[caseinpoint]

“The real reason for the pine beetle infestation is overprotection of forests from fires and logging.”

I think the DDT ban has some influence here also. I remember seeing the trees in Idaho die off from beetle infestation right after the forests had to go “cold turkey” from their usual treatment with DDT.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

You're probably right about that. In other words — three pet causes of the “environmental movement” (no pesticides, no logging, and no forest fires) conspired to create an environmental disaster — which then gets blamed on global warming. The latest "environmentalists&rsquo"; cause.