Fire in a Changing Climate and What We Can Do About It

Explore a 34-minute press conference from the AGU Fall Meeting 2012 that delves into the critical issue of fire in a changing climate and potential mitigation strategies. Learn about the increasing trend of land area burned by fires in the United States over the past 25 years, correlating with climate conditions more conducive to fire. Discover the contrasting decline in fires for agricultural and forest management in the western U.S., despite overall increases in wildfire activity and carbon emissions. Gain insights into potential changes in U.S. fire activity over the next 30-50 years based on new IPCC climate projections and the climate sensitivity of fires in recent decades. Hear from expert participants, including researchers from the University of Maryland, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Clark University, and the University of California, as they present new data on regions of the U.S. that might experience longer and more intense fire seasons in the future.