Dr. Deborah McGregor advocates for living with less
Dr. Deborah McGregor argues today's severe wildfires aren't merely natural, but stem from poor forest management and human disconnection. She urges society to change values and "unwant" excess.
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Wildfires should not be deemed as 鈥榥atural events'
WHITEFISH RIVER FIRST NATION鈥擠r. Deborah McGregor explains that the scale and frequency of today鈥檚 wildfires cannot be understood simply as natural events.
鈥淚f you look at the science, the Great Lakes region traditionally wouldn鈥檛 experience fires like this because of the humidity generated by the Great Lakes and the composition of the forests. Boreal forests have always been vulnerable to fire鈥攆ire occurred naturally鈥攂ut not like it does now. Years of fire suppression for timber production, along with forest management practices that favour monocultures of conifers because they鈥檙e easier for the timber industry to process, have also contributed. Those practices need to change.鈥
For Dr. McGregor, however, the underlying issue extends well beyond forestry practices or climate policy.
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