@patwater
“As climate change drives up the chance of extreme wildfires, smoke pollution presents a real health risk for people in the West. But now scientists have documented how using prescribed burns — one of California’s leading strategies for mitigating wildfires — could actually reduce air pollution over time. In a study published in the journal Science on June 11, Stanford University researchers found that intentionally burning 500,000 acres of conifer forests in California every year could reduce wildfire smoke pollution overall by about 10% over a decade. “This study highlights that yes, prescribed fire is good, but sometimes the benefits take a while,” Marshall Burke, a professor in the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford and the senior study author, told SFGATE. “As a species, we’re not that good at delayed gratification, but our numbers say in the end, it’s worth it.” … ” https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/stanford-study-prescribed-fire-22305935.php