I've Worked on Climate Policy for 30 Years. Western US Fires Are the Scariest Thing I’ve Seen.

The author describes the 2020 wildfires in the Western United States as a manifestation of climate feedback loops, where hotter and drier conditions lead to forest diebacks and fires that release more carbon dioxide, further accelerating climate change. He emphasizes that while state-level policies in California, Oregon, and Washington are strong, federal intervention is necessary to reduce overall emissions and increase resilience. Specifically, he advocates for the use of prescribed burns during winter to prevent uncontrollable blazes and calls for national investment in clean energy and tree restoration.

• The 2020 wildfire season in the Western United States demonstrated a climate feedback loop where rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns cause forest diebacks, releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere and further accelerating climate change.
• The 2020 wildfires were exceptionally severe, with six of the twenty largest wildfires in California's recent history occurring that year, resulting in at least 35 deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses.
• To increase resilience against uncontrollable wildfires, the author recommends implementing smaller, controlled burns during the wet winter season to remove dry vegetation that fuels larger fires.
• Despite strong climate policies in Washington, Oregon, and California, state-level action is insufficient; the U.S. federal government must implement national policies to reduce emissions and protect citizens from climate impacts like fires and hurricanes.

APA

Lashof, D. (2020). I've Worked on Climate Policy for 30 Years. Western US Fires Are the Scariest Thing I’ve Seen. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/ive-worked-climate-policy-30-years-western-us-fires-are-scariest-thing-ive-seen

Chicago

Lashof, Dan. I've Worked on Climate Policy for 30 Years. Western US Fires Are the Scariest Thing I’ve Seen. World Resources Institute, 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/ive-worked-climate-policy-30-years-western-us-fires-are-scariest-thing-ive-seen.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lashof |first1=Dan |title=I've Worked on Climate Policy for 30 Years. Western US Fires Are the Scariest Thing I’ve Seen. |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=21 September 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/ive-worked-climate-policy-30-years-western-us-fires-are-scariest-thing-ive-seen |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lashof2020ive, author = {Lashof, Dan}, title = {{I've Worked on Climate Policy for 30 Years. Western US Fires Are the Scariest Thing I’ve Seen.}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/ive-worked-climate-policy-30-years-western-us-fires-are-scariest-thing-ive-seen}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }