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Monday, August 4, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/world/professor-of-climatology-95-of-forest-fires-are-caused-by-humans/

World

Professor of climatology: “95% of forest fires are caused by humans”

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 14 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
4 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The fires in California, especially in and around Los Angeles, are not caused by climate change but by human activity. That’s according to a recent study that reviewed decades of fire incidents. Whether through carelessness, accidents or intentional acts, humans are behind the overwhelming majority of fires.

John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at the University of California, Merced, has analyzed three decades of fire data from Los Angeles County. His research shows that most fires in the area are caused by human activity, NBC News reports.

– More than 95% of these are human-ignited fires. Arson is among the causes, but most human-caused fires are not intentional, Abatzoglou explains.

According to his analysis, vehicles and other equipment are the most common causes of fires in the area between 1992 and 2020. Sparks from faulty machinery or heat from engines can quickly ignite dry vegetation, especially during the hot and dry months of summer.

However, Mr. Abatzoglou stresses that changes in the weather, such as strong winds, can contribute to exacerbating the conditions that make fires more difficult to control, but they are not the primary cause of fires.

Poor maintenance of power lines and infrastructure problems are other examples of factors contributing to the current and perhaps most devastating fires in California’s history.

The statistics seemingly support a growing criticism of simplistic explanations that refer only to climate change.

Nonchalant political governance

California’s authorities have long been questioned for what many believe is their inability to address the problems and work preventively. As recently as 2020, the state experienced one of its worst fire seasons ever, with millions of acres burning and thousands of people forced to leave their homes.

The state’s criticized governor, Gavin Newsom (D), has previously highlighted climate change as a key factor behind the growing problems with fires in the state. At the same time, there are growing calls for more pragmatic solutions that address the human factors behind the fires.

Critics of the theory that climate change is the main cause of the fires say the focus should shift to human behavior. The dryness and heat that make areas particularly vulnerable to fires are exacerbated by poor infrastructure maintenance, carelessness and illegal actions.

The impact of eucalyptus trees

Eucalyptus trees, common in many parts of the world and especially in California, have been shown to have a significant impact on forest fires. The trees contain large amounts of oils that are extremely flammable – making them particularly risky in hot and dry conditions.

Research has shown that eucalyptus oils, released at high temperatures, can create a kind of ‘fire torch’ that makes the fire spread faster. In some cases, it has also been shown that these trees can help make forest fires more intense, acting as a form of “fire torch” rather than a barrier.

Eucalyptus trees arrived in California in the 19th century, mainly via migrants from Australia. The trees were initially introduced as a solution to provide fast-growing trees for paper production and fuel.

By the early 1900s, thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees were planted with the encouragement of the state government. In modern-day California, and particularly in Los Angeles, eucalyptus is a common feature of the landscape, with large stands in both urban and more remote areas.

Arson is part of the problem

Arson is another part of the problem. Authorities in California report that individuals sometimes intentionally set fires on land for a variety of reasons, including insurance fraud, revenge or pure vandalism.

At the same time, experts point out that many fires are accidental and could be prevented with better training and safety practices. According to Mr. Abatzoglou, much of the responsibility lies with individuals and businesses to take precautions.

According to statistics from California, the number of fires linked to human activity has remained stably high for several decades. This includes everything from cigarette butts discarded in the wild to accidents on construction sites.

Despite this, some argue that climate change has a contributing role by creating longer periods of extreme heat and drought. But, as Abatzoglou points out, in the vast majority of cases the direct causes are human.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-climate-extremists-who-blocked-ambulance-acquitted-by-supreme-court/

Sweden

Swedish climate extremists who blocked ambulance acquitted by Supreme Court

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 11 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Police remove the road blockade in August 2022.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A nearly three-year legal process concluded this week when all activists from Restore Wetlands (Återställ Våtmarker) were acquitted for blocking the E4 motorway in August 2022, which in addition to causing long traffic jams also delayed an ambulance on an emergency call.

According to Sweden’s Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen), the road blockade was not comparable to the threats against vital societal interests required by law for a conviction of sabotage, and therefore acquitted all participants in the climate alarmist group’s action. The Supreme Court particularly emphasized the importance of freedom of demonstration and freedom of expression in a ruling that will serve as guidance for how civil disobedience should be punished, which in practice opens the door for more motorway blockades.

– The legal situation has been unclear regarding what constitutes a serious disruption or obstruction in these cases. It’s good that we now have clear guidance from the Supreme Court on how prosecutions for sabotage should be assessed in the future, says Chief Prosecutor Katarina Johansson Welin in the Supreme Court’s press release.

The group itself describes its action as an “act of love”.

– Victory! Today we celebrate that the sabotage charge has been shot down for the last time. In my heart, I have always known that I acted exactly right. To sit peacefully and openly on a motorway and demand that emissions decrease is among the strongest acts of love for our children and for life that you can do, and we did exactly that, says one of those acquitted in the climate group’s press release.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/green-party-economist-good-that-fewer-children-are-born-in-sweden/

Sweden

Green Party economist: Good that fewer children are born in Sweden

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 11 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Green Party politician Lennart Olsen sees children as an unnecessary burden on the economy and the environment.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

That fewer children are born in Sweden is only good for the environment, argues Green Party (Miljöpartiet) politician Lennart Olsen. Children and young people also cost more than older people, who can still work at higher ages if the pension age is raised, he adds.

Olsen writes in a debate article in the Bonnier publication Dagens Nyheter that people should view positively the fact that Swedes are not reproducing themselves.

“What’s needed here is a reversed perspective, where lower birth rates and eventually decreasing population should be welcomed to reduce the exploitation of the earth’s ecosystems“.

The Green Party member believes that the Swedish government’s investigation aimed at proposing measures to raise the very low birth rates in Sweden is “misguided”. He argues that the state can save money from fewer children being born.

“For the state’s and municipal sector’s economy, children and young people are a much greater expense than the elderly. This is because virtually all people between 0 and 20 years old cost a lot of money in the form of preschool, school, higher education, parental insurance, child allowance and more“, Olsen explains his thesis and argues that older people also won’t need as much pension if the retirement age is raised further.

Above all, the Green Party economist sees the possibility that fewer Swedish children will lead to a better climate in the long term.

“The positive effects of such a development can then also take effect and lead to reduced pressure on the earth’s ecosystems“, writes Olsen.

Olsen represents a so-called neo-Malthusian line, an ideological movement that strives for reduced population and strongly influences the climate alarmist movement.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/iceland/climeworks-green-billion-dollar-venture-in-iceland-dismissed-as-a-scam/

Iceland

Climeworks’ green billion-dollar venture in Iceland dismissed as a scam

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 27 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Climework's activities are described as at best pointless - at worst, downright harmful.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Despite promises of groundbreaking climate solutions, Swiss carbon dioxide giant Climeworks’ facility in Iceland has not only captured far less than promised – it has also emitted more carbon dioxide than it has absorbed.

Critics say the whole operation is deeply deceptive and one of many examples of scam projects created to profit from the alleged climate crisis.

Climeworks, a Swiss company that markets itself as a pioneer in direct carbon capture (DAC), has failed to achieve its targets in Iceland despite significant investment and media attention.

According to data from the verification company Puro.Earth and the company’s own annual reports, Climeworks has only captured around 2,400 tons of CO₂ in Iceland since 2021 – far below the promised capacity ceiling of 12,000 tons. In addition, the company’s own emissions from its operations have exceeded its capture: in 2023 alone, Climeworks emitted 1,700 tons of CO₂, significantly more than its total capture.

Climeworks’ first facility, Orca, was unveiled in 2021 with a capacity of 4,000 tons of CO₂ per year. In reality, it has never even reached half that target. The larger Mammoth facility, which could capture 36,000 tons annually, has only managed to collect 105 tons after ten months of operation.

According to CEO Jan Wurzbacher, Mammoth requires 5,000–6,000 kWh per ton of CO₂ captured – a process described as extremely inefficient. To offset Iceland’s total emissions (12.4 million tons in 2024), 72 terawatt hours of energy would be needed – four times the country’s annual electricity production.

Professor: “A scam”

Climeworks’ Icelandic subsidiary has negative equity of ISK 3.6 billion (€25 million) and is entirely dependent on funding from its parent company. The value of the Orca machine has also been written down by €1.25 million due to underperformance.

Despite this, the company has sold future carbon credits equivalent to one-third of Mammoth’s planned capacity for the next 25 years – even though over 21,000 private subscribers who have paid in advance risk having to wait decades for their certificates.

Mark Z. Jacobson, professor of environmental science at Stanford University, calls the entire DAC industry a big scam and fraud.

– Direct capture is a scam, carbon capture is a scam, blue hydrogen is a scam, and electrofuel is a scam. These are all scam technologies that do nothing for the climate or air pollution.

“Semi-magical technology”

Michael de Podesta, a British pensioner who paid ISK 135,000 (€940) for 2.2 tons of CO₂ capture, expresses similar concerns in his blog, and after looking into the company more closely, he believes he has probably been scammed.

“This has all the hallmarks of a scam. There are undoubtedly a lot of highly paid people traveling the world to sell their services to large corporations to remove carbon credits in the future. They are using a semi-magical technology that doesn’t work as well as expected (better known as Orca) but will work perfectly in a larger version (Mammoth)”.

“I am urged to convince my friends to join the project. The answers are scarce and full of PR chatter. Climeworks’ operations look like a scam and talk like one. But is it a scam? I don’t know. I think it could work, but the company’s answers are so opaque that it’s hard to say”, he continues.

He will not know for sure until 2027 whether Climeworks has actually captured the 2.2 tons of carbon dioxide he has paid for.

Millions from the US

It is also worth noting that the company has received or been promised around $800 million in public subsidies, including $625 million from the US Department of Energy and $5 million from Switzerland. Despite this, the cost per ton of CO₂ captured remains at $1,000 – ten times higher than the original target.

Due to the failures of DAC, Climeworks has now instead begun to focus on “enhanced weathering”, a highly controversial method in which crushed rock is bound with CO₂. However, researchers believe that this is a sign of desperation to fulfill credits that have already been sold.

In summary, critics point out that Climeworks’ operations have been characterized by exaggerated promises, technical shortcomings, and financial irresponsibility since its inception. Despite being ranked as one of the world’s leading green tech companies by Time Magazine, its contribution to climate action is described as marginal at best – and at worst as directly counterproductive and harmful.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-homeowners-could-face-thousands-in-fees-for-municipal-climate-action/

Sweden

Swedish homeowners could face thousands in fees for municipal “climate action”

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 13 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Romina Pourmokhtari, Minister for Climate and Environment, municipalities will not be able to charge land and property owners "any amount".
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A new report suggests that Swedish property owners may be required to finance municipalities’ “climate adaptation measures”, with costs potentially reaching tens of thousands of EUR.

The proposal, which has been submitted to Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L), gives municipalities the right to, for example, build flood defenses to protect “matters of public interest” – and then charge property owners who are considered to benefit from the measure.

The investigator Johan Hjalmarsson himself points out that the term “public interest” is deliberately broad and vaguely worded.

– It could be buildings such as municipal buildings and schools, but it doesn’t have to be. There will need to be a municipal connection, but it doesn’t have to be a municipal facility, he told state television.

However, for the fee to apply, there must be a “significant risk” of damage from a specific natural event, and this risk must be eliminated by the measure. A property owner’s total fee may not exceed 10 percent of the market value of the property.

“Cannot charge whatever fees they want”

Liberal Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari claims that the proposal is about dealing with the direct consequences of the alleged climate crisis:

– In the same way that we have great respect and a strong desire to defend property rights in Sweden, with property rights come not only freedoms but also obligations. This is an example of the real consequences of climate change. Not in the future, but today, and that must be taken into account, she asserts.

She further promises that municipalities “cannot charge whatever fees they want”.

– Whether the government will implement this or not is something we cannot say today, she continues, describing the proposals as “interesting”.

Not all coastlines can be protected

The report also proposes that the state take responsibility for protecting certain coastlines from flooding through physical barriers, and Hjalmarsson admits that this will require prioritizing and choosing what to protect and which communities to leave exposed to the elements.

– But this is not something that will change overnight; the costs can be spread out over many years.

He argues that the need is urgent and that he has “met many municipalities that see the need for a decision from the state now”.

Maximum temperatures in nursing homes

The report also highlights the need to introduce maximum temperatures in premises for particularly vulnerable groups, such as the elderly.

– Heat waves are already a major problem for the elderly in our society. So I think it’s very important that these issues are brought to light and that we discuss what we can do, says Pourmokhtari.

For municipalities, this could mean a requirement to install air conditioning in nursing homes.

– If requirements are the way forward, this is something the government will need to look at. But action will be needed, and too little is being done today, adds the minister.

The investigator’s report will now be prepared by the Government Offices and sent out for consultation in accordance with standard procedures.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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