The Climate Crisis: Fires rage across Europe

“It’s obvious that climate change is exacerbating the severity of fires.” says Eduardo Rojas Briales, a forestry researcher at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

There is no denying it. The climate crisis is on our doorstep.

Fires are ripping through Europe.

Data published last week shows that Europe is on track for the worst wildfire season on record.

Fires are ripping through Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece and Albania, worsened by drought and extreme heatwaves that are starting to become Europe’s new normal.

So far, 1 million hectares have burnt, 4X greater than the same period last year. Not only destroying homes and livelihoods but releasing a staggering 38 million tonnes of CO2.

The chart shows a year on year comparison of areas burnt by wildfires in Europe.

The fire feedback loop

But it won’t end there. As more carbon is released, we enter a fire feedback loop.

Hotter, drier weather, driven by planetary warming means bigger, more frequent forest fires. Meaning more carbon is released and we get even higher global temperatures.

The cycle continues until there is nothing left to burn.

The cycle of the fire feedback loop.

The solution?

But solving the climate crisis is easy, we just have to want it enough.

We’ve been shouting the solution from the rooftops for almost 20 years. Keep rainforests standing and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. It’s that simple.

Rainforests are one of the most powerful defences against climate change. They store carbon, regulate rainfall and help keep Earth cool. To tackle the climate crisis, we have to protect them.

Will you help protect the rainforest?

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