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☆ 8 federal government jobs that can pay over $200K
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

64 federal job categories pay upwards of $200,000, with some reaching $400,000. AdvertisementMany people enter federal roles for job security, not for the money. Data from the US Office of Personnel Management indicates 64 federal job categories have positions that pay over $200,000 — and some pay as much as much as $400,000. AdvertisementThere are currently 55 open positions in this category, with the highest role listed with a starting salary of $180,564. According to OPM, there are currently 319 federal employees in this job category who make over $200,000.

Persons: —, usajobs.gov Organizations: Service, Management, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of, IT Management, NASA, FDA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, General Engineering, Marshall Space Flight, HR Management, National Science Foundation

☆ Australia bushfires: Victoria orders 30,000 people to evacuate due to ‘catastrophic’ fire risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Morayo Ogunbayo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hot, dry and windy conditions have created “extreme to catastrophic fire dangers” in parts of Victoria and South Australia, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. Around 30,000 people had been ordered to evacuate parts of Victoria before midday Wednesday, when authorities warned it would be too late to leave. Bushfires in Victoria, Australia have been burning since February 22, 2024. AAP Image/David Crosling/ReutersSix homes have already been destroyed and authorities fear windy and dry conditions may fan the flames close to high-density residential areas. More than 100 state forests have been closed, the Forest Fire Management of Victoria said on social platform X.

Persons: Jason Heffernan, we’re, David Crosling, Victoria Organizations: CNN — Firefighters, Meteorology, Fire Authority, CFA, Melbourne, ” Firefighters, Fire Management Locations: Australia, Victoria, South Australia, Casterdon, Hamilton, Kanagulk, ”, Bayindeen, Melbourne, Wimmera

Now, fighting and preventing wildfires and helping the island of Maui recover from the flames top the agenda as Hawaii's Legislature returns for a new session this week. The Senate majority said in a news release it was committed to forming a fire risk task force and seeking permanent funding for the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, which is a hub for wildfire prevention and mitigation. Josh Green, a Democrat, in December asked lawmakers to appropriate $425 million for the Maui cleanup and emergency housing, and millions more to reduce statewide wildfire risk. Nakamura said the Maui fires exacerbated a problem that existed long before: the proliferation of vacation rentals around the state. “If they can’t find an affordable rental and use their skills in Hawaii, then we all lose out,” she said.

Persons: ”, Nadine Nakamura, Nakamura, Josh Green, Colin Moore, Moore, “, ” Moore Organizations: Democrat, Democrats, of Land, Natural Resources, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Senate, Gov, University of Hawaii Locations: HONOLULU, Hawaii, Lahaina, Maui, Kula

☆ Orsted’s losing US bets need rethink of UK plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Turbulent news has buffeted the wind sector of late, from faulty turbines at Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) to Orsted’s own surprise impairments in August. After that surprise – largely caused by suppliers’ issues – Orsted’s stock price is just a fifth of its 2021 peak of 1,350 Danish crowns. That suggests investors are neither counting on future growth from its U.S. portfolio nor sufficiently factoring in Orsted’s earnings from operating projects. That’s a far cry from the annual average increase of 14% from 2023 onwards implied by Orsted’s EBITDA target of up to 55 billion Danish crowns in 2030. Hornsea Three would require capital investments of 48.5 billion Danish crowns, according to Bernstein.

Persons: Mads Nipper, Nipper, Orsted, Bernstein, Orsted’s, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Siemens Energy, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, New Jersey, Danish, U.S . East Coast

☆ ‘It’s Like Our Country Exploded’: Canada’s Year of Fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Instead, he emphasizes what might be called the power law of wildfire spread. Most fires are not hard to put out if you want to extinguish them and don’t spread very fast if you don’t. Globally, the fire story is less exponential, with declines in burned area in sub-Saharan Africa mostly offsetting rapid fire growth in the major midlatitude hot spots, with the global trend in fire emissions, as a result, mostly flat. If we manage the forest around my little town, well, maybe we can stop my little town from burning down,” she says. And if we don’t, it’s all a game.” She goes on: “It doesn’t matter what we do in the forest, things are going to burn.

Persons: Pyne, We’re, ”, Mike Flannigan, “, Flannigan, Rachel Holt, ” Holt Locations: Canada, British Columbia, United States, American, Saharan Africa, Russian Siberia, Australia

☆ Fact Check-Video shows controlled burn of California wetlands, not arson
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of California’s wildlife authority conducting a controlled burn at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in February is being misrepresented online as an arsonist sparking a wildfire. The 39-second clip shows an individual airboating through a wetland area and using a terra torch to burn some grassy sections. Reuters traced the video to the official Facebook page of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, a protected area managed by the U.S. Reuters reported in June 2023 on prescribed burning in California, which experts and fire officials consider an important tool to lower wildfire risks by preemptively burning dry timber and other fire fodder (here). The video shows prescribed burning at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.

Persons: It’s Arson, Joanna Gilkeson, Read Organizations: Sacramento National Wildlife, Facebook, Reuters, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Sacramento NWR Locations: Sacramento, California

☆ Fact Check-Video of helicopter igniting treetops doesn’t show French government arson
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

French officials said the area was vulnerable to fires due to “intense heat, dryness and tumultuous winds of up to 180 kilometers/hour,” Reuters reported. On Aug. 20, the Pyrenees-Orientales Fire Department wrote on X that the fire had been extinguished (here). !”The Arduini Helicopters Facebook page credits the video to an individual named Paul Buxton-Carr (here). Reuters Fact Check has previously addressed similar videos showing firefighters employing controlled or prescribed burning to curtail the spread of wildfires (here). The video shows a 2018 prescribed burn in Canada, not the intentional ignition of wildfires in France in 2023.

Persons: ”, Paul Buxton, Carr, Read Organizations: Facebook, ” Reuters, Fire, Arduini Helicopters, Reuters Locations: Canada, France, Pyrenees, Canada’s Alberta, British Columbia, Narcosli

☆ Maui wildfires: Nearly 400 remain unaccounted for in Maui after deadly wildfires, FBI-curated list shows -- a big decline from prior estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Michelle Watson Kelly Mccleary Cheri Mossburg Anna-Maja Rappard Natasha Chen | Michelle Watson | Kelly Mccleary | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Search crews and cadaver dogs have searched 100% of single-story homes in the disaster area, Maui County officials said Tuesday. Sarah Salmonese sits where her apartment once stood in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday, August 11. “Our primary focus in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy has been to do everything we can to support not just the people of Maui, but also Maui County. Hawaiian Electric Company serves 95% of the state’s customer base. CNN has reached out to Maui County and the Maui Police Department for comment on Krau’s claims.

Persons: who’s, “, John Pelletier, Josh Green, geolocating, Steven Merrill, Sarah Salmonese, Go Nakamura, Ken Alba, Jae C, Yuki Iwamura, Patrick T, Fallon, Bryan Anselm, Mike Blake, Matthew A, Foster, Rick Bowmer, Lauren Haley, Makalea Ahhee, Justin Sullivan, Max Whittaker, Zoltan Balogh, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, Evelio Contreras, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Matthew Thayer, John Moore, it’s, Jim Kelly, ”, Darren Pai, “ inexcusably, John Fiske, ‘, Nicholas Krau, ” Krau, Krau Organizations: CNN, FBI, ” Police, ”, Analysis, New York Times, Getty, Reuters, Staff, US Army National Guard, Maui Police, Facility, AP Volunteers, Grace Baptist, Volunteers, Los Angeles Times, AP, Washington Post, Kahului Airport, Technologies, Kahului, AP Helicopters, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Maui News, Hawaiian Electric, Hawaiian Electric Company, ATF, Electric, National Weather Service, Watch, State of Hawaii Organization of Police, Maui Police Department Locations: Maui, Maui County, ” Hawaii, Lahaina –, Hawaii, Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, AFP, Wahikuli, Wailuku, Kula , Hawaii, Kula, Kihei, West Maui, Grace, Napili, Honokowai, Honolulu, Maalaea, Kahului, California, Las Vegas, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji, Olinda

Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura received a cash bonus in 2022 based on her performance against 10 measures including profit and customer satisfaction. Wildfire risk mitigation was not on the list, according to the utility’s pay disclosures. Wildfire risk had been a concern for several years before the blaze ripped through Lahaina, a historic resort town in Maui. Idacorp declined to comment on its pay practices and how they relate to wildfire mitigation. “You don’t want a wildfire disaster to be the catalyst for a change in public policy,” said Glazer, who supports linking executive pay to wildfire mitigation.

Persons: Mike Blake, ”, Alison Silverstein, Shelee Kimura, Kimura, “, Michael Cerasoli, Michael Underhill, Brian Buckham, ” Buckham, Idacorp, Larry Glazer, Glazer, Tim McLaughlin, Tom Hals, Peter Henderson, Noeleen Walder, Rich Valdmanis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Workers, REUTERS, Hawaiian Electric, U.S . Federal Energy Regulatory, Electric, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, San Diego Gas &, Global Renewable Energy Income Fund, Reuters, Capital Innovations, SEC, Portland General Electric Co, Boston’s Mayflower Advisors, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, California, Honolulu, Maui ., Idaho , Oregon, Washington, Idaho

☆ Quebec, Canada wildfires made twice as likely through climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The severity of Quebec’s fire season up to the end of July was also made 50% more intense by climate change, according to the report. French firefighters try to extinguish wildfires at Lac Larouche in Quebec, Canada, on June 28, 2023. It is by far the worst wildfire season Canada has ever experienced, and there are still more than two months left to go. They then used climate models to understand the role climate change played. Climate change also made the peak fire weather in Quebec during the same period at least twice as likely and 20% more intense, according to the report.

Persons: Friederike Otto, It’s, ”, Clair Barnes, Emma UIISC7, David Dee Delgado, “, James MacDonald, Kira Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Michael Flannigan, Otto Organizations: CNN, WWA, Grantham Institute, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Canada, Bloomberg, University of British, Research, “, Predictive Services, Emergency Management, Thompson Rivers University Locations: Canada, Quebec, Illinois, Canadian, Western Europe, Bronx, New York City, Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, British Columbia, Cameron, Port Alberni , British Columbia, University of British Columbia

☆ Inside the White House response to the Maui wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

After the fires began, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients immediately briefed the president on what became a rapidly evolving situation, according to White House officials. Within the administration, a White House official told CNN, there have been multiple staff calls each day focused on response and recovery. Criswell, who surveyed the damage last weekend, regularly briefed Biden and will be traveling with the president to Maui on Monday. FEMA has also provided more than $2.3 million in assistance, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. While focus remains on search and rescue and later, debris removal, Cabinet and senior administration officials also met at the White House with Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall this week to chart a path forward on other issues like housing and the making the state’s energy grid more resilient with the help of the Department of Energy, according to a senior White House official directly involved.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Jeff Zients, ”, Biden, “, I’ve, ” Biden, Biden’s, Donald Trump, they’ve, Deanne Criswell, ” Criswell, Karine Jean, Pierre, Elizabeth Sherwood, Randall, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, Hawaii, Federal Emergency Management Agency, White, White House, FEMA, Fire Management, US Coast Guard, Navy, Fleet, US Army, US Department of Defense, Small, Administration, Homeland, Department of Energy Locations: Houston, Hawaii, Maui, Milwaukee, “

Those winds also battered power lines on the island, and dramatic videos show lines swaying and being toppled in the gusts. Now, some locals are casting blame on Hawaiian Electric, the state’s biggest utility, for not shutting off power to high-risk areas – and claiming that its power lines could have sparked the deadly fire. State officials were well aware of the danger posed by downed power lines during hurricanes. A 2021 state report noted that “downed power lines” and “residential and wildland fires” were hazards related to hurricanes. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said Thursday that power lines that were “still energized” had fallen on the roads.

Persons: Shane Treu, Treu, ” Treu, kindling, Lisa Treu, –, ”, “, Hurricane Dora, “ inexcusably, Jim Kelly, ” Kelly, Kelly, Richard Bissen, Yuri Iwamura, hydrants –, Cole Millington, Millington, Bradford Ventura, Adam Weintraub, ” Weintraub, Jill Tokuda, Keahi Ho, John Stufflebean, Josh Green, Anne Lopez, ” Green, “ It’s, Dora, Abby Frazier, Dora inched, Josh Stanbro Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters, Electric, National Weather Service, Hawaiian Electric Company, Public Utilities Commission, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Maui, Volunteers, Getty, Facebook, Bradford, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Democrat, New York Times, Maui County Department of Water Supply, Times, Government, Hawaii Gov, Clark University Locations: Mauna, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, County, California, Paradise, West Maui, Maalaea, AFP, “, Maui County, United States, Massachusetts

☆ Hawaii wildfires: How did the Maui fire start and what we know about the Lahaina blaze?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jonathan Oatis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island and Big Island have killed at least 55 people, forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate, and devastated the historic resort city of Lahaina. WHAT'S DRIVING THE HAWAII WILDFIRES? Winds from Hurricane Dora, hundreds of miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, have fanned the flames across the U.S. state, officials say. There was no estimate for the Upcountry fire in the mountainous center of the eastern mass of the island, Maui County said. The island of Maui lies to the north and west of the island of Hawaii.

Persons: Elizabeth Pickett, Dora, Pickett, Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: National Weather Service, Islands, U.S . Forest Service, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Maui ., Honolulu Star, U.S . Civil Air Patrol, Maui Fire Department, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Maui, Big, Lahaina, U.S, Hawaii, Europe, Canada, HAWAII, Hurricane Dora, Japan, Guinea, Maui County

☆ Maui wildfire death toll of 55 expected to rise amid search for victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Marco Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

KAHULUI, Hawaii, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The death toll from a wildfire that killed at least 55 people on Hawaii's Maui island was expected to rise on Friday, as search teams prepared to comb through the charred ruins of a historic resort town for more victims. "Understand this: Lahaina Town is hallowed, sacred ground right now," Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, referring to humans remains that have yet to be recovered. In addition to searching for the missing, officials were drafting a plan to house the newly homeless in hotels and tourist rental properties. The Lahaina fire is one of three major wildfires on Maui. There was no estimate for the Upcountry fire in the center of the eastern mass of the island, Maui County said.

Persons: John Pelletier, Poweroutage.us, Richard Bissen, NBC's, Knickerbocker, Josh Green, Green, Kamehameha III's, Gregory Knickerbocker, Nicoangelo, Brendan O'Brien, Frank McGurty, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Maui Police, Authorities, U.S . Midwest, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KAHULUI, Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina, California, Washington, Maui County, Oahu, Kahului, U.S, Kingdom of Hawaii, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Europe, Canada, East Coast, Maui ., Chicago

Hawaii Army National Guard CH47 Chinook helicopters perform aerial water bucket drops on the island of Maui to assist with fight of wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, August 9, 2023. An out-of-control wildfire that began along a major Central Maui highway burns Thursday July 11, 2019, in Maui, Hawaii. “Especially when you have severe drought conditions like we have.”Despite these growing dangers, Hawaii state budgets for fire management have not kept pace with worsening conditions, according to the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, a nonprofit. Hawaii is hardly unique: As climate change is exacerbating natural disasters, state officials across the country are also struggling to respond to new threats. And it’s unclear how significantly additional preparedness and mitigation efforts could have reduced the destruction of a blaze with the intensity and speed of the Lahaina wildfire.

Persons: Pamela Brown’s, ”, Hurricane Dora, didn’t, Clay Trauernicht, Matthew Thayer, Abby Frazier, ” Nani Barretto, Gov, Sylvia Luke, “, Josh Stanbro, Josh Green, Frazier, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Maui News, Clark University, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, ” Locations: Hawaii, ”, Maui, Lahaina, Maui County, Central Maui, Massachusetts

☆ Fact Check-Video shows 2017 prescribed fire in Arizona, not Rhodes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video circulating online shows a prescribed fire conducted by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2017, not “targeted arson” taking place in Rhodes amidst wildfires on the Greek island in July 2023. A similar video was shared by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management on its Facebook and Twitter pages in March 2017 (here), (here). It shows similar vegetation, the same helicopter, and a dangling torch as seen in the video being shared. Dolores A. Garcia, a representative for Bureau of Land Management at the Arizona State Office, said in an email to Reuters that the video being shared on social media does in fact show 2017 heli-torch operations in northwest Arizona. The video shows a prescribed fire operation conducted by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management in 2017.

Persons: Dolores A, Garcia, ” Garcia, Read Organizations: Arizona Bureau of Land Management, Reuters, Facebook, of Land Management, Arizona State Office, “ Locations: Rhodes, Greece, Arizona, Canada

☆ Record heat meets record wildfires in Canada, and scientists say this is the new reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"This is the new reality, not the new normal, because we're on a downward spiral," Flannigan told CNBC. "The current wildfire season in Canada has been astounding and record breaking," Dahl told CNBC. "I'm not sure where we're going to end up with this because it keeps keeps on burning," Flannigan told CNBC. "The warmer it gets, the atmosphere gets more efficient at sucking the moisture out of the fuels," Flannigan told CNBC. For example, the mountain pine beetle is killing trees and turning them into fuel for wildfires, Burch told CNBC.

Persons: Kristina Dahl, Michael Flannigan, it's, Flannigan, Dahl, We're, I'm, Hope, we've, I've, Sarah Burch, Burch, David Dee Delgado, It's, You've, we're Organizations: BC, Service, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Union of Concerned, CNBC, Thompson Rivers University British Columbia, Natural Resources, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Fort, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Canadian Forest Service, University of Waterloo, Waterloo Climate Institute Locations: Lake, British Columbia, Canada, Natural Resources Canada, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Maine, Northwest Territories, North America, Alberta, Waterloo, New York City, United States

☆ Smoke will keep pouring into the US as long as fires are burning in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Massive fires burning in remote areas – like some of those currently burning in northwestern Quebec – are often too out of control to do anything about. Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the view of the Statue of Liberty on Friday in New York. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Smoke and haze is seen from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, June 27. Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images Smoke from Canadian wildfires obscures the visibility in Pittsburgh on June 8. Another issue is the increase in the wildfires are caused by climate change, and are simultaneously making climate change worse.

Persons: ” Robert Gray, you’ve, they’re, “ There’s, don’t, ”, Daniel Perrakis, ” Gray, Shiraaz Mohamed, Gray, “, ” Perrakis, Ed Jones, David Dee Delgado, Gary Hershorn, Haze, Gene J, Jim Watson, Megan Smith, Kamil Krzaczynski, Cpl Marc, Andre Leclerc, Drew Angerer, Shannon Stapleton, Ronald Reagan, Saul Loeb, Matt McClain, Emmalee Reed, Hannah Beier, Mandel Ngan, New York City, Timothy A, Clary, Mike Segar, John Minchillo, Shanita Hancle, Seth Wenig, Matt Rourke, Ting Shen, Matt Slocum, Amr Alfiky, John Meore, Leah Millis, George Washington, Peter Carr, Yuki Iwamura, Kareem Elgazzar, Carlos Osorio, Frank Franklin II, Merrily Cassidy, Spencer Colby, Jason Rock, BJ Fuchs, Anne, Sophie Thill, we’ve, it’s Organizations: CNN, Canadian Forest Service, Firefighters, Getty, ” “, Nature Conservancy, Rockefeller Center, North, Corbis, PNC Park, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Traffic, Chesapeake, Lincoln Memorial, USA, People, Canadian Forces, Reuters, BC, Service, Xinhua, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Capitol, Trade, AP Transit, T, Alberta Wildfire, New, New York City, Getty Images Workers, Citizens Bank, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Empire, George Washington Bridge, New York State Thruway, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cape Cod Times, Anadolu Agency, Canadian Press, AP, Wildfire Service, Communications, Space, NASA, Reuters Firefighters, Kamloops Fire Rescue, Shining Bank Locations: Wisconsin, Vermont, North Carolina, Canada, Quebec, Canadian, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, France, AFP, New Jersey, Manhattan, New York, North America, New, Pittsburgh, Stevensville , Maryland, Washington ,, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Mistissini, Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, Washington, Philadelphia, Elmont , New York, Baltimore, Evansburg , Alberta, Brooklyn , New York, Piermont , New York, Fort Lee , New Jersey, George, West Nyack, New York's, New York City, Cincinnati, Rock Harbor, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Ottawa, Fort Nelson, Shelburne County , Nova Scotia, Communications Nova Scotia, Shelburne , Nova Scotia, Fort St, John, Kamloops, Shining Bank , Alberta, Lytton

☆ Fact Check-Clips show fire-fighting helicopters, not Canadian wildfires being intentionally started
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Footage of helicopters using flame-throwing torches to light fires has been misrepresented online, with social media posts claiming the clips show that the 2023 Canadian wildfires are being lit deliberately. This clip shows footage published on June 2, 2023 by the British Columbia (BC) Fire System (youtu.be/tTKSmdrfzqU?t=9), (youtu.be/tTKSmdrfzqU?t=15). According to the description of the video, it depicts a planned ignition on the Donnie Creek wildfire with a Heli-torch. There is also no evidence that aerial ignition caused the Canada wildfires, contrary to what these social media posts say. Footage shows planned fires ignited from helicopters, which are used to combat wildfires not deliberately light them.

Persons: ”, Read Organizations: U.S . Forest Service, Heli, Reuters, Facebook, Yukon, Nations, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Locations: U.S, British Columbia, Canada, Quebec, Atlantic Canada

☆ In New Mexico, an unlikely wildfire thinning alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Near Taos in northern New Mexico, Vicente Fernandez, a mayordomo, or forest caretaker, cut saplings and seedlings crowding a mature fir tree. In an about-face, the Forest Service is now paying local woodcutters or leñeros $300 an acre to cut these trees for personal use or sale. Some environmentalists oppose Taos County's so called Mayordomo Program, and other thinning, saying it is a waste of time, harms forests and is often a guise for logging. "The Forest Service believes in helping communities to wisely use the forests," the agency said in a statement. "We cannot fireproof forests, we can fireproof communities," said Horning, who has lived in northern New Mexico for 30 years.

☆ Republicans want to cut $1 trillion in spending — and instead of introducing 1 bill, they've introduced 500 to do just that
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP lawmakers published over 500 bills on different areas in which they want to cut spending. It comes as Biden has been urging Republicans to put forth a concrete budget. GOP budget chair Jodey Arrington said the budget could take months, and the primary focus should be raising the debt ceiling. Republican lawmakers just made their latest move in the ongoing drama to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending. Now, Republicans have some ideas — or rather, over 500 proposed bills for limiting funding to a slew of federal government programs and agencies.

☆ California's 'zombie forests' are 'cheating death' as the climate has changed so drastically it's no longer able to support them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new study found some of the forests in California's Sierra Nevada no longer match their climate. About 20% of conifers in the Sierra Nevada are experiencing "vegetation climate mismatch." The lead author said the trees are "cheating death" but that they won't survive a major disturbance. When trees or other plants are no longer suited to the environment they are in, it's called a "vegetation climate mismatch." The conifers of the Sierra Nevada include ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and Douglas fir.

☆ U.S. FCC proposes additional spectrum for drone communications
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday proposed new rules to make licensed radio spectrum in the 5 GHz band for the rising number of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, in use. Currently, drones typically operate under unlicensed and low-power wireless communications rules or experimental licenses. The FCC also said it is seeking comment on whether current rules for various spectrum bands are sufficient to ensure co-existence of drones and terrestrial mobile operations. "The FCC must ensure that our spectrum rules meet the current – and future – spectrum needs of evolving technologies such as unmanned aircraft systems, which can be critical to disaster recovery, first responder rescue efforts, and wildfire management," FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said. Because drones are usually operated remotely, they depend "critically on wireless communications between a ground-based control station and the (drone) to control the flight," the FCC said.

Drone Amplified, a Nebraska-based startup, is using unmanned aerial technology to improve one of the oldest and most-effective methods of preventing wildfires: prescribed burns. “Then you have helicopters with a whole crew on board, flying really low and slow over the fire,” he added of other methods for prescribed burns. The drones allow firefighters to work at a distance from flames, according to Detweiler, and in areas that are difficult to reach due to terrain or visibility. Precision is a critical element when conducting prescribed burns, because it is crucial for preventing fire escapes. Two recent controlled burns in New Mexico escaped and led to the state’s largest wildfire on record.

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