Emissions from wildfires hit a new record in 2021 as the blazes that raged in Western Canada and Ontario produced more greenhouse gases than the oil and gas sector and heavy industry combined.
Canada's forests are relied on heavily to absorb the carbon dioxide we emit when we burn fossil fuels, but when those same forests burn, much of that trapped carbon gets released back into the air.
But they were not included when Canada tallied its total emissions for the year, because wildfires aren't considered to be directly under human control. Rebecca Hornbrook, an atmospheric chemist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, said wildfire emissions are in many ways part of the natural carbon cycle and shouldn't be viewed the same way we see emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
Then, between 2010 and 2019, there were closer to 6,000 fires a year. But these burned 504 hectares each, on average.In British Columbia, the average burned area grew from 14 hectares per fire in the 1990s to 237 hectares per fire in the 2010s. In Alberta, it was 123 hectares per fire in the 1990s, compared with 330 hectares per fire in the 2010s.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Emissions from wildfires hit record high in 2021 as climate change drives fire threatWildfire emissions were the single biggest source of greenhouse gases in 2021 but they were not included in Canada’s total emissions because they aren’t directly under human control
Read more »
Emissions from wildfires hit record high in 2021 as climate change drives fire threatOTTAWA — Emissions from wildfires hit a new record in 2021 as the blazes that raged in Western Canada and Ontario produced more greenhouse gases than the oil and gas sector and heavy industry combined.
Read more »
Hot and dry conditions persist as wildfires rage through Western CanadaHot and dry conditions have worsened wildfires throughout Western Canada, forcing thousands from their homes and leaving many regions under a layer of smoke.
Read more »
Air quality statements remain in place across Western Canada as wildfires rageAir quality statements continue to blanket much of British Columbia and the Prairie provinces as scores of wildfires rage.
Read more »
Air quality statements remain in place across Western Canada as wildfires rageAir quality statements continue to blanket much of British Columbia and the Prairie provinces as scores of wildfires rage.
Read more »
Western Canada: Alberta election frontrunner still unclear midway through campaign as wildfires rage through provinceIt’s made for a tricky situation, especially for Ms. Smith, who must bounce back and forth between being a campaigning political leader and the premier of a province dealing with a crisis
Read more »