Climate change is dramatically altering our forests, leading to catastrophic wildfires at an alarming rate. A recent study revealed that in 2023 and 2024, over 78 million acres of forests were scorched worldwide, releasing billions of tons of carbon dioxide and deteriorating air quality for millions.
Researchers indicate the increasing occurrence of extreme fire seasons is a direct correlate with climate change. “Climate change is loading the dice for extreme fire seasons like we’ve seen,” stated John Abatzoglou, a climatologist at UC Merced. Crucially, the analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showcased that forest canopy loss from fires in this two-year period was at least double compared to any of the last 20 years.
Notably, boreal and tropical forests experienced substantial reductions in canopy, with North American forests showing a staggering fourfold loss, primarily due to the extensive wildfires ravaging Canada. While it’s true that total land burned in some regions has decreased due to human-driven landscape changes, forest devastation continues to rise unchecked, presenting urgent challenges in the fight against climate change.
