Despite Clear Skies During the Pandemic, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Still Rising

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded an increase of 2.4 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO) to a total of 471.1 ppm in May 2020.

[...] In 2015, fires ravaged 2.6 million hectares due to slash-and-burn methods to clear areas that were dominated by peatlands. A dry season influenced by El Nino climate variability also contributed to the increasing spread of hotspots.

That year, NASA satellites detected more than 130,000 hotspots.

These fires in peat area released 802 million tons (Mt) of COe (carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2015, making it one of the worst emission events in the country.

[...] The average annual emission from peat fires from 2000 to 2016 was 248Mt of COe.

Approaching peak dry season in August, peatland will still be vulnerable to fires.

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