California Gov. Jerry Brown blamed climate change Sunday for the California wildfires, despite a complete lack of evidence — a day after President Donald Trump was widely criticized for blaming poor forest management.
According to the Associated Press, Brown, described as an “evangelist” for climate change, also blamed climate change deniers for the deadly fires, saying they were responsible for the deaths of California residents.
“Managing all the forests in everywhere we can does not stop climate change,” he said. “And those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies that we’re now witnessing, and will continue to witness in the coming years.”
Trump’s theory is that over-regulation has led to under-harvesting of forests, leaving more fuel for fires to burn. Brown’s theory is that the global use of fossil fuels is making California warmer and drier, and more prone to fires.
The exact causes of the Camp Fire in Northern California, and the Woolsely fire in Southern California, which are currently burning across a collective 200,000 acres and have killed over 30 people, have yet to be determined.