Fires, Cingolani: “Over 70% is man’s responsibility”

“The first consideration is that the fires that are devastating, not only in Italy, large green areas of the planet are due to the joint action of the effect of climate change and unfortunately to anthropogenic phenomena, therefore what depends on the human being”. Thus the Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, in the briefing to the Chamber on the fires that have struck various areas of the country. “What is very worrying is that unfortunately climate change affects a small percentage of the frequency of these fires”, says Cingolani, stressing that “we must be aware that if we are more vulnerable than we were in the past, then there is a problem. maintenance of territories and civilizations “. “Climate change – he explains – is responsible for the decrease in the average humidity of the ground, to this are added rather dry high temperature winds that often make upward movements so that the object that is burning is brought higher and can travel ‘height of the tree tops and in turn cause the fire. So there is a combination of drying of the soil and these hot updrafts that can carry sparks. “” All this, however, is quite marginal – he clarifies – The fire it does not stick by itself. The anthropogenic effect is measured in different components: having less resilient forests and woods and the lengthening of the seasons, the lack of care for the territory and vegetation becomes more important “. Quoting the Legambiente dossier, the minister reconstructs the main causes of the fires: “We have 57.4% of the fires that are arson, in which the ignition points can be seen, a 13.7% that is unintentional, negligent, it is a lack of culture: more than 70% is therefore our responsibility and affects a system that from the point of view of humidity and care of the territory is predisposed to catch fire very quickly. Less than 2% is of natural origin, 4.4% is considered indeterminate, 22% remains unclassifiable “.