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Joe Biden in Louisville, Colorado on January 7, 2022 & nbsp; Biden called the Colorado fire another sign of climate change
The President and the First Lady visited the city of Louisville, which was badly damaged by a wildfire last week
President Joe Biden, who visited the site of the worst wildfire in Colorado history, said Friday night that the natural disaster that hit Colorado forests during the winter season was an emergency and served as a further reminder rapidly changing climate – a phenomenon that the Biden administration will oppose in the renewable energy program.
Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on a visit to the Louisville, Colorado neighborhood affected by a recent wildfire
“We cannot ignore the fact that these fires are exacerbated by global warming,” Biden said after visiting the town of Louisville, near Denver, which was badly damaged last week by the devastating Marshall fire.
Two people are missing and most likely died after a fire, which started on December 30 from the burning of steppe grass, destroyed more than 1,000 residential buildings. As a result, Marshall became the most damaging fire on record in Colorado.
A fire in Boulder County, on the northern outskirts of metro Denver, covered an area of ​​approximately 6,000 acres (over 24 square kilometers) and devastated parts of Louisville and the nearby town of Superior . The flames, blown away by the hurricane’s wind, sometimes scorched areas of land the size of a football field in seconds.
Biden’s trip to Boulder County marks his second visit as president to Colorado. President and First Lady Jill Biden visited the urban area worst affected by the blaze, with blackened debris and burnt tree trunks protruding from the snow. They spoke with rescuers and families who lost their homes in the fire.
The president and first lady were accompanied by Colorado Governor Jared Polis and three local lawmakers.
Speaking to emergency responders and local residents, Biden said he was horrified by the extent of destruction he saw. The president, he said, was in awe of the “incredible courage and determination” of those who fought the flames.
“We’ll make sure you have what you need,†Biden told those gathered.
He noted that the natural disaster was the latest in a series of highly destructive forest fires in Colorado. and elsewhere in the western United States, which experts say is caused by severe drought and rising. temperatures associated with climate change.
“The situation is a state of emergency for our country,” said the president.
Biden also took the opportunity to present his major legislative initiative, the Build Back Better bill, which would provide billions of dollars in forest management, firefighting and reducing carbon emissions.
The anti-Republicans bill was passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives in November. He still needs Senate approval, for which the administration must gain the support of all Democratic senators.
While acknowledging that such measures will not bring immediate comfort to those affected by the current fire, Biden said increased investment in renewables will spur significant job growth and address the threat. looming new climate-related disasters.
Biden said the Boulder County fire was a national disaster, freeing up federal funds to help residents and businesses recover.
The Colorado bushfire season does not generally continue into winter due to snow and cold … However, due to climate change and global warming, vegetation in parts of the western United States is becoming drier and more flammable.
Disaster Modeling Company Karen Clark & ​​amp; Company, insurance losses from the fire will be about $ 1 billion. Local authorities have estimated the damage to residential buildings alone at more than $ 500 million.
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