#  Wildfires Are Much Worse Than a Sign of Climate Change 

 





August 23, 2023

 

 

 Expert explains the dual threat posed by a crisis spreading beyond our control

 *By Alvin Powell, [The Harvard Gazette](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/wildfires-are-much-worse-than-a-sign-of-climate-change-says-expert)*

 Summer headlines have screamed of climate extremes: Record temperatures, an ocean heat wave, and rampant wildfires, including Canadian blazes that have funneled dense smoke into major U.S. cities.

 For [Loretta Mickley](https://seas.harvard.edu/person/loretta-mickley), a Harvard wildfire expert, the fires present a dual problem: Not only are they a symptom of climate change — becoming bigger, hotter, and more common in regions where they can affect large population centers — but they also make the crisis worse. By burning vast layers of partially decomposed vegetable matter called peat, fires like those in Canada release even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

 The Gazette spoke with Mickley, who will chair a National Academies [workshop](https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/40291_09-2023_greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-wildland-fires-a-workshop) next month on wildfires as a driver of greenhouse gases, about the science behind the threat. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

 Read the full interview at [The Harvard Gazette >> ](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/wildfires-are-much-worse-than-a-sign-of-climate-change-says-expert)



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Climate Change ](/research-areas/climate)
- [ Ecology & Biodiversity ](/research-areas/ecology-and-biodiversity)
 
 

 Share on:- [     Facebook ](#)
- [     Twitter ](#)
- [     Linkedin ](#)