Living in the Bay Area, I am acutely aware of wildfires, and I feel like there have been more with each passing year. It's frightening for humans and animals alike, damages essential plant life, and costs billions of dollars. According to the EPA (2021), " Multiple studies have found that climate change has already led to an increase in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned area."
The Environmental Defense Fund (2022) notes, "Not only is the average wildfire season three and a half months longer than it was a few decades back, but the number of annual large fires in the West has tripled — burning twice as many acres."
There are many factors that contribute to wildfires, and most of them can be traced back to humans. Recently, humans have set accidental fires using cigarettes, fireworks, and gender reveal smoke bombs. Climate change is also a culprit and contributes to wildfires with rising temperatures, droughts, and more flammable vegetation.
In addition, wildfires themselves contribute to climate change. The EPA (2021) says, "Beyond the human and societal impacts, wildfires also affect the Earth’s climate. Forests in particular store large amounts of carbon. When they burn, they immediately release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which in turn contributes to climate change. After burning, forests also release carbon dioxide more gradually through decomposition."
Matthew Brown (2022) reported, "...the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires globally could increase by a third by 2050 and more than 50% by the turn of the century, according to the report from the United Nations Environment Program."
We are committed to our environment and making positive changes. Because of that, we make investing in environmentally conscious companies and organizations a top priority here at Ella Financial Advising. We know there are a lot of social justice causes to defend that are also extremely important, but for us, the environment rises to the very top. Without a healthy environment, we might not be around to address the other issues.
At Ella Financial Advising, we offer:
Impact Investing
Financial Empowerment, Clarity, and Education
Financial Security, Thriving Communities, and a Healthy Planet
If you want to make a difference for the planet and ultimately your community, I'd love to talk. We're all on this beautiful planet together, and we have a responsibility to take care of it.
Articles Referenced:
Climate Change Indicators: Wildfires (2021). EPA.gov Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-wildfires#:~:text=Multiple%20studies%20have%20found%20that,wildfire%20frequency%2C%20and%20burned%20area.&text=The%20wildfire%20season%20has%20lengthened,and%20drier%20soils%20and%20vegetation
Here’s how climate change affects wildfires. (2022). EDF.org Retrieved from https://www.edf.org/climate/heres-how-climate-change-affects-wildfires
Brown, Matthew. (2022 February 23). Climate change is causing more wildfires and governments are unprepared, says U.N. PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/climate-change-is-causing-more-wildfires-and-governments-are-unprepared-says-u-n