OUR COUNTRY IS BURNING, SO WHY ARE WE STILL NOT TAKING CLIMATE CHANGE SERIOUSLY?

Sarah Brusseau

Why is 2020 the most active wildfire year in history for the Western United States? Climate change.

On August 13, 2020, the Colorado Cameron Peak fire began. As of October 23, the fire is only 57% contained and has burned 206,977 acres; it is now the largest wildfire in Colorado history. The magnitude of the Cameron Peak fire is minuscule, though, when compared to the devastation happening on the West Coast. Wildfires ravaged California, Washington State and Oregon, burning over five million acres of land by September, destroying buildings, and displacing thousands. The fires have resulted in poor air quality, habitat loss and the death of animals, and will have negative impacts on the economy for years to come.

How do the fires start and why are they burning longer and hotter than ever before? Wildfires can begin from weather events, such as lightning, but the fires are mainly caused due to human carelessness. In fact, a gender-reveal party using a “pyrotechnic device” was the cause of an on-going California wildfire. Wildfires spread rapidly because of drought, increased temperatures, and wind. When there is little to no moisture in the ground because of droughts, the surface vegetation is dry and very flammable. Combine the flammable vegetation with hot temperatures (which increase combustion), and the result can be five million acres of land burning.

Climate change is responsible for the droughts. Climate change causes the extremely hot temperatures (burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn increases global temperatures). And climate change is not going away. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report stated the world needs to make drastic changes to prevent a 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. With the US being the second largest carbon dioxide emitter, action must start here.

The Environmental Defense Fund published four ways policies can help the US manage wildfires. The suggestions included funding for forest restoration, using forest byproduct (dead trees) as a renewable energy source, and progressing with climate change laws. The New York Times interviewed twenty-four climate experts and the overwhelming opinion of the experts was greenhouse gas emissions need to cease. It is apparent long-term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is key to combating climate change, but the Trump Administration appears to be moving backward in the U.S.’ fight against climate change.

Last year President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement, a landmark international agreement between 174 countries and the EU. Under the Paris Agreement, each party must establish a plan to reduce their country’s greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve the overall goal of keeping the average global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius. President Trump has made numerous comments underplaying the effects of climate change, stating “alarmists” just want to “control every aspect of our lives.” The Trump Administration has also undone, or attempted to, most of the climate change actions under the Obama Administration, including replacing the heads of energy and environmental agencies with individuals, “who dispute the mainstream consensus on the urgency of climate change.” The Trump Administration has also rolled back significant NEPA regulations, blocked States from prohibiting the construction of oil and gas pipelines, and actively supported increasing coal production (coal accounts for 20% of the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions).

Individual states and cities are now having to lead the climate change battle. The U.S. Climate Alliance is comprised of twenty-five state governors committed to upholding the goals of the Paris Agreement, primarily the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Alliance states are focused on enacting state legislation pushing for the development and implementation of green energy, Zero Emissions vehicles, and developing tools and resources to tackle climate change at the state level. California is currently seeking partnership with tribal leaders of Native American tribes to revitalize cultural burning. Tribes will ceremonially burn pieces of land as a fire suppression technique; small-scale fires can help minimize the risk of wildfires and, in turn, the land regenerates. Austin, Texas has adopted new building codes focused on protecting structures against wildfires. Individual legislation and regulations are a step in the right direction, but they are not enough to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Climate change cannot be tackled by individual states. The world needs to continue to come together as a whole to address climate change and global temperature rising, and the U.S. should be leading the way. Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue. It is a humanitarian crisis. If immediate action is not taken, the wildfires are likely just a preview of what is to come.