Starting a thread about #wildfires of 2019. I mainly covered the ones in Sweden and California last year, and this year will see many more. I find them worthy of mentions because they are some of the biggest ever, wherever they happen.
#ClimateCrisis
Another record-breaking heatwave is hitting Europe: x.com/esa_eo/status/…
One of the largest wildfires recorded in Arizona, US, has been burning since 8 June, destroying vast swathes of vegetation across the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix.
m.esa.int/spaceinimages/…
Around 350 firemen with the help of 15 aircraft and helicopters are working to control a wildfire which has burned around 4,000 hectares of land in the region of Tarragona, northeastern Spain.
x.com/poandpo/status…
Reports are saying that the #Sawgrass fire in the #Everglades is 75% contained now.
x.com/nowthisnews/st…
And here is a report on the 130+ wildfires happening in Alaska, which is not deemed extreme.
thenwfireblog.com/2019/06/27/the…
Almost 1,400 wildfires have have been reported in Europe so far this year. The annual average across the last 10 years is 174.
You may wan to read that again.
x.com/guillermorein/…
"According to Copernicus' European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), blazes have so far this year burnt 207,440 hectares. In the decade from 2008-2018, an average of 44,491 hectares had burnt by June 25 every year."
Manure self-ignited(!)
x.com/cnn/status/114…
Multiple ongoing wildfires in Syria.
x.com/mastergis_dron…
More wildfires expected in California this season. latimes.com/local/lanow/la…
Exposure to #wildfires may alter the immune system.
x.com/wired/status/1…
Hundreds of firefighters and 10 aircraft have been battling to contain wildfires in southern France after a stifling heatwave brought record-breaking temperatures of 45.9C (114F).
news.sky.com/story/europe-h…
Scientists conclude that last year’s unprecedented heatwave and wildfires in the northern hemisphere were directly related to human-caused global warming.
If global temperatures reach +2C, such heatwaves could occur every year.
carbonbrief.org/northern-hemis…
How wildfires exacerbate inequality.
x.com/faintingincoil…
What is causing the European heatwave, by @fionaharvey
theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/j…
Thread by @dpcarrington on how global heating is causing extreme weather, high temperatures as well as intense rain and flooding.
x.com/dpcarrington/s…
4th of July, Alaska has imposed a state-wide personal fireworks ban. Unprecedented heatwave expected this weekend.
”Alaska is trapped in a kind of hot feedback loop, as the arctic is heating up much faster than the rest of the planet.”
Informative read:
theguardian.com/us-news/2019/j…
Meanwhile, in Germany:
x.com/copernicusems/…
On the vicious cycle of wildfires becoming more frequent and destructive. Extreme wildfires will precipitate climate change in turn.
Some forested areas and grasslands in CA released more greenhouse gases than they removed from the atmosphere.
theecologist.org/2019/jul/04/wi…
”The amount of CO2 emitted from Arctic Circle fires in June 2019 is larger than all of the CO2 released from Arctic Circle fires in the same month from 2010 through to 2018 put together.”
#wildfires
vice.com/amp/en_us/arti…
Some stats for June 2019 by @wef
x.com/wef/status/114…
”Nearly two years after an unusual fire in western Greenland, satellites have spotted smoke plumes streaming from the same region once again.”
x.com/jscarto/status…
Emergency evacuations on Maui.
x.com/kcopesgerbitz/…
In the case of #MauiFire, Oprah Winfrey opened access to her ranch road to enable safe passage from the fire.
x.com/oprah/status/1…
”Arctic wildfires, some the size of 100,000 football pitches, emitted as much carbon dioxide (CO2) last month as the country of Sweden does in a whole year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.”
amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul…
#wildfires
”The wildfires help to amplify global warming by coating the reflective white snow in a layer of black soot that absorbs sunlight, while also increasing the risk that the permafrost layer could thaw and release methane into the atmosphere.”
theguardian.com/world/2019/jul…
”A new study in AGU’s journal Earth’s Future combs through the many factors that can promote wildfire, and concludes that in many, though not all, cases, warming climate is the decisive driver.”
news.agu.org/press-release/…
Portugal: About 1,800 firefighters struggle to contain blazes that have injured at least 20 people.
theguardian.com/world/2019/jul…
Alaskan wildfires continue to rage, and the heatwaves as welll...
x.com/tveitdal/statu…
More on the intense #wildfires in the Arctic. bbc.com/news/world-eur…
In Russia, 3.3m hectares are burning. An area bigger than Belgium.
bbc.com/news/world-eur…
Greece is battling wildfires on #Evia
x.com/trtworld/statu…
This made me close my eyes for a moment.
72,000 Amazon wildfires recorded thus far in 2019. All of 2018 saw 40,000 wildfires.
The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down global warming. When it burns, CO2 is released and storage capacity is lost.
bbc.com/news/world-lat…