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On fires and deniers
...while the mafia burns Italy down.
Gaia Solaris
January 31, 2025
Dear earthkeepers,
The world is on fire. From the devastating wildfires in LA, to the infernos in Greece and Hawaii that left communities in ruins, the past few months have been a reminder of our planet's growing vulnerability. In the Amazon, flames threaten one of Earth’s greatest carbon sinks, while in Australia, early-season fires are sounding alarms for what’s to come.
Meanwhile, the United States is now governed by a climate denier. New measures supporting the fuel industry and rolling back environmental protections threaten to accelerate the crisis we’re already facing. Instead of acting as a leader in climate solutions, the U.S. is doubling down on fossil fuels, even as wildfires rage across the West.
These aren’t isolated events; they’re part of a global pattern, fueled by rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and human activity. Wildfires are reshaping landscapes, displacing wildlife, and reminding us how fragile the balance really is.
It’s overwhelming, but awareness sparks action.
🗞️ In Climate News
🇻🇳 Vietnam grapples with ‘alarming popularity’ of online illegal wildlife trade
A new investigation by wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC has uncovered an “alarming” slew of online adverts offering illegal wildlife products for sale in Vietnam, despite pledges from multiple platforms to clamp down on such content.
🇲🇽 Mexico misses one-year deadline to submit new protected areas’ management plans
It’s been one year after Mexico’s government announced the creation of 20 new protected areas, but the country’s environment ministry has failed to publish a single protected area management plan, despite being required to do so by law.
🇧🇷 Wildfires in Brazil Burn Area Larger than Italy, Worsening Amazon’s Climate Crisis
Wildfires in Brazil ravaged an area larger than all of Italy in 2024, with a total of 30.8 million hectares (119,000 square miles) of vegetation destroyed, according to a report by the monitoring platform MapBiomas. This marks a 79% increase in burned land compared to the previous year.
🇦🇺 Firefighters battle bushfires amid extreme heat in Melbourne, Australia
Firefighters in Victoria are battling dangerous bushfire conditions as temperatures exceed 40°C in parts of the state, including Melbourne.
A total fire ban has been implemented for several regions, including Mallee, Wimmera, South-West, North-Central, and Central, which covers Melbourne.
🇬🇧 UK climate and nature bill dropped after deal with Labour backbenchers
Ministers have seen off a bill that would have made the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding, after promising Labour backbenchers that they would have input into environmental legislation.
🇺🇸 As Trump targets Biden’s environmental justice initiatives, activists gear up for legal fights
Activists across the United States say they’re preparing to take the federal government to court after President Donald Trump unveiled a series of executive orders Monday that seek to undo much of his predecessor’s climate and environmental justice legacy.
🇲🇬 Madagascan locals pull together to save thousands of endangered tortoises
The animals were swept away from their sanctuary and left swimming for their lives in floods caused by tropical cyclone Dikeledi earlier this month.
The 12,000 radiated and spider tortoises, housed at the Lavavolo Tortoise Centre, had been confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers.
🇮🇪 Ireland and Northern Ireland battered by record winds from Storm Eowyn
It was the first time a red warning had been put in place for the entire country since Storm Ophelia in 2017, which killed three people.
🇮🇩 Floods and landslides in Indonesia leave at least 20 dead
The landslide was triggered by particularly intense rainfall in the mountainous area close to Pekalongan in the central part of the island, leading to bridges collapsing and houses and cars being buried in the thick mud.
🇺🇸 Trump eliminates help for Black and Latino communities hit harder by pollution
President Donald Trump in his first week eliminated a team of White House advisors whose job it was to ensure the entire federal government helped communities located near heavy industry, ports and roadways. Trump eliminated the “Justice40” initiative the Biden administraton had created. It required 40% of the benefits from certain environmental programs go to hard-hit communities.
📈 Cool Trends
♾️ eco-story
Thousands of wildfires tear through southern Italy every year, fueled by scorching temperatures and the hot, dry, sirocco winds that sweep in from the Sahara. The climate crisis is pouring gasoline on these blazes, but the Mafia may be lighting the spark, according to new research.
While hot, dry winds prime the land for Italy’s ferocious fires, it’s humans who start them. More than half are set intentionally for reasons ranging from land clearing to personal vendettas.
As fires cluster in areas where mafia control is strong, there is an increased scrutiny on these criminal groups.
The Mafia is “weaponizing” fire in the region for control and financial gain, said UC Berkeley researcher Lauren Pearson. She spent months speaking to prosecutors, the police, environmental groups and locals in Sicily, where Mafia groups are active.
🌏 The Culture Column
📺 What we’re watching: Bring Your Own Brigade
📸 Profile of the week: @nemonte.nenquimo
📖 What we’re reading: We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People, by Nemonte Nenquimo, Mitch Anderson
🤯 Shocking fact we learnt this week: Wildfires can burn underground for months or even years