In The News
WA’s wildfire future: More volatile forests amid slashed budgets
Oct. 12, 2025
By Conrad Swanson
Seattle Times climate reporter
From comments:
Cliff Mass
“Much of this article is simply incorrect or highly exaggerated….and I say this as someone who just published a paper on western Washington wildfires (and have published 5 others on western US wildfires). I know the literature.”
“Western Washington wildfires are NOT increasing in size or frequency. All major western WA and Oregon fires are associated with strong easterly (from the east) winds, which will DECREASE under global warming.”
“We are now in a wildfire DROUGHT compared to 1920 and earlier. Global warming is not a significant driver of wildfires in our region, but poor forecast practices, a huge increase of human ignitions, increasing flammable grasses, and huge increases in human population in vulnerable areas are all important.”
“Why can’t the Seattle Times publish a fact-based story on this topic rather than this Trump and global warming is the cause yellow journalism?”
Cliff Mass Weather Blog
September 27, 2025
Slashed Budgets?
Always plenty of cash to send to foreign governments for war related projects.
The post 911 era has been a time to tell the American people that US troops are sent to distant lands to defend American freedoms, as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
USMC Commandant’s Independence Day message:
“We carry the torch of freedom forward, and to do so, we must remain
capable, vigilant, and worthy of the legacy we uphold.”
In a free and honest society, real newspeople may ask this simple question:
Going back to the 1991 Operation Desert Storm,
How would American rights and freedoms and the Constitution be any different today if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in this area.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Related:
Federal Failure At Damon Point
Quality Recruiting – US Armed Forces