Canada is facing its most severe wildfire season ever, exacerbated by global warming. The EU's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service reveals that these wildfires have already emitted more carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, in the first half of 2023 than any previous full year, The Guardian reports.
The fires have consumed approximately 76,000km² (29,000 miles²) across eastern and western Canada, surpassing the combined area burned in multiple previous years. Since May, hundreds of forest fires have generated nearly 600mn tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 88% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.
More than half of this carbon pollution occurred in June alone. The emissions from these wildfires represent Canada's largest annual emissions in the past 21 years. The wildfire season usually peaks in late July or August, with emissions continuing to rise during the summer. Over 494 blazes, more than half of them classified as out-of-control, are currently being battled by firefighters across the country.
Public health authorities have issued air quality alerts, urging residents to remain indoors due to the health risks associated with wildfire smoke, including increased rates of heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory issues.
The ongoing fires in Quebec and Ontario are expected to worsen the situation. Canada's northern boreal forest, which stores a significant amount of carbon, is releasing a portion of it into the atmosphere when it burns, accelerating global warming and creating a dangerous feedback loop that increases the likelihood of future forest fires.
The impact of the wildfires has been visible in major urban centers like New York City and Toronto, where the smoke has cast an eerie orange tint to the skies. With persistently warm and dry conditions in many parts of Canada, there is no immediate end in sight to this crisis.
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