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1. Water pollution is being caused by toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories that go into the water, making the water quality bad.

2. This has become a problem because nutrient pollution, like nitrates & phosphates, leads to the contamination into freshwater sources which most of the time it's water that is delivered to homes. If this type of water is what people use, it can cause illnesses that may also lead to death.

3. Possible solutions are to know what qualities of water people in the area live in. Reduce plastic consumption, properly dispose of chemicals cleaners, etc.

4. We can stop throwing trash onto the streets & recycle.

- Nataly

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Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

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Our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas are drowning in chemicals, waste, plastic, and other pollutants. Here’s why―and what you can do to help.

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Student A' response:

1. Yosemite National Park's river streambeds have been covered with New Zealand's mud snail. Forest pests are another threat as they leech off host plant matter. Didymo, an algae, threatens Yosemite's rivers with blooms, harming plant and animal species.

2. Invasive species can cause mayhem in an ecosystem destabilizing it in the process. All ecosystems are fragile and the introduction of a foreign anomaly can tip the scales threating the livelihood of all domestic inhabitants.

3. The National Park Service is combatting the threat applying methods of include prevention, inventory/early detection, prioritization, treatment, monitoring, and educational outreach.

4. As far as what the average person can do to help combat invasive species is by not letting pets into our ecosystems or tampering with the ecosystem entirely. Also reaching out to communities near the ecosystem & its visitors and educating them of the hazards to further prevent or stall foreign invasion.

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Invasive Species - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Invasive species have a negative impact on natural resources nationwide, including in Yosemite National Park. Of concern: Non-native animal species, like the New Zealand mud snail, concern park scientists because this species can completely cover a river streambed, thereby altering the ecosystem. Also, forest pests could threaten park resources and forest health by burrowing into Yosemite's tree bark.

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Top Environmental Issues in the US in 2023 

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Top Environmental Issues in the US in 2023 

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1. One of the issues is air pollution because it has cause people to be in danger the air isn't healthy to breathe and overall not good.

2. It is a problem because it affects the environment, people, and nature.

3. The possible solutions to this problem is to cut things that produce a lot of air pollution like factories and electrical vehicles.

4. Help spread the word about it and help with anything.

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As the latest IPCC report warned, it is 'now or never' to limit global warming below 1.5C. Countries around the world are already bearing the brunt of climate change but the reality is that, unless we reverse this trend, the effects that we are going to experience in the near future are going to be significantly more devastating. The US is certainly not spared by global warming. From north to south, from east to west, all of its states are affected by pollution and extreme weather events in some shape or form. Here are the top environmental issues in North America and what the government is doing to tackle them.
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1. Air Pollution

As the world's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, preceded only by China, it comes as no surprise that air pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues in the US. In 2021 alone, a bout 67 million tons of pollution were emitted into the atmosphere in the country, mainly coming from the transportation and electric power sectors. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), in the same year, the country's electric power sector emissions from coal increased for the first time since 2014 .

The latest assessment on air pollution conducted by the American Lung Association found that 4 in 10 individuals - accounting for about 135 million people - are currently living in areas with unhealthy and polluted air. While the main cause is the burning of fossil fuels, climate change-related events such as wildfires and prolonged pollen seasons further exacerbate the quality of air in the country.

Adopted in 1970, the Clean Air Act (CAA) is a comprehensive US federal law that led to the specific standards of emissions of hazardous pollutants that cause smog, acid rain, and other health hazards by setting specific limits on the atmospheric concentration of these pollutants. However, this alone will not solve air pollution in the country and the government's best solution is drastically cut emissions.

2. Water Pollution

According to a survey conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately half of the country's rivers and streams - amounting to more than 700,000 miles of waterways - and more than one-third of its lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking.

In the US, agricultural pollution is the top source of contamination in rivers and streams, the second-biggest source in wetlands, and the third main source in lakes as well as a major contributor of contamination to estuaries and groundwater. This type of pollution includes how we grow, raise, transport, process, and even store food and nonfood crops as well as other agricultural products.

Tainted water has extremely detrimental effects on human health as well as the environment, with repercussions on biodiversity. According to a study published in The Lancet , water pollution alone killed more than 500,000 people in 2019 and makes about 1 billion people sick every year, especially among low-income communities. Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, approximately 3.5 million Americans contract health issues such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden coastal waters, according to EPA estimates.

3. Water Shortages

The consequences of climate change are felt across the entire country, with some states experiencing worst effects than others. Historically, droughts in the US have had catastrophic impacts on agriculture and water reserves: the country has been experiencing continuous droughts over the last 20 years and each of them has caused billions of dollars in economic loss.

Among the worst-hit states are California - with currently 88% of the population estimated to live in drought, Colorado , New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas .
Image 1: Severe drought threatens Hoover Dam Reservoir on the Colorado River and Lake Mead in southwestern US (photo by Wikimedia Commons)
Droughts bring with them a whole host of problems for the environment and the larger human population. With diminishing precipitation and rainfall, soils and crops dry out easily and die. In July 2022, nearly 230 million acres of crops were found to be undergoing drought conditions. Moreover, when these events occur over prolonged periods, they severely impact water levels in lakes and reservoirs, resulting in water shortages in nearby communities and cities.

As for the agriculture sector, adding more resources in crop rotation, no-till farming - a method for growing crops with minimal soil disturbance - and the use of cover crops could help build up soil health, enabling it to absorb and retain more water.

4. Wildfires

A 2017 report found that careless human activities were behind about 84% of all wildfires in the US and accounted for 44% of the total area burned. This includes abandoned cigarettes, campfires, and barbecues that were not put out properly, as well as so-called "gender reveal parties" - particularly popular in the country where expectant parents use pyrotechnic devices to reveal a baby's gender. One notable example is the El Dorado fire, where a smoke bomb led to a fire that lasted more than two months and covered over 22,000 acres of southern California . Another study showed that human-sparked fires typically spread about 1.83 kilometres per day, more than twice as fast as lightning-induced fires.

Smoke from large-scale wildfires causes significant air pollution in the affected area and is a threat to public health. In 2022, for example, 7 out of 15 most polluted cities in the US were located in California , a state that was most affected by severe fires that season. Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases. Smoke and poor air quality inhalation can lead to minor issues such as burning eyes and allergies or in a worst-case scenario, premature death. The 2021 wildfires that plagued much of the southwest US were visible from the east coast, and near-surface smoke from it contributed to hazy and even smog conditions .

5. Food Waste

Food waste in America has skyrocketed in recent years, tripling in just five decades and it is now estimated to be 30-40% of its entire food supply, valued between US$161 and $218 billion. Today, t he US counts as the second highest country in the world for food waste per capita, behind only Australia. Sadly, Americans throw away more food than the citizens of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Sweden combined , equivalent to nearly 206 billion pounds (103 million tons). On a daily basis, that's about 0.5 kilograms (one pound) of food discarded by one American.
Figure 2: Environmental Impacts of Food Waste in America
Food production is one of the most water-intensive practices as growing crops requires extensive amounts of water. In the US, agriculture alone is responsible for 80% of all water consumed , and it is estimated that between 21% and 33% of it is wasted every year.

But there is some good news. Fortunately, the US is home to some of the world's most successful food waste startups that are changing the game and helping tackle one of the most pressing environmental issues of our times . Moreover, in 2015, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal alongside a series of programmes and initiatives aimed at reducing climate and environmental impacts associated with food loss and waste while improving food security and saving money for families and businesses. Led by EPA, USDA, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal government is "seeking to work with communities, organisations and businesses along with our partners in state, tribal and local government to achieve this goal."

These initiatives alone, however, will not completely eliminate food insecurity or solve the issue of food waste. In order to achieve this, it is necessary that individuals do their part as well, learning first and foremost how to reduce food waste in their households and communities.

6. Plastic Pollution

Last but not least on our list of the most pressing environmental issues in the US in 2022 is plastic pollution.

A congressionally mandated report released in late 2021 described the US as the leading country for plastic waste generation . The analysis found that the country produces more plastic waste than any other nation, equivalent to about 42 million metric tons every year, which amounts to 287 pounds (130 kilogram) per person. In total, the country produces almost twice as much as China, and more than all the countries in the EU combined.

Researchers note that recycling infrastructure in the US has been unable to keep up with the growth of plastic production, and they estimate that 1.13-2.24 million metric tons of waste are leaked into the environment and oceans each year. This includes everything from plastic bottles and straws to packaging, most of which are made from fossil fuels and can take hundreds of years to decompose.

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Top 6 Environmental Issues the US Is Facing in 2024 | Earth.Org

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From air and water pollution to food waste, here are the top environmental issues in America and how the government is tackling them.

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1. New Zealand Mud Snails concern park scientists because this species can completely cover a river streamed, thereby altering the ecosystem. Also, Forest Pest could threaten park resources and forest health by burrowing into Yosemite's tree bark.

2. This is a problem as many snails are populating the area Altering the ecosystem  since they invade the rivers, they can ruin the food chain and cause huge problems for other animals in this area.

3. To prevent these snails to move into other areas we can check all of our gear to see if we can any snails on us, (Boots, boats, water, gear etc.)

4. One thing we can do is spread the message around to other national parks about these snails and see what measures they take against these snails that are effective and non threatening to the parks.

-Student B

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Invasive Animal Species: Mud Snails - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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The New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, is a very small species of freshwater snail endemic to New Zealand. It is an invasive species in many countries, including the United States, where populations of this snail can reach phenomenal densities. The snails were discovered in the Snake R…

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TASK Description:

TEAM: Research and find the most recent article/text that talks  about environmental issues in California or anywhere in the United States,  Post the article on your board,

(Each Team members will)

1. summarize what the issue is,

2. explain why is it a problem,

3. discuss what are the possible solutions, and

4. suggest what can we (Or you specifically) do about it?

Write your name when you write your response on your team's wall.

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Members: Marrene, Carla, Abraham

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Air pollution continues to be an important public health concern. A number of air pollutants, coming out of a variety of industrial processes, impact the health of California residents. Air monitoring shows that over 90 percent of Californians breathe unhealthy levels of one or more air pollutants during some part of the year. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) establishes health-based ambient air quality standards to identify outdoor pollutant levels that are considered safe for the public - including those individuals most sensitive to the effects of air pollution, such as children and the elderly.

CARB has set standards for eight "traditional pollutants," such as ozone and particulate matter. In addition to setting standards, CARB identifies other air pollutants as toxic air contaminants (TACs) - pollutants that may cause serious, long-term effects, such as cancer, even at low levels. Most air toxics have no known safe levels, and some may accumulate in the body from repeated exposures. CARB has identified about 200 pollutants as air toxics, and measures continue to be adopted to reduce emissions of air toxics. Estimated total cancer risk from all air toxics is 730 per million. Of this total, 520 per million are due to diesel particulate matter.

If PM2.5 were reduced to background levels, estimated health impacts avoided per year would be:

7,200 premature deaths

1,900 hospitalizations

5,200 emergency room visits

Similarly, if diesel particulate matter were removed from the air, estimated yearly health impacts would be:

1,400 premature deaths

200 hospitalizations

600 emergency room visits

Both traditional pollutants and toxic air contaminants are measured statewide to assess programs for cleaning the air. CARB works with local air pollution control districts to reduce air pollution from all sources.

Climate change will also pose risks to public health. Changes in our climate are leading to extreme high temperatures which could result in more heat-related sickness and deaths, increased allergens (such as pollen) will trigger worsened allergies, and increases in disease-carrying mosquitoes and other pests will cause elevated disease risk.

More information about common air pollutants and their health effects can be found at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/common-air-pollutants

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Air pollution continues to be an important public health concern. A number of air pollutants, coming out of a variety of industrial processes, impact the health of California residents. Air monitoring shows that over 90 percent of Californians breathe unhealthy levels of one or more air pollutants during some part of the year.

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Members: Jeisi, Angeline, Yosgart

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Americans planted trees, organized park clean-ups and hosted community events to promote conservation and sustainability for Earth Day 2019.

All those activities are important. But they don't address one of America's biggest environmental challenges - rapid population growth. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, the U.S. population has increased from 205 million to 327 million. It'll surge to 404 million by 2060, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Would adding another 77 million people to the United States cause great harm to the environment? It's a question we need to ask ourselves.

The answer to that question is obvious if one considers the effects of U.S. population growth. We'd have to develop millions of acres of open space to house and feed all these new people.

It's not too late to put America on a more sustainable path, but that would mean having an honest discussion about what's driving U.S. population growth. Almost 90 percent of population growth is fueled by immigration, according to Pew Research. Humanely scaling back future levels of immigration would help America pursue a sustainable future.

Looking for a free mini puzzle? Play the USA TODAY Quick Cross now.

Earth Day's founder, the late Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin), recognized the need to address immigration levels.

"It's phony to say 'I'm for the environment but not for limiting immigration,' " he noted. "It's just a fact that we can't take all the people who want to come here."

He's right. Nearly 160 million people around the world want to move to the United States. There's no feasible way to accept them all. Which means Americans need to make hard choices about who we let in and, most importantly, how many.

Right now, we're refusing to make those choices. Our immigration system is running on autopilot due to "chain-migration" policies, which allow recent immigrants to sponsor their extended family members for green cards. Most of the 1 million legal immigrants who arrive in America each year come through chain migration.

Another 1 million illegal immigrants will slip through our porous southern border this year.

These levels of immigration are historically high. For much of the 20th century, America took in just 250,000 or so foreigners each year. It wasn't until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that immigration levels started to surge.

The ensuing population growth has already damaged the environment. Developers have paved 40 million acres of forests and fields - an area the size of New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey combined - since the early 1980s to make way for more housing, roads and other structures.

Florida is all too familiar with immigration-fueled urban sprawl. It adds 900 new people to its population each day, and more than half of that total are immigrants. That's equivalent to adding the population of Orlando to the state every year. If this trend continues, more than 5 million acres of farms, forests and open space in Florida will be lost to development by 2070.

This sprawl doesn't just lay waste to beautiful open spaces. It threatens our quality of life in other tangible ways.

Consider water pollution, for instance. Developers are paving over fertile cropland to construct housing developments, shopping centers and highways. To feed a growing population with less land, farmers will turn to harmful pesticides and fertilizers to boost their crop yields. And since we're paving over natural land with impermeable asphalt and concrete, much of that fertilizer will run off into our water supply.

This future isn't inevitable. If Congress simply ended chain migration for recent immigrants' non-nuclear family members, it'd reduce the projected U.S. population in 2060 by tens of millions of people - without forcing anyone currently in the United States to leave.

Likewise, requiring all employers to use E-Verify, a free online system that vets people's ID papers to confirm their work eligibility, would humanely deter illegal immigration. Most illegal immigrants come here to work -- if they know they won't find jobs, they won't make the dangerous journey north in the first place.

Planting trees and cleaning up parks is great. But if Americans really want to preserve open spaces for future generations, they'll need to think bigger. It's time for environmentalists to call for humane reductions in immigration levels.

Glen Colton is an environmentalist and long term sustainability activist who lives in fast growing Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Overpopulation is America's biggest environmental threat

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Florida is all too familiar with immigration-fueled urban sprawl. It adds 900 new people to its population each day.

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Subject:The loss of biodiversity in California

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Subject:The loss of biodiversity in California

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Biodiversity (or biological diversity) refers to the variety of life on Earth, including all living lifeforms from genes to species to ecosystems. California is home to more species of plants and animals than any other state in the nation, and is considered a global biodiversity "hotspot". It's varied geography (including the highest and lowest places in the continental U.S.) and proximity to both the ocean and mountains are the foundation for this exceptional natural heritage.

California's people and economy depend on its biodiversity, which forms the complex ecosystems that make up California landscapes, seascapes, and freshwater systems. While California has managed to avoid sizable losses of biodiversity, it is still in severe decline with threats to our ecosystems taking their toll. California's biodiversity is more threatened species than any other state in the U.S. in large part due to habitat loss and conversion, impacts from invasive species, and climate change.

Safeguarding biodiversity: The California Biodiversity Initiative and 30x30

Conserving biodiversity in a state as large and complex as California requires a collaborative and creative process. The California Biodiversity Initiative was launched in 2018 by then-Governor Jerry Brown in response to a call to action by scientists and conservation practitioners across the state. The primary goal of the initiative is to secure the future of California's biodiversity by integrating protection into the state's environmental and economic goals and efforts. Alongside the initiative was Executive Order B-54-18: a Declaration for our future (PDF)(opens in new tab) which directs the Secretaries of Food and Agriculture(opens in new tab) and Natural Resources(opens in new tab) to implement the Biodiversity Initiative to achieve goals consistent with the Convention on Biological Diversity(opens in new tab) and for all state agencies to work together in reaching these goals. Concurrently the California Biodiversity Initiative Roadmap (PDF)(opens in new tab) was issued, which outlines long-term steps for achieving the initiative's goals.

In October 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20 (PDF)(opens in new tab) which establishes a state goal of conserving 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030 - known as 30x30(opens in new tab) . The 30x30 goal is intended to help accelerate conservation of our lands and coastal waters through voluntary, collaborative action with partners across the state to meet three objectives: conserve and restore biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change. California's 30x30 commitment is part of a global effort to increase biodiversity conservation, including in the United States.

To improve the protection and understanding of biodiversity statewide, CDFW is conducting science, management, and outreach and working alongside partners to achieve the state's pathways to 30x30. Here are some examples:

California Biodiversity Day

September 7 of each year is California Biodiversity Day, a time to celebrate our state's unique biodiversity and encourage actions to protect it. California Biodiversity Day is celebrated state-wide through events hosted through the week of biodiversity day. Event hosts include State and federal agencies, NGOs, museums, zoos, academia to invite the public to participate in biodiversity-oriented activities. Check out the 2023 Biodiversity Day website(opens in new tab) for more information about events and volunteer opportunities near you!

State Lands Climate - Biodiversity Sensor Network

To track and understand impacts of climate change on biodiversity and inform adaptive management and restoration action, CDFW and partners are developing a statewide Climate-Biodiversity Sentinel Site Network to continuously monitor ecosystems and wildlife on both state and private lands. This effort is part of a larger statewide sentinel site network under the California Biodiversity Network with partner organizations like the UC Natural Reserve System, the Nature Conservancy, and Pepperwood Preserve. Biodiversity information is collected based on established CDFW monitoring protocols(opens in new tab) alongside paired weather stations measuring air temperature, precipitation, wind speed and other abiotic variables. Check out the Science Institute's Climate and Biodiversity Monitoring website(opens in new tab) for more information on this project.

Outcomes of this long-term monitoring network include site-specific biodiversity management and restoration recommendations focusing on resiliency, long-term datasets based in standardized protocols to inform adaptive management and restoration efforts to reduce extinction risk and increase success of restoration and resiliency to climate change.

Interpretive Panels

As part of an initiative to improve signage on CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves, three interpretive panel themes are being developed on climate change, pollinators, and wildlands of CDFW/biodiversity. Each wildlands of CDFW/biodiversity panel will feature a Tribal land acknowledgment that will be specific to each property. CDFW is working closely with Tribes via Tribal consultations for developing Tribal land acknowledgments, and local community-based and outdoor recreation organizations in its stakeholder outreach to ensure that messaging on panels reaches a diverse audience.

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The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

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Members: Samantha, Mikaela, Axel

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1: One of the issues California specifically is facing is Air Pollution, which poses a problem to the health of the people and the health of the wildlife.

2: It's a problem since it dangers the wildlife around us and it dangers our safety as well.

3: Possible solutions include reducing fossil fuel consumption and switching to greener and more renewable energy and overall having a healthier way of living.

4: I cut out most if not all fossil fuel consumption by walking everywhere. I can also convince others (who have the means of doing so) the same way.

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1. The issue with overpopulation of people in the U.S. is that the government would have developed millions of acres to house and feed the people and it would have an effect on the environment.

2. It is a problem because in order to get the land needed to house and feed the people we would have to take down the forest that helps our environment. In the article it states how " Developers have paved 40 million acres of forests and fields — an area the size of New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey combined" all to be able to build homes.

3. The possible solutions are not letting more people from other places in but also not kicking anyone out forcefully. "If Congress simply ended chain migration for recent immigrants' non-nuclear family members, it'd reduce the projected U.S. population in 2060 by tens of millions of people — without forcing anyone currently in the United States to leave." It would reduce the amount of people that are expected to be in the U.S. by 2060.

4. To help the U.S. overpopulation we can spread awareness about population issues and the benefits of smaller families through social media and community engagement.

Jeisi Escobar

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the overall issue is the climate change in the valley. the climate change and air polution is bad because it puts peoples lifes at risk and our envierment. the posible solution is the new law that can help boost regulatory powers on air polution

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Members Alberto,Alison

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The latest data on forest fires confirms what we've long feared: Forest fires are becoming more widespread, burning nearly twice as much tree cover today as they did 20 years ago.

Using data from a recent study by researchers at the University of Maryland, we calculated that forest fires now result in 3 million more hectares of tree cover loss per year compared to 2001 - an area roughly the size of Belgium - and accounted for more than one-quarter of all tree cover loss over the past 20 years.

2021 was one of the worst years for forest fires since the turn of the century, causing an alarming 9.3 million hectares of tree cover loss globally - over one-third of all tree cover loss that occurred that year. Though down from the previous year, over 6.6 million hectares of tree cover was lost to forest fires in 2022, similar to other years over the past decade. And in 2023, the world has already seen heightened fire activity, including record-breaking burns across Canada and catastrophic fires in Hawaii.

Climate Change Is Making Fires Worse

Climate change is one of the major drivers of increasing fire activity. Extreme heat waves are already 5 times more likely today than they were 150 years ago and are expected to become even more frequent as the planet continues to warm. Hotter temperatures dry out the landscape and help create the perfect environment for larger, more frequent forest fires. This in turn leads to higher emissions from forest fires, further exacerbating climate change and contributing to more fires as part of a " fire-climate feedback loop."

This feedback loop, combined with the expansion of human activities into forested areas, is driving much of the increase in fire activity we see today.

Here's a look at some of the places most impacted by increasing forest fires, based on the latest data:

Mounting Temperatures Are Fueling More Severe Fires in Boreal Forests

The large majority - roughly 70% - of all fire-related tree cover loss over the past two decades occurred in boreal regions. Though fire is a natural part of how boreal forests function ecologically, fire-related tree cover loss in these areas increased by a rate of about 110,000 hectares (3%) per year over the last 20 years - about half the total global increase between 2001 and 2022.

Increasing fire activity in boreal forests is likely due to the fact that northern high-latitude regions are warming at a faster rate than the rest of the planet. This contributes to longer fire seasons, greater fire frequency and severity, and larger burned areas in these regions.

For example, in 2021, Russia saw an astonishing 5.4 million hectares of fire-related tree cover loss, the most recorded in the last 20 years and a 31% increase over 2020. This record-breaking loss was due in part to prolonged heatwaves that would have been practically impossible without human-induced climate change.

Furthermore, in the first two months alone of Canada's 2023 wildfire season, the country saw record-high levels of burning across both eastern and western provinces fueled by warmer than average temperatures and drought conditions. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reports that an estimated 9.5 million hectares of land was burned between January and July 2023, an area equivalent to the size of Portugal.

This trend is worrying because boreal forests store 30%-40% of all terrestrial carbon globally, making them one of the largest land-based carbon storehouses on the planet. Most carbon in boreal forests is stored underground in the soil, including in permafrost, and has historically been protected from infrequent fires that occur naturally. But changes in climate and fire activity are melting permafrost and making soil carbon more vulnerable to burning.

These shifting forest dynamics could eventually turn boreal forests from a carbon sink (an area that absorbs more carbon than it emits) into a source of carbon emissions.
How Do We Measure Tree Cover Loss from Fires?
Researchers at the University of Maryland used Landsat satellite imagery to map the area of tree cover lost to stand-replacing forest fires (fires that kill all or most of the living overstory in a forest) annually from 2001 to 2022. Loss from these types of fires is not always permanent but stand-replacing fires can cause long-term changes to forest structure and soil chemistry, and differ from lower intensity understory fires that provide ecological benefits for many forests. The new data provides a long-term view of these types of fires over the last 20 years at a higher resolution than ever before, and helps researchers distinguish the impact of tree cover loss from fires and loss from other drivers like agriculture and forestry. Learn more about the data on Global Forest Watch.

Agricultural Expansion and Forest Degradation Are Stoking Fires in Tropical Forests

In contrast to boreal forests, stand-replacing fires are not a usual part of the ecological cycle in tropical forests. Yet fires are increasing in this region as well. Over the last 20 years, fire-related tree cover loss in the tropics increased at a rate of about 36,000 hectares (around 5%) per year and accounted for roughly 15% of the total global increase in tree cover loss from fires between 2001 and 2022.

Though fires are responsible for less than 10% of all tree cover loss in the tropics, more common drivers like commodity-driven deforestation and shifting agriculture make tropical forests less resilient and more susceptible to fires. Deforestation and forest degradation associated with agricultural expansion lead to higher temperatures and dried out vegetation, creating additional fuel and allowing fires to spread more quickly.
El Niño and Tropical Forest Fires
In addition to climate and land use changes, wildfire risk in the tropics is further fueled by El Niño events, natural climate cycles that recur every 2-7 years and cause high temperatures and below-average rainfall in certain parts of the world. During the 2015-2016 El Niño season, for example, tree cover loss due to fires increased 10-fold in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Latin America. A new El Niño event emerged in June 2023 and is expected to last through early 2024.

In addition, it is relatively common in this region to use fires to clear land for new pasture or agricultural fields after trees have been felled and left to dry. This tree cover loss is not attributed to fires in the new data because the trees have already been cut down. However, during periods of drought, intentional fires can accidentally escape newly cleared fields and spread into surrounding forests. As a result, almost all fires that occur in the tropics are started by people, rather than sparked by natural ignition sources like lightning strikes. And they are exacerbated by warmer and drier conditions, which can cause fires to rage out of control.

Similar to boreal forests, increasing tree cover loss due to fires in the tropics is causing higher carbon emissions. Previous studies found that in some years, forest fires accounted for more than half of all carbon emissions in the Brazilian Amazon. This suggests the Amazon basin may be nearing or already at a tipping point for turning into a net carbon source.

Heatwaves and Shifting Population Patterns Increase Fire Risk in Temperate and Subtropical Forests

Historically, fires in temperate and subtropical forests have burned less area than boreal and tropical forests: Combined, they accounted for 16% of all fire-related tree cover loss between 2001 and 2022. But the data shows that fires are increasing in these regions as well. And while temperate and subtropical areas tend to contain a larger proportion of managed forests - which can contain fewer species and store less carbon than natural ones - fires in these regions still pose significant risks for people and nature.

As with boreal forests, climate change is the primary driver behind the increasing fire activity in temperate and subtropical forests. For example, heat waves and summer droughts play a dominant role in driving fire activity across the Mediterranean basin. In 2022, record-breaking heat and drought in Spain resulted in more than 70,000 hectares of tree cover burned, the largest amount since 2001. Five years earlier, more than 130,000 hectares of tree cover burned in Portugal under similar circumstances - a greater loss than the previous ten years combined.

Land use changes in and around temperate and subtropical forests are also compounding the impacts of climate change. In Europe, the abandonment of agricultural land in recent years has been followed by excessive vegetation growth that has increased fire risk. In the United States, natural lands are being converted into "wildland-urban interfaces" (places where homes and other manmade structures intermingle with trees and vegetation), increasing the risk of fire ignitions, damage and loss of life.

For example, one of the largest fires in the United States in 2022, California's Mosquito Fire, burned thousands of hectares of forest in and near areas classified as wildland-urban interfaces, destroying 78 structures in nearby communities. A faulty power line likely started the fire but record temperatures and a lack of humidity allowed it to spread widely. This was just one of many fires that made 2022 a record year in the U.S., with almost 1 million hectares of tree cover burned across the country, resulting in roughly $3.2 billion in damage.

Both the annual cost and number of deaths from wildfires in the United States have increased over the past four decades. As human activities continue to warm the planet and reshape the landscape, deadly, multi-billion-dollar disasters like these will likely become more common.

How Do We Reduce Forest Fires?

The causes of increasing forest fires are complex and vary by geography. Much has been written about how to manage wildfires and mitigate fire risk, but there is no silver bullet solution.

Climate change clearly plays an important role in driving more frequent and intense fires, especially in boreal forests. As such, there is no solution for bringing fire activity back down to historical levels without drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and breaking the fire-climate feedback loop. Mitigating the worst impacts of climate change is still possible, but it will require rapid and significant transformations across all systems.

In addition to climate change, human activity in and around forests makes them more susceptible to wildfires and plays a role in driving higher levels of fire-related tree cover loss in the tropics and elsewhere. Improving forest resilience by ending deforestation and forest degradation is key to preventing future fires, as is limiting nearby burning that can easily escape into forests, particularly during periods of drought.

While data alone cannot solve this issue, the recent data on fire-driven tree cover loss on Global Forest Watch, along with other fire monitoring data, can help us track fire activity in both the long term and in near-real-time to identify trends and develop targeted, responses.
View a This piece was originally published in 2022. It was updated in August 2023 to reflect the latest data on fire-related tree cover loss. webinar in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Bahasa Indonesia to learn more about tree cover loss from fires and other fire-related data on Global Forest Watch.

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The Latest Data Confirms: Forest Fires Are Getting Worse

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New data reveals that forest fires are becoming more widespread, burning nearly twice as much tree cover today as they did 20 years ago.

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1. San Joaquin Valley is one of the cities with poorest air quality in the U.S.

In which pollution from vehicles, agriculture, and industry causes the problem and geographic and weather conditions trap pollutants.

2. It's a problem because poor air quality leads to serious and long term health risks such as respiratory issues like asthma, especially in children. Not only that, it affects overall quality of life.

3. Some possible solutions can be to reduce emissions by promoting cleaner transportation options, stricter rules to both agricultural and industrial pollution, invest in technology to monitor and potentially improve air quality.

4. I can use public transportation more, support clean energy initiatives and raise awareness about the importance of air quality.

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1. A problem in California is water pollution and water pollution is when the water gets polluted with harmful substances like chemicals or microorganisms. Most toxic chemicals come from farms, towns, and factories. These cause the water quality to be bad.

2. This is a problem not only in California but worldwide because due to the polluted water people get sick and jeopardize their health. The bad quality water goes into our homes and we use it which is a problem because we are using water that can give us diseases or cause us to be ill.

3. Some possible solutions is to reduce plastic consumption, properly dispose certain chemicals , maintain your car so it doesn't leak oil, and be mindful of what you pour or throw into sewers.

4. We can be mindful by making sure we dispose of things we use at home like cleaning chemicals properly and making sure not to throw trash on the streets that can later make it to the sewers.

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1. the Main issue would be how bad the wildfires have gotten over the years and how many people have lost there home and loved one due to these wildfires.

2. This is a problem because wildfires are destroying many trees plus homes which causes people to lose homes and be homeless and the wildfires cause many people to have trouble breathing and cause the air to go bad due to the smoke the fires cause

3. The possible solutions could be that could help are that people keep a lookout and try to stop anyone who try to start a wildfire and have firefighters om standby to help and put it out before it gets worse .

4. What we can do is not have people,e starting it and maybe keeping the place we're wildfires start nice and wet so it wont catch fire randomly

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1. Overpopulation has been a threat due to many wanting to go to the USA and there is not a lot of land for people to live there.

2. The reason why Overpopulation has been a threat it's due to their supplies not being limited.

3. One way to solve this is if we limited the food and the water that we drink.

4. One thing I can do it not waster the food that I eat and not eat to much.

-Yosgart

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mateo g

1.  California’s biodiversity is in threat this is more due to the fact of habitat loss and conversion. This causes problems because it affects the living species/animals on earth.

2. The problem with california’s biodiversity is that it is affecting the species due to problems with the habitat loss and conversion, and also climate change. It is also ebing impacted by invasive species which this is a problem .

3. Possible solutions that can help the biodiversity is to make areas that are protected by the government, this would be good because habitat loss wouldn't happen in that area and the species would be safe located there. People shouldnt be able to interact with the living environment of a specie because it could affect them and change how they are. The environment could also get dirty which is why a protected area would be a good idea.

4. We can plant trees or grow plants to try and restore the biodiversity and help out around to try and keep the city clean

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1. The article talks about how overpopulation has becomed a big threat in America and we have less and less natural resources.

2. It's a problem because we don't have enough land for people or homes and we don't have enough rescources.

3. A solution would be to gather as a community and volunteer to plant trees and clean up parks so we can have more clean oxygen.

4. More people should try to volunteer and find ways to make our environment better for all the people.

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Nataly and Yesicka

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1.Wild fires are a big issues in todays day because of bad air.

2.Because it effects people,homes, areas,money.

3.keep firer hydrant checked.

4.others can recheck it .