California wildfires have released emissions equal to about 68 million tons of carbon dioxide this year

The deadly wildfires that have engulfed California this year have released the same amount of emissions as a year’s worth of electricity or a week’s worth of driving up and down the coast for the entire state. "We know that wildfires can be deadly and cost billions of dollars, but this analysis from the U.S. Geological Survey also shows just how bad catastrophic fires are for the environment and for the public's health," U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, called the totals “strikingly high” and said they were “significant in the context of overall statewide emissions.” In total, the 2018 wildfires released equal to about 68 million tons of carbon dioxide, or 15% of all emissions throughout the state. The two most recent blazes, the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire, combined for about 5.5 million tons of greenhouse gases...MORE