The western United States (including parts of the Great Plains) is going through an historic period of drought–a level of extended drought that the region has not seen in potentially hundreds of years. “All told, nearly 85% of the West is suffering through drought conditions right now, according to the US Drought Monitor. Almost half the region is now in an extreme or exceptional drought,…
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There is a direct connection between wildfires in the western United States and climate change. Featured article: Park Williams, A., Abatzoglou, J. T., Gershunov, A., Janin Guzman‐Morales, Bishop, D. A., Balch, J. K., & Lettenmaier, D. P. (2019). Observed impacts of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire in California. Earth’s Future, 7(8), 892-910. [PDF] [Cited by] “Recent fire seasons have fueled intense speculation regarding the effect…
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As the number, size, and explosiveness of wildfires increases in the U.S. and other countries, it brings danger not only due to the destructiveness of fire but also due to the widespread exposure to wildfire smoke. “A big wildfire event not only impacts local communities but also people hundreds of miles away.” The smoke contains gases and microscopic particles. These can cause symptoms like “coughing,…
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Climate change is happening before our eyes. All over the world–“from Japan to the Middle East, and North America to Europe,” the heat waves, floods, droughts, and wildfires “have clear links to human-caused climate change.” What’s happening globally this year was predicted decades ago. What we are seeing now are extremes–heat and rainfall (too much or too little). This is occurring when Earth has warmed…
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