"Scientists Say Musk Wrongly Downplays Climate Role in L.A. Fires"

"Posting on the social media site he owns, Mr. Musk blamed the fires on government. Scientists said a warming planet set the conditions."

"Elon Musk on Thursday inserted himself into the debate over the role climate change plays in wildfires as at least five fires scorched the Los Angeles area, charring entire neighborhoods, killing at least five people and forcing tens of thousands to flee.

“Climate change risk is real, just much slower than alarmists claim,” Mr. Musk wrote to his 211 million followers on X, the social media site he owns. He said the loss of homes was “primarily due” to “nonsensical overregulation” and “bad governance at the state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water.”

But scientists are clear: A warming planet, driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels, has created the conditions for increasingly destructive wildfires, along with more damaging hurricanes and other extreme weather.

Studies have found that extreme wildfires are getting more frequent and more intense, and fires are spreading faster, too."

Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times January 9, 2025.

SEE ALSO:

"10 Dead, More Than 9,000 Homes, Structures Damaged Or Destroyed In L.A. County Fires" (Los Angeles Times)

"Elon Musk And Donald Trump Spread Disinformation As Wildfires Rage In The LA Area" (The Verge)

"MAGA Is Blaming DEI for the California Wildfires" (WIRED)

"Trump Revives Threats To Withhold Disaster Aid For Political Foes" (E&E News)