Dystopian orange skies due to flames raging north of US-Canada border
On June 7, 2023, IQAir index ranked New York City the worst for air quality. A thick orange haze has enveloped the city, forcing schools to call off outdoor extracurricular activities.
As the ominous cloud hovered over the city, local authorities advised people to stay indoors as much as possible. Due to poor visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration even ordered a ground stop for all flights departing from LaGuardia Airport. There are concerns that the northeastern United States will continue to experience air pollution in the coming days.
The dystopian orange skies are due to the flames raging north of the US-Canada border – which is hundreds of kilometers from New York. Fires have been burning Canada's forests for several weeks and the country has witnessed more than 400 fires so far, according to authorities.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams responded to the situation, saying the current poor air quality is an “urgent reminder” to take action on climate change.
The size and intensity of forest fires have increased in recent decades. Some recent incidents show how wildfires are spreading into uncharted territory — even into Arctic regions.
Fire activity has changed, with more destructive blazes breaking out more often in fire-prone regions such as Siberia, California and Australia. On the other hand, in areas with fire-dependent habitats, such as the grasslands of North America and Brazil, fires appear to be decreasing.
Countries including the US, Brazil, Australia and Indonesia have established forest management agencies and passed forest conservation laws to reduce the effects of wildfires.
Greece is the first country in the world to establish a Ministry of Climate Crisis to address the issues presented by the planet's changing climate. As Climate Crisis Minister Christos Styliandis said, disaster prevention and preparedness is “the most effective weapon”.
Changes in fire activity patterns and increased fire frequency are primarily driven by climate change. Increased incidents can be attributed to changing landscapes and poor forest management.
Global warming, which dries out plants and soil and increases the amount of flammable residues, is a major contributor. Forests are becoming less resilient due to ongoing climate change, which increases their susceptibility to fire.
In 2020, Verkhoyansk — a city in Siberia — has been recorded temperature 38 degrees Celsius — h the highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic region. During this period, most of the Arctic region, especially Siberia, experienced an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures in the Siberian Arctic rising up to 10°C above normal.
This contributed to wildfires and significant sea ice loss, making 2020 one of the three hottest years on record, despite a cool La Nina event at the end of the year.
Another event is the horrific fire in Australia 2019-2020 — known as the “black summer” — that burned more than 46 million acres of land. More than one billions of mammals, birds and reptiles across eastern Australia are estimated to be affected by the fire's devastation, The conversation mentionted.
Its impact on animals other than koalas – a species native to Australia that became the face of the bushfires – was far greater, it said Down to earth. Many reptiles, including skinks, living at densities of more than 1,500 individuals per hectare were affected.
In California, about 14,000 lightning strikes in 2020 contributed to about 900 fires burning over 1.5 million acres of land. Those who lived far from the site were also affected by it. While particulate pollution in California increased due to smoke from wildfires, poor air quality reached dangerous levels in many locations.
In fact, wildfires release more carbon dioxide into the sky, creating a vicious cycle. The number of forest fires worldwide is expected to double by 2100 and spread to areas never seen before, according to a UN estimate published in February 2022.
More resources should be directed to preventing wildfires rather than extinguishing them after they have caused massive damage. Although it is difficult to completely stop the occurrence of wildfires, mitigating climate change will be necessary to reduce their destructive consequences.
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