California’s Wildfire Crisis and the Future of Planetary Resilience
摘要
This chapter examines the escalating threats of climate change-driven wildfires to human and planetary health. Exacerbated by rising temperatures and droughts, wildfires degrade air quality, damage ecosystems, and endanger public health while also displacing communities, destroying infrastructure, and incurring substantial economic losses. Wildfires further exacerbate climate change by releasing greenhouse gases, creating a destructive feedback loop. Using California as a case study, we assess wildfire resilience through a planetary health framework, integrating strategies across the biosphere, society, and economy. Key interventions span the biosphere, including prescribed burns and forest management; society, by providing equitable resources for community mitigation and fire-resistant infrastructure; and the economy, incorporating sustainable industrial practices and utility infrastructure investments. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our approach emphasizes proactive, interdisciplinary strategies to protect communities and ecosystems. By combining traditional and modern wildfire management practices, we provide actionable solutions to mitigate wildfire risks and foster long-term planetary resilience in an era of climate change.