Wildfires burned more than 10 million acres in the United States during the 2020 season. It was the worst season on record. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/us-2020-wildfire-season-record-bad…
Tag: wildfire season
Was 2020 the World’s Warmest Year Ever?
“New data from EU satellites shows that 2020 is in a statistical dead heat with 2016 as the world’s warmest year,” reports the BBC (in an article shared by long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo):
The Copernicus Climate Change Service says that last year was around 1.25C above the long-term average. The scientists say that unprecedented levels of heat in the Arctic and Siberia…
US Emissions To Drop 9% In 2020, Putting Country Back On Track For Paris Commitment
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Greentech Media: The U.S. economy is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 9 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, BloombergNEF reported Thursday. It’s a sign of the impact that COVID-19 shutdowns and the ensuing recession have had on life in the U.S. When workers stayed home and the streets emptied out, it reduced…
What’s in wildfire smoke and why it’s so bad for your lungs
The health impact of wildfire exposure depends in part on the fire itself and how much smoke a person breathes in, how often and for how long. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/what-is-in-wildfire-smoke…
Why are skies so red over the U.S. West this week?
Perhaps you’ve seen the photos of the eerie red skies over San Francisco and other cities in the U.S. West this week as massive ongoing wildfires rage. But why red exactly? Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/why-skies-look-red-when-there-are-wildfires…
Wildfire sunsets and sunrises
The western half of North America is getting some spectacular sunrises and sunsets now, as wildfires rage. Photos here from the EarthSky Community. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/photos-wildfire-sunsets-us-west-aug-sep-2020…