As wildfires intensify, climate change escalates

By Megan SaylesAFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.comThe effects of climate change can be likened to a Russian doll, revealing layers of intertwined consequences as you explore the phenomenon.On the surface, the planet faces rising temperatures and extreme weather events, but these side effects come with ramifications of their own— some of which further beget climate change. This can be seen in positive feedback loops.Carly Phillips is a research scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Science for Climate Litigation. She specializes in wildfire and forest carbon dynamics. (Photo courtesy of the Union of Concerned Scientists) “A positive feedback loop is where one process accelerates or exacerbates another. For instance, with climate warming in high-latitude ecosystems there is increased likelihood, frequency and intensity of wildfires,” said Carly Phillips, research scientist in the Science Hub for Climate Litigation for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “As a result of their burning, greenhouse gasses are released, exacerbating global warming, which drives the wildfires in the first place.”According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the U.S. experienced more than 56,500 wildfires in 2023, burning 3.6 million acres of land. Canada also notably had its worst wildfire season yet with smoke reaching a number of Northeastern and...