LOSANGELES-California'swildfirecarbondioxideequivalent(CO2e)emissionsin2020wereapproximatelytwotimeshigherthanCalifornia'stotalgreenhousegas(GHG)emissionreductionssince2003to2019,alateststudyshowed.
Thestudy,titled"Upinsmoke:California'sgreenhousegasreductionscouldbewipedoutby2020wildfires",waspublishedinthismonth'seditionofthejournalEnvironmentalPollution.
Thehistoricmegafiresof2020releasedanestimated127millionmetrictonsofcarbondioxideintotheair.Thatcomparestothe65millionmetrictonsofgreenhousegasemissionsCaliforniawasabletoreducebetween2003and2019,accordingtothestudy.
Californiaexperienceditsmostdisastrouswildfireyearonrecordin2020.CalFire,thestateagencyresponsibleforleadingCalifornia'swildfirepreventionandsuppression,reportedthatover17,000squarekilometersgotburnedin2020.
The2020fireswerefollowedbyanotherextremefireseasonwithabout10,000squarekilometersburnedin2021.
Thestudynotedthatwithoutconsideringfuturevegetationregrowth,CO2eemissionsfromthe2020wildfirescouldbethesecondmostimportantsourceintheGoldenStateaboveeitherindustryorelectricalpowergeneration.
Thestudyalsowarnedapositivefeedbackloopbetweenclimatechangeandwildfirethat'sverynegative.
MichaelJerrett,leadauthorofthestudyandaprofessorintheDepartmentofEnvironmentalHealthSciencesattheUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles,wasquotedbytheUSATodayonTuesdayassayingthatclimatechangeiscreatingconditionsconducivetolargerwildfireswhilethewildfiresareaddingtothegreenhousegasesthatcauseclimatechange.
"Ouranalysissuggeststhatsignificantsocietalbenefitscouldaccruefromlargerinvestmentsinimprovedforestmanagementandstrictercontrolsonnewdevelopmentinfire-proneareasatthewildland-urbaninterface,"thestudysaid.