Wildfires Threaten Global Carbon Budget, Study Finds

A recent study reveals that wildfires are consuming humanity’s carbon budget, jeopardizing efforts to limit global warming, The Guardian reported yesterday.

Researchers from the UK Met Office warn that we may have already surpassed a critical temperature threshold of 1.34°C, where these fires significantly alter tree cover and carbon storage.

The report highlights that wildfires in Brazil, the US, Greece, Portugal, and even the Arctic Circle are exacerbating climate change by releasing carbon from burned trees and diminishing forests’ ability to absorb CO2. Global temperatures have risen 1.3°C since preindustrial times, intensifying droughts and making forests more susceptible to fires.

This shift transforms forests from carbon sinks into sources, complicating efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting warming to 1.5°C. Dr. Chantelle Burton, the study’s lead author, emphasizes that without a halt to fossil fuel use, the situation will worsen, further narrowing our window to combat climate change.