{"id":269470,"date":"2023-07-26T12:52:34","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T10:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=269470"},"modified":"2023-07-26T12:52:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T10:52:45","slug":"the-fires-in-greece-are-more-likely-to-have-been-caused-by-arsonists-than-global-warming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=269470","title":{"rendered":"The Fires in Greece Are More Likely to Have Been Caused by Arsonists Than Global Warming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From The Daily Sceptic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0TOBY YOUNG<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ross Clark has written a\u00a0good piece<\/a>\u00a0for the\u00a0Spectator<\/em>\u2019s Coffee House blog pointing out that 2023 has not been an unusually bad year for forest fires in Europe and, according to Nasa satellite date, the number of forest fires globally actually fell by about 25% between 2001 and 2015. Here\u2019s how it begins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Summer wouldn\u2019t be complete without hordes of disgruntled British tourists being evacuated from their hotels, flown home early or spending their holidays sprawled on the floor of an international airport. But are the scenes of Rhodes really a symptom of a the world \u2018being on fire\u2019, as Greta Thunberg would put it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, in spite of scenes of burning forests on Rhodes and elsewhere being presented daily on our television screens, 2023 has not been a devastating year for forest fires in Europe. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which covers the EU, shows that it has been an average year to date \u2013 with an early burst of fires in the spring followed by less activity since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a similar story with wildfires globally. A 2016 study published in a Royal Society journal using Nasa satellite data surprised many people by revealing that the amount of land burned annually in wildfires globally had decreased by about a quarter between 2001 and 2015. The authors have since updated their study and confirmed that in spite of increasing agonising over fires in the US, Europe and Australia, the amount of land being burned is still falling. This data includes all wildfires, not just forests \u2013 and globally 70% of fires are on grassland rather than forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of this is to say that climate change is not increasing the risk of fires in certain locations at certain times of year, but it does rather undermine lazy claims about the world being on fire. If anything, the world is being damped down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have been conditioned to think that climate change is the overwhelming problem facing human civilisation and all other life on Earth. But why is the extent of fires not actually increasing in the way that climate campaigners frequently claim? Partly because in some places shifting patterns of rainfall have reduced the risk of fire. But also because rising global temperatures are not the only influence on fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incidence of wildfires also has a lot to do with land use. Where wildfires have increased in recent years, such as in some parts of Eastern Europe, it is down to farmland being abandoned and allowed to return to scrubland, which contains far more flammable material. Urban development close to forested areas also plays a big role, increasing the sources of ignition through barbecues, overhead electricity wires and so on.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Worth\u00a0reading in full<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop Press:<\/strong>\u00a0The more likely cause of the fires in Greece is arson. Firefighters in Rhodes\u00a0have indicated<\/a>\u00a0arson may be to blame, while\u00a0local officials<\/a>\u00a0in Corfu say the fires in Corfu were started by arsonists. Not surprisingly, the BBC is\u00a0still trying to argue<\/a>\u00a0that global warming is to blame: \u201cThere are reports that some fires may have been started by arsonists, but southern Europe\u2019s extended heatwave has helped create the dry conditions that make it easier for flames to take hold and spread,\u201d writes Justin Rowlatt, the Beeb\u2019s Climate Editor. Careful with that straw you\u2019re clutching, Justin. It might catch fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The more likely cause of the fires in Greece is arson. Firefighters in Rhodes\u00a0have indicated\u00a0arson may be to blame, while\u00a0local officials\u00a0in Corfu say the fires in Corfu were started by arsonists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":269476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691821355,691820118,691818087,691819271],"class_list":{"0":"post-269470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-arson","9":"tag-forest-fires","10":"tag-global-warming","11":"tag-greece","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-779.png?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-186i","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":270310,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=270310","url_meta":{"origin":269470,"position":0},"title":"WATCH: Morano on Watters \u2014 arsonists responsible for \u2018climate\u2019 wildfires","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a global problem of people starting fires. Now is it climate change? Well, this would be the equivalent of blowing up a dam or sabotaging a dam and allowing a valley to flood and then saying \u2018Oh look, climate change is causing more floods","rel":"","context":"In \"arsonists\"","block_context":{"text":"arsonists","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arsonists"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0Screenshot-2023-07-29-at-07.05.19-1.png?fit=1200%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0Screenshot-2023-07-29-at-07.05.19-1.png?fit=1200%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0Screenshot-2023-07-29-at-07.05.19-1.png?fit=1200%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0Screenshot-2023-07-29-at-07.05.19-1.png?fit=1200%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0Screenshot-2023-07-29-at-07.05.19-1.png?fit=1200%2C666&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":275668,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=275668","url_meta":{"origin":269470,"position":1},"title":"Greece arrests 79 people on arson charges as fire death toll reaches 21","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"26\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Authorities in Greece have arrested 79 people on charges related to arson as the death toll rises to 21.","rel":"","context":"In \"arsonists\"","block_context":{"text":"arsonists","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arsonists"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Screenshot-2023-08-26-154857.png?fit=975%2C561&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Screenshot-2023-08-26-154857.png?fit=975%2C561&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Screenshot-2023-08-26-154857.png?fit=975%2C561&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Screenshot-2023-08-26-154857.png?fit=975%2C561&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":270863,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=270863","url_meta":{"origin":269470,"position":2},"title":"Greece\u2019s Fires: A Human Act, Not Climate Change Catastrophe","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, informs us that, \u201cDuring this time 667 fires erupted, that is more than 60 fires a day, almost all over the country. Unfortunately, the majority were ignited by human hand, either by criminal negligence or intent.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"Arson\"","block_context":{"text":"Arson","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arson"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Greece-fires-At-least-74-dead-hundreds-rescued.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Greece-fires-At-least-74-dead-hundreds-rescued.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Greece-fires-At-least-74-dead-hundreds-rescued.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Greece-fires-At-least-74-dead-hundreds-rescued.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Greece-fires-At-least-74-dead-hundreds-rescued.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":270447,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=270447","url_meta":{"origin":269470,"position":3},"title":"Most fires in Greece were started \u2018by human hand\u2019, government\u00a0says","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of the 667 fires that have erupted across Greece in recent weeks were started \u201cby human hand\u201d, the country\u2019s senior climate crisis official has said.","rel":"","context":"In \"Arson\"","block_context":{"text":"Arson","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arson"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0the_fires_in_greece.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0the_fires_in_greece.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0the_fires_in_greece.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0the_fires_in_greece.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0the_fires_in_greece.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":269539,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=269539","url_meta":{"origin":269470,"position":4},"title":"Is global warming behind Greece\u2019s\u00a0wildfires?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"26\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Forest management also has a lot to do with it. Wildfires are, in many cases, natural events sparked off by lightning strikes \u2013 indeed, they play an essential role in many eco systems, with some plants taking advantage of fire in order to germinate. But in some parts of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"arsonists\"","block_context":{"text":"arsonists","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arsonists"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0fabd80ac-8257-45d3-bc14-7de355f7a8f3-AP_Greece_Wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0fabd80ac-8257-45d3-bc14-7de355f7a8f3-AP_Greece_Wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0fabd80ac-8257-45d3-bc14-7de355f7a8f3-AP_Greece_Wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0fabd80ac-8257-45d3-bc14-7de355f7a8f3-AP_Greece_Wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0fabd80ac-8257-45d3-bc14-7de355f7a8f3-AP_Greece_Wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":286394,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=286394","url_meta":{"origin":269470,"position":5},"title":"Knowing Your Arson from Your\u00a0Elbow","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/11\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Discounting volcanoes and meteorites, there are two types of ignition sources for wildfires \u2013 dry lightning and humans. 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