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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 28 Mei 2022

California, New Zealand announce climate change partnership

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) information on climate poli-
— Top officials from Califor- cies including carbon mar-
nia and New Zealand signed kets.
a pledge Friday agreeing to Because of Ardern's high-
help fight climate change by profile role in the wake of
sharing ideas and best prac- the 2019 massacre of 51 wor-
tices, including how to put shippers at two mosques in
millions more electric vehi- Christchurch, the issue of
cles on the road. gun control was also expect-
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a ed to come up.
Democrat, and New Zea- Newsom is pressuring the
land Prime Minister Jacin- state Legislature to send him
da Ardern spoke about the a package of gun reform bills
agreement at San Francis- in the wake of this week's
co's Golden Gate Park. The killing of 19 children and two
agreement doesn't commit teachers at a Texas elemen-
either government to specific tary school.
policies but outlines broad Less than a month after the
areas for cooperation. Christchurch shootings,
"We have a natural connec- New Zealand's parliament
tion and I'm so pleased we've voted to outlaw most auto-
put pen to paper today to matic and semi-automatic
confirm that and continue weapons.
our cooperation on one of Newsom and Ardern did not
the great challenges from our publicly discuss gun control,
generation," Ardern said. Netflix started facing compe- a major farming industry California already has cli- though Ardern addressed
Cars, trucks and other parts tition from other streaming that produces many of the mate-focused agreements her country's actions on the
of the transportation sector services. world's fruits and vegetables. with many other nations, in- issue in response to a ques-
are California's biggest con- New Zealand is home to 5 The agreement says the two cluding China, Canada, and tion about the "shared values"
tributor of greenhouse gas million people compared to governments may engage Mexico. between California and New
emissions, and New Zea- California's population of in joint projects to expand Former California Gov. Jer- Zealand.
land's second largest behind 39 million and has a much farming practices that build ry Brown, also a Democrat, "It was clear that the New
agriculture, Ardern said. Cal- smaller economy. Ardern soil health, reduce methane helped launch a coalition Zealand public expected its
ifornia is moving to ban sales said her government will emissions and boost water of 270 subnational govern- politicians to find solutions
of new gas-powered cars in talk with California officials efficiency. ments, aimed at keeping an and quickly," Ardern said.
the state by 2035. New Zea- about programs that offer in- The memorandum of coop- increase in emissions to be- "Now are they the answer to
land wants 30% of all car sales centives for people to get rid eration was signed by Jared low 2 degrees Celsius. all of our issues as they relate
to be electric by that year. of older, gas-guzzling cars. Blumenfeld, secretary of the At last year's global climate to weapons in New Zealand?
Newsom said he expects New Zealand is heavily fo- California Environmental change conference in Scot- No, but they were practical
competition to grow in cused on reducing emissions Protection Agency, and Jer- land, California signed a brief steps that we believe were
the electric vehicle market, from its important agricul- emy Clarke-Watson, New joint declaration with New necessary, and that would
which Tesla currently domi- ture sector. Zealand's consul-general in Zealand and the Canadian make a difference. And so we
nates, likening it to when California is also home to Los Angeles. province of Quebec to share made them."

U.S. Forest Service: Prescribed burns initiated massive fire

By MORGAN LEE and amid a U.S. Forest Service ously traced to April 6, when ing drought in the American ico.
CEDAR ATTANACIO moratorium on the practice. a prescribed burn, set by fire- West. Prescribed fires are "It will also ensure the pre-
Associated Press They also could affect com- fighters to clear out small aimed at limiting the accu- scribed burn program na-
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) plex deliberations concern- trees and brush that can fuel mulation of timber and un- tionwide is anchored in the
— Two fires that merged to ing emergency aid and liabil- wildfires, was declared out of derbrush that, if left unat- most contemporary science,
create the largest wildfire in ity for a fire that has spread control. tended, can fuel extremely policies, practices and deci-
New Mexico history have across 486 square miles On Friday, investigators said hot and destructive wildfires. sion-making processes, and
both been traced to pre- (1,260 square kilometers) they had tracked the source Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that employees, partners and
scribed burns set by U.S. for- and destroyed hundreds of of the second fire to the rem- in a statement called the in- communities have the sup-
est managers as preventative structures. nants of a prescribed winter vestigation results a "first step port they need to continue
measures, federal investiga- The two fires joined in April fire that lay dormant through toward the federal govern- using this critical tool to con-
tors announced Friday. to form the massive blaze at several snowstorms only to ment taking full responsi- front the wildfire crisis," the
The findings could hold im- the southern tip of the Rocky flare up again last month. bility" for the New Mexico agency said in a statement
plications for the future use Mountains, in the Sangre de Investigators said the pre- wildfire. She highlighted her Friday.
of prescribed fire to limit the Cristo range. scribed "pile burn" was ini- pending request to Presi- So-called pile burns can often
buildup of dry vegetation One of the fires was previ- tiated in January at Gallinas dent Joe Biden to direct the include wildland debris col-
Canyon in the Santa Fe Na- Federal Emergency Manage- lected over months or even
tional Forest outside Las Ve- ment Administration to pay years. Forest managers cut
gas, New Mexico, and con- for 100% of costs related to back trees and gather debris
cluded in the final days of a broad range of recovery ef- into mounds, preferring to
that month. Fire was reported forts. burn forest fuels in the win-
again in the same vicinity on Forest Service Chief Randy ter when prescribes burns are
April 9 and escaped control Moore last week announced easier to control.
10 days later amid dry, hot a 90-day pause and review In January, Santa Fe National
and windy conditions, Forest of protocols for prescribed Forest workers started burn-
Service investigators found. fires that limit the buildup ing through a series of piles
Scientist and forest manag- of flammable vegetation that across an area of 0.6 square
ers are racing to develop new can lead to extremely hot and miles (1.5 square kilometers),
tools to forecast the behavior uncontrollable wildfire. He after advising the public of
of prescribed fires amid cli- did not specifically link the possible smoke hazards.
mate change and an endur- review to fires in New Mex-