Sanctions Legislation and Congressional Pressure
Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio announced Thursday that he would introduce legislation next week called the CANADA FIRE Act — the Countering Atmospheric Nuisances Arising from Drifting Airborne Foreign Incendiary Residual Emissions Act — to impose financial sanctions on Canada and restrict visas for Canadian officials involved in wildfire mitigation, should it be determined that Canada is not adequately curtailing its wildfires. Tthehill
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Separately, four Michigan Republican members of Congress — Reps. Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain and John Moolenaar — sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday accusing Canada of “ongoing inaction” and warning that American federal agencies could explore “direct involvement in cross-border fuel reduction and firefighting capacity”. Bbbc
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“We were told last year that this would be treated with urgency. It was not,” the lawmakers wrote. Other Michigan Republicans floated additional measures, with Rep. Tom Barrett suggesting Michigan could delay the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge until “Canada takes responsibility”. Eeenews
Climate Scientists Push Back
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticized Canada’s wildfire control strategy and urged Canadian leaders to “do everything in their power to extinguish these fires as fast as possible”. But climate scientists said the blazes are a direct result of record-breaking heat that dried out forests in Ontario and the Midwest. Eeenews
An analysis by Climate Central found that temperatures in Ontario on July 13 — the day the fires causing most of the current haze ignited — were 25.2 degrees Fahrenheit above average. “These temperatures would be virtually impossible to occur on July 13 in Ontario without the influence of climate change,” said Shel Winkley, the organization’s chief meteorologist. Eeenews
Canada stressed its partnership with the United States in combatting wildfires and noted it had sent firefighters to help fight last year’s blazes in Los Angeles. Prime Minister Carney said both countries have a responsibility to fight climate change. Bbbc
