California Wildfires: Climate Impact and Our Mission
Seth Jefson
For the last decade, California has experienced an increase in the number and severity of wildfires. From 2010-2020, the state felt the impact of nine of the ten most destructive (by acre) fires in its history. Californians have watched their homes, communities, and favorite green spaces destroyed by unprecedentedly violent wildfires. Wildfires are not uncommon to California as natural, seasonal burns are common. The cause for concern lies in the impact human activity has had on the meteoric rise of prevalence and force of recent fires. The Golden State is home to many of the most stunning landscapes in the United States. It is also home to the highest number of homes located in areas where urban and the natural environment intersect.[1] With that number likely to continue to rise, coupled with increasingly destructive fires, damage to the state’s communities will continue to escalate.
It is important to understand that recent, accelerated warming of the Earth’s surface temperature nurtures fire-friendly conditions throughout California. Regions of the state that historically experienced little impact from wildfires now hold the potential to fuel and expand them. Similarly, the seasons in which fires are most likely to occur are now longer. Time is of the essence. The state plays a game of wildfire Russian roulette each year and as time passes without drastic measures being taken to combat climate change, a bullet is added to another chamber.
Our mission at PolyCore™ is to eliminate solvent-based coatings from the soft goods industry. California is our home, too. We are throwing the weight of our focus and energy into eliminating harmful emissions that are present in the current manufacturing process of textiles. Our goal is to protect the gear people love while doing all we can to ensure that the generations that follow have the same opportunity to enjoy the nature that we covet. We know that our neighbors are connected to this land because we see them every day out enjoying it. We are proud to call California home. We will continue to work toward our goals tirelessly. We will do our part to make our home more sustainable.
[1] Shi, Hongrong, Jiang, Zhe, Zhao, Bin, Li, Zhijin, Chen, Yang, Gu, Yu, Jiang, Jonathan H, et al. “Modeling Study of the Air Quality Impact of Record‐Breaking Southern California Wildfires in December 2017.” Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres 124, no. 12 (2019): 6554–70. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd030472.
