How Green Policies Fuel Fires In Europe

Fires have been wreaking havoc across France and Spain, as they often do when conditions are dry and wind is high. But it wouldn’t be a weather-related tragedy these days if someone didn’t blame climate change. The tragic irony is that Europe’s environmental policies are making such wildfires more likely and more devastating.Locals watch the fire near Formariz during a wildfire in Zamora province, SpainUnder its Green Deal and related policies, the European Union is designating 30% of the continent as nature-protected by 2030. Goals include increasing the amount of deadwood and the density of tree cover in forests. Whatever their environmental merit, such measures increase the amount of highly flammable fuel for fires, make it easier for blazes to spread and harder to extinguish.The EU als