More than 200 fires are burning in Alaska right now. That’s an even bigger problem than it sounds
By Chris Mooney
Following on a record hot May in which much snow cover melted off early, Alaska saw no less than 152 fires erupt over the weekend. A further increase since then had the number of active fires at 243 as of Tuesday — a number that appears to have risen still further to 278 Wednesday, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
Following on a record hot May in which much snow cover melted off early, Alaska saw no less than 152 fires erupt over the weekend. A further increase since then had the number of active fires at 243 as of Tuesday — a number that appears to have risen still further to 278 Wednesday, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
All of which is troubling for multiple reasons: (1) Recent research suggests that more Alaskan wildfires, and more large Alaskan fires in particular, are a trend; (2) In some cases, wildfires in Alaska don’t just consume trees, grasses or tundra. They can burn away soils as well and threaten permafrost, frozen soil beneath the ground, and so potentially help to trigger additional release of carbon to the atmosphere.
“One major concern about wildfires becoming more frequent in permafrost areas is the potential to put the vast amounts of carbon stored there at increased risk of being emitted and further amplify warming,” said Todd
Canada and Washington State have sent firefighters to help in Alaska. Across the border in the Canadian Yukon about another 80 fires are burning.
Yukon asks for help as forest fire starts far surpass all of last year
George Maratos, spokeperson for Yukon Wildland Fire Management, says there have already been 123 forest fires in Yukon this season.
That's compared to 32 forest fires during all of last year.
It doesn't stop there. Canada's Northwest Territories are also expecting a bad fire year too.
N.W.T. fires expected to flare up with hot, dry weather
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to flee a large wildfire, this surreal video shot in Siberia during April gives you a pretty good idea.
Basicly the whole top of our hemisphere is having a very bad fire year. Glaciologist Jason Box explains what's happening in the North to a Summit on the Arctic back in March:
There is a glimmer of hope that the problem of Global Warming may soon get some of the urgent attention it demands.
Climate change should be top foreign policy priority, G7 study says
Global warming ‘ultimate threat multiplier’ posing serious risk to world security, says report urging governments not to see it simply as a climate issue
Tackling climate change risks must become a top foreign policy priority if the world is to combat the global security threat it poses in the 21st century, according to a new study commissioned by the G7 countries.
“Climate change is not only a threat to the environment but to global security and economic prosperity. That therefore makes it a top priority not only for environment ministers but foreign ministers too. It’s a cross government issue – and if it’s not, it should be,” she said.
“The scale of the security risks are potentially enormous,” said Dan Smith, secretary general of International Alert. “You can see the climate threat in the narrative strand that lead to Tahrir Square, you can see it in Nigeria leading to Boko Haram, you can see it in the Horn of Africa potentially unfolding much more seriously.”