Newswise — Wildfires today burn twice as much tree cover worldwide as they did 20 years ago.

More than 22.9 million acres of tree cover were lost globally in 2021 due to wildfires compared to 11.9 million acres lost in 2003, according to figures from the World Resources Institute.

Increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have resulted in extreme temperatures and drought conditions worldwide, providing the perfect proving ground for fires that burn longer and span further.

Immediate impacts of these farther-reaching wildfires are easily visible to the naked eye: loss of ecosystems, destruction of homes and other structures, and worsening air quality due to wildfire smoke. But what about the impacts not seen with the naked eye? That is exactly what researchers at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) are trying to get to the bottom of.

Read the web feature about EMSL staff and user scientists who are conducting this research.

Read the full transcript of the EMSL Podcast "Bonding Over Science" on the EMSL website.

See more podcast episodes on PodBean, YouTube, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details
TYPE OF ARTICLE
Feature
SECTION
CHANNELS
Climate Science Environmental Science Pollution Wildfires
KEYWORDS
user facility Department of Energy Office of Science Office of Science User Facilities Office of Science User Facility Podcast Podcasting Podcasts Wildfire Wildfire Experts wildfire monitoring wildfire risks wildfires, climate change, weather, animals, environment wildfires and climate change wildfire’s impact Environmental Science
COMMENTS | COMMENTING POLICY
View All Latest News