Wildfires ravaged the western United States again this year, reflecting the new normal of climate change.
Paul Rogers reports: "Climate change from human activity nearly doubled the area that burned in forest fires in the American West over the last 30 years, a major new scientific study has found, and larger, more intense fires are all but guaranteed in the years ahead."
"On public and privately owned forest lands, 23.5 million acres burned in the 11 Western states from 1984 to 2015. Climate change was responsible for roughly 10.4 million of those acres — an area 30 times the size of the city of Los Angeles — because of hotter and drier conditions than otherwise would have occurred," writes Rogers to explain the study's findings.
The study was published on October 10, 2016 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A press release from the University of Idaho has more on the study.
FULL STORY: New study: Forest fires have doubled in West due to climate change
Wildfires Prompt Forestry Debate on Climate Change
While forests sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, wildfires release enormous amounts of greenhouse gases as they increase in frequency and intensity from climate change.
Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit
The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.
Rebuilding After Disaster: The Role of Social Connections in Resilience
Dr. Lucy Jones emphasizes that resilience in the face of climate-driven disasters like wildfires relies on building strong social connections, which empower communities to recover and adapt to an increasingly challenging future.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service