The Dramatic Rise in Western Forest Fires: Is Climate Change to Blame?

The Dramatic Rise in Western Forest Fires: Is Climate Change to Blame?

PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blaming a specific forest fire on the impact of climate change could be asking for trouble; but so too is ignoring obvious trends. That was clear last night from The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS when Climate Central, an emerging authority on global warming, explored the dramatic increase in forest fires in Washington State over the past few decades.

Correspondent Dr. Heidi Cullen, Climate Central's Senior Research Scientist, interviewed forest ecologists who see evidence that ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest's once vibrant forests are under duress because of global warming. Some observers believe that fire management practices by the U.S. Forest Service may help account for the increase in fires. Climate Central, in keeping with its mission to provide objective information on climate change, went deeper.

Dr. Cullen reported that in Washington State, "Average spring temperatures have risen nearly three degrees since 1950. Natural variability makes some years cooler or hotter. But records show an overall warming trend."

Climate Central reported that since the late 1980s, dramatically more land burned in Washington and the American West than in the two decades prior - and that these trends are closely associated with warming temperatures, earlier snowmelt, and drier forests. In addition, a University of Washington forest ecologist pointed to epic outbreaks of the mountain pine beetle - now pervasive in northwestern forests deep into Canada - as another consequence of warming temperatures. The voracious beetles have turned great swaths of Northwest trees into deadwood, with subsequent fires scarring the landscape for generations.

Climate Central's Executive Director, Dr. Berrien Moore, who ranks among the world's most highly regarded experts on climate change, commented, "It is troubling but not surprising that climate change could be altering patterns of very small pests and disease. And, that this could lead to an increase in very large and destructive wildfires. Such is the reality of our connected planet."

Dr. Cullen, whose work on climate change has taken her from the tropics to the North Pole, provided the kind of additional context and information that has become the hallmark of Climate Central's reporting. She explored the dynamic and profound consequences that the timing of spring snowmelt can have on a forest ecosystem. The data, folded into a mini science lesson - suggest that the Northwest could develop a very different appearance in the decades ahead.

Last night's special report, informally titled "Washington: Warming and Wildfires," featured interviews with:

-- Dr. Susan Prichard / University of Washington

-- Rita Kenny / Winthrop, WA

-- Peter Goldmark / Public Lands Commissioner of Washington

-- Doug Mohre / Winthrop, WA

-- Roger Townsend / Twisp, WA

-- Dr. James Agee / University of Washington

-- Becki Heath / US Forest Service

The story was produced in a partnership between The NewsHour and Climate Central, a non-profit, non-advocacy group of scientists and journalists. "Washington: Warming and Wildfires" is the fourth in a series of reports about the local and regional impacts of and solutions to climate change being produced by Climate Central.

Climate Central's website will supplement the video with line-by-line background on the science and sources behind the story -- providing additional explanation and depth for the television segment, and highlighting the scientific care that went into creating the video.

"Washington: Warming and Wildfires" is now available to view at www.climatecentral.org.

Correspondent: Dr. Heidi Cullen, Climate Central Senior Research Scientist.

Executive Producer for Climate Central: Charlie Lyons

More About Climate Central:

Climate Central is a nonprofit science and media organization created to provide clear and objective information about climate change. Climate Central combines sound science and vivid media to increase public understanding and attention to the climate challenge.

In addition to collaborating with PBS's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Climate Central's work can also be found on:

TIME.COM: WILD TROUT IN TROUBLE and other reports

NEWSWEEK.COM: CARBON COUNTER BILLBOARD

SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM: GLOBAL WARMING: BEYOND THE TIPPING POINT

GRIST.ORG: GEORGIA COAL

E360.YALE.EDU: SOLAR POWER FROM SPACE

NON-PROFIT STATUS:

Climate Central operates without partisanship, bias, or lobbying. It is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey with an office in Palo Alto, California.

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer grew out of the half-hour MacNeil/Lehrer Report, which, from 1975-1983, garnered critical praise and numerous awards for in-depth coverage of a different single issue in each broadcast. The program was transformed into The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in 1983. It made history as the first hour-long broadcast of national nightly news and was recognized with Emmys, Peabodys, and other honors. In October 1995, the program began its newest incarnation as The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Close to 3 million people tune in to The NewsHour each weeknight (1.1 HH rating) and more than 8 million unduplicated viewers watch at least one night a week. In addition, the Erdos & Morgan Opinion Leader survey ranks The NewsHour first among all television news programs as the most credible, most objective, most influential and most current news program on television.

The NewsHour is broadcast by more than 300 PBS stations, reaching 98 percent of the nation's television households, according to A.C. Nielsen. The program is also carried daily in Japan by NHK Broadcasting, via the Direct Broadcast Satellite System (Channel One); in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa, via the U.S. Information Agency's WorldNet Satellite; and in 23 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Source: Climate Central

CONTACT: Iveta Weinberg, CLIMATE CENTRAL, +1-609-924-3800

Web Site: http://www.climatecenteral.org/

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