoid such a catastrophe.
After the 2017 wildfires, multiple scientific reports recommended enhanced forest management in Canada - and increased spending - to combat the risk.