Pollution: It's Spreading Like Wildfire!

(www.SmokedBear.com September 12, 2011) ExxonMobil, ranked as one of the world’s largest corporate polluters, produces just over 10 million pounds of toxic air pollution per year. During three summer months, a recent North American fire released 66 billion pounds of just one of the toxic chemicals it spewed. That is 6,600 times more pollution than ExxonMobil releases in an entire year!

Wildfires throughout North America are on the rise and out of control, particularly in western states. These fires are emitting more dangerous pollutants into the air than all the “tailpipes and smokestacks in the United States….” Recent studies show that wildfires cause pollutants to triple normal levels deemed safe for humans and animals. These shocking results come from a trend of new scientific studies, and underscore the need for a major change in wildfire management.

Another recent NCAR study looked at the amount of mercury pollution wildfires produce. The study explained that plants store mercury in their leaves and needles and when burned the needles and leaves release “nearly all the mercury they had stored—from 94% to 99%.” The study concluded that wildfires spewed mercury pollution into the air “at up to 800 tons per year…” Coal-fired plants, currently the main focus point of reducing mercury pollution, produce a substantially smaller 41 tons per year. This means that wildfires produce nearly 20 times more mercury pollution than U.S. coal-fired plants produce annually.

Wildfires are spewing pollutants into the air in quantities that are many times greater than all of America’s industrial pollution combined. This information about wildfire pollution is just the tip of the iceberg because researchers have only begun quantifying wildfire pollution in the last decade. Wildfires continue to be on the rise while ineffective rangeland management techniques remain in place. Yet, pollution reduction pressure persistently is focused at industry as industries have continued to reduce their pollution rates by leaps and bounds. A problem such as this calls for a change in Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service management procedures and regulations.

Allowing large amounts of fuel—vegetation—to grow on rangeland during spring and summer months mixed with uncontrolled lightning strikes is a recipe for disaster. To stop and decrease the growth of wildfire pollution the sources of fuel must be decreased. Jason Davison, a forage and alternative crops specialist at the University of Nevada Reno, called for new rangeland management techniques fifteen years ago. He promoted the reduction of rangeland fuel by using cows and sheep to feed on the excessive vegetation. Yet, grazing rights have continually been reduced and fires have continually increased.

Smoked Bear is advocating a change in rangeland management in order to save animals, people, and the environment from the harmful effects of wildfires. Pollution is proven to be one of these harmful effects. Therefore, Smoked Bear and all those who are in support of saving animal and human life are now calling on a change in rangeland management in order to reduce wildfire pollution.  (Read more.)