NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • November 22, 2020
The cedar tree is a source of national pride in Lebanon. Its distinctive silhouette of splayed fronds graces the national flag. The forests here have furthered empires. But now the very survival of these ancient giants is in question. Scientists say rising temperatures and worsening drought conditions brought about by climate change are driving wildfires in this Middle Eastern country to ever higher altitudes, encroaching upon the mountains where the cedars grow. Warming temperatures have spawned infestations of the web-spinning sawfly, which has decimated entire tracts of forest.