Ancient trees in Australia were devastated by the recent bushfires there. Nightcap oaks have lived through a lot, but humanity’s influence could completely wipe them out.
The demand for palm oil is burning Indonesia, quite literally. These annual infernos, according to experts, have ignited a “climate bomb.” And until Western consumers say stop, the fires will continue to burn.
As California experienced uncharacteristically low precipitation in February, normally its peak rainy season, parts of the state are moving into drought conditions. This is likely to increase wildfire prevalence in the state in 2020, and it underscores the point that communities need to be thinking about a range of strategies to increase their resilience to wildfires.
Every month, climate scientists make new discoveries that advance our understanding of climate change’s causes and impacts. The research gives a clearer picture of the threats we already face and explores what’s to come if we don’t reduce emissions at a quicker pace.
Forests are critical to slowing climate change because they soak up huge amounts of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Birds help keep forests healthy by eating insects that spread tree-killing diseases. Birds also scatter seeds that give rise to new trees. If birds leave, the forests could be in trouble.
The Exxon plant here in Baton Rouge has caught fire this — and even though officials say there wasn’t an explosion, several witnesses reported hearing one. I also heard one and I live just 5 miles away.
Climate deniers, it seems, would rather see an entire continent burned into ash instead of admitting that they were wrong.
Reports that a Tesla caught fire and that led to a massive fire in a parking garage in Norway are untrue. The fire actually started in a 2005 Opel diesel.
Dr. Lucky Tran, a scientist and refugee who is an activist fighting for climate justice and immigrant justice, has put the Australian wildfires into a terrifying perspective. Fires are terrifying as it is, but the one in Australia would be considered a Category 5 if it was a hurricane.
Australia is burning and thousands are facing burning fires that ravage their communities and leave behind apocalyptic scenes. A friend told me that that power, communications, phones, and internet would be lost soon and I immediately thought of Starlink.
