10/05/2020
California Wildfires Burn Through Record 4 Million Acres Of Land
Wildfires in California have burned through a record-breaking 4 million acres as thousands of firefighters continue to battle the blazes. That's more than double the previous record of 1.67 million acres, set two years ago. Scientists say climate change linked to the burning of coal, oil and gas has helped make California much drier, making trees and other plants more flammable.
■Class discussion: California’s wildfires this year destroyed more than 8,000 buildings and forced the evacuation of about 100,000 people. Should people move away from forested areas? Would you want to live with the threat of wildfires? Do you expect wildfires, storms and flooding to get worse in a warming world? Why or why not? Can anything be done reduce the impact of climate change?