When wildfires and bushfires consume forests, meadows, grass and peatlands, they accelerate climate change. What was once some of the planet's most effective carbon sinks transform into massive carbon emitters.
“In 2020, California wildfires alone emitted more than 91 Megatons of CO2, about 30 megatons more than the state's annual average emissions from power production. Over that same time period, more than one gigaton of emissions was released during fires in Australia, the Amazon, and Siberia.” - The Carbon Almanac
There is less seasonal snowpack and it is thawing earlier than previous years. This creates drier, hotter ecosystems; ideal conditions for wildfires. Large wild and brush fires produce more tons of CO2 and impact the climate by creating hotter and drier conditions.
These fires impact everyone, not just the communities where they burn.
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Source: The Carbon Almanac Footnotes