Thanks so much for this wonderful reflection. I am a former wildland firefighter and just want to remind and/or inform y'all that fires are a natural part of all ecosystems in one way or another. Fire suppression is one of the reasons that fires have been getting bigger and more volatile. I write a newsletter about this but Alie Ward also just re-released two great episodes on fire ecology and Indigenous fire. For those who are feeling a lot of anxiety about the smoke in particular I really suggest listening to that episode (the Ologies podcast) for some comfort, and to see if there are ways you can advocate for prescribed and/or cultural fire in your neck of the woods. Thanks so much!!
Great comment. I wanted to share something similar that is close to me, and that's left me feeling inspired to take action. The river Derwent has almost dried up where it passes through Borrowdale, one of the wettest places in England. Partly because of the heat and drought, but partly because our management of rivers is dreadful. Rivers get made into straight canals so the water just rushes through, nothing to hold it back. Riverside vegetation which acts like a sponge is removed from many banks. The uplands from where water flows are too heavily grazed so rain can't seep through the soil. This way of managing water means that no water is held back, evaporating much faster.
It is awful to see that river suffer, and makes me worry about its future as the world warms, but it doesn't have to be that way and we can help rivers to survive these events through restoration. For those of us from the UK, there is the River's Trust who advocate for better care of our rivers, and many regional branches of that charity where you can volunteer. Through my local one I have planted trees and helped to create wetland habitats. There is something you can do about this problem. I encourage people from elsewhere to look for local wetland conservation organisations. Thank you for reading.
I really enjoyed this comment and learning about your local ecology. Something similar is happening here with the Colorado River, which was dammed for irrigation and is now suffering. I think it's easy to get bogged down with "there's nothing I can do" but the truth is that there are so many local small-scale orgs across the world, and it's inevitable that there's one nearby. I live near several here in Florida, and I'm getting involved. We can't wait for someone else to fix things and we need to think on a local scale individually in order to make global change!
Thanks for the video of Britt at Frontier Forum. It’s so important to hear that we can go through the “crucible” of climate dread and emerge on the other side with stronger commitments and better self-knowledge.
I’m five years into my climate angst that inspired action and it’s been an unexpected period of growth. I’m glad to find this community!
I live in New England and there has been a lot of talk about our area (despite the ticks and increasing rainfall and melting snowpack) as a kind of “safer” place with climate change. I think this illusion was shattered a bit. And I will admit that while I live here because of family, I also thought that wildfire smoke was a west coast problem. But first the smoke from the west was drifting our way in past years and now the smoke from Canada and honestly it has got me more worried about our own forests too. I woke up one night with breathing issues and looked out the window and the moon was orange-red. I have pretty bad asthma and it’s worse in the winter and then with Covid. I was finally feeling well enough to enjoy outdoors and then bam, I’m stuck inside again. This is existential for me because I come from a farming family and it’s one more reason why I’m uncertain about how it will be if I try to take over the family farm. In sum, it was an event that deeply affected me because it feels like it’s one thing after another. But I also had MANY coworkers in the health care field talking about it that don’t normally talk about climate change. So my hopeful upside is that people integrate their awareness of how these impacts are and will affect our everyday lives and there can be many more conversations about climate and human heath. There is no AWAY. No escape. The only hope is it to mitigate GHGs and make more resilient our communities. And I am praying that this event motivates some people into action / affects the political powers and people who have economic power in places like NYC to see that even money is not a perfect insulator from these issues.
There are several factors that contribute to the increasing size and volatility of wildfires around the world. Here are some of the key reasons:
1. Climate Change: Climate change plays a significant role in the increasing severity of wildfires. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and changing precipitation patterns create drier conditions, making vegetation more susceptible to ignition and fires more difficult to control.
2. Forest Management Practices: Poor forest management practices, such as inadequate controlled burns and limited clearing of dry and dead vegetation, can lead to an accumulation of fuel that can promote larger and more intense wildfires. In some cases, fire suppression policies in the past have also contributed to the buildup of flammable materials.
3. Human Activities: Human activities, such as careless behavior, intentional arson, and accidental ignition, can trigger wildfires. Additionally, the expansion of human settlements into wildland-urban interface areas increases the likelihood of fires igniting and spreading due to the proximity of flammable structures to forested areas.
4. Invasive Species: The introduction of invasive plant species can alter ecosystems, often leading to increased fire risk. Invasive species can outcompete native vegetation, creating more continuous and flammable fuel beds.
5. Fire Suppression Challenges: As wildfires become more intense and frequent, they become more difficult to control. Stronger and faster-spreading fires can overwhelm firefighting resources and strategies, making it harder to contain them.
6. Natural Fire Cycles: Some ecosystems have evolved to depend on periodic fires for regeneration and maintenance of their ecological balance. However, disruptions to these natural fire cycles, such as fire exclusion policies, can lead to an accumulation of fuel and more severe fires when they do occur.
It's important to note that the specific factors influencing wildfires can vary depending on the region and local conditions. However, the overarching trend of increasing wildfire size and volatility is a complex issue influenced by multiple interconnected factors, including those mentioned above.
Thanks so much for this wonderful reflection. I am a former wildland firefighter and just want to remind and/or inform y'all that fires are a natural part of all ecosystems in one way or another. Fire suppression is one of the reasons that fires have been getting bigger and more volatile. I write a newsletter about this but Alie Ward also just re-released two great episodes on fire ecology and Indigenous fire. For those who are feeling a lot of anxiety about the smoke in particular I really suggest listening to that episode (the Ologies podcast) for some comfort, and to see if there are ways you can advocate for prescribed and/or cultural fire in your neck of the woods. Thanks so much!!
What an awesome and actionable comment. Thank you! Great podcast recc too.
Great comment. I wanted to share something similar that is close to me, and that's left me feeling inspired to take action. The river Derwent has almost dried up where it passes through Borrowdale, one of the wettest places in England. Partly because of the heat and drought, but partly because our management of rivers is dreadful. Rivers get made into straight canals so the water just rushes through, nothing to hold it back. Riverside vegetation which acts like a sponge is removed from many banks. The uplands from where water flows are too heavily grazed so rain can't seep through the soil. This way of managing water means that no water is held back, evaporating much faster.
It is awful to see that river suffer, and makes me worry about its future as the world warms, but it doesn't have to be that way and we can help rivers to survive these events through restoration. For those of us from the UK, there is the River's Trust who advocate for better care of our rivers, and many regional branches of that charity where you can volunteer. Through my local one I have planted trees and helped to create wetland habitats. There is something you can do about this problem. I encourage people from elsewhere to look for local wetland conservation organisations. Thank you for reading.
I really enjoyed this comment and learning about your local ecology. Something similar is happening here with the Colorado River, which was dammed for irrigation and is now suffering. I think it's easy to get bogged down with "there's nothing I can do" but the truth is that there are so many local small-scale orgs across the world, and it's inevitable that there's one nearby. I live near several here in Florida, and I'm getting involved. We can't wait for someone else to fix things and we need to think on a local scale individually in order to make global change!
Thanks for the video of Britt at Frontier Forum. It’s so important to hear that we can go through the “crucible” of climate dread and emerge on the other side with stronger commitments and better self-knowledge.
I’m five years into my climate angst that inspired action and it’s been an unexpected period of growth. I’m glad to find this community!
Our governments are paralyzed by radicalized deniers, corporate evil and they really have no idea what to do anyways
I live in New England and there has been a lot of talk about our area (despite the ticks and increasing rainfall and melting snowpack) as a kind of “safer” place with climate change. I think this illusion was shattered a bit. And I will admit that while I live here because of family, I also thought that wildfire smoke was a west coast problem. But first the smoke from the west was drifting our way in past years and now the smoke from Canada and honestly it has got me more worried about our own forests too. I woke up one night with breathing issues and looked out the window and the moon was orange-red. I have pretty bad asthma and it’s worse in the winter and then with Covid. I was finally feeling well enough to enjoy outdoors and then bam, I’m stuck inside again. This is existential for me because I come from a farming family and it’s one more reason why I’m uncertain about how it will be if I try to take over the family farm. In sum, it was an event that deeply affected me because it feels like it’s one thing after another. But I also had MANY coworkers in the health care field talking about it that don’t normally talk about climate change. So my hopeful upside is that people integrate their awareness of how these impacts are and will affect our everyday lives and there can be many more conversations about climate and human heath. There is no AWAY. No escape. The only hope is it to mitigate GHGs and make more resilient our communities. And I am praying that this event motivates some people into action / affects the political powers and people who have economic power in places like NYC to see that even money is not a perfect insulator from these issues.
There are several factors that contribute to the increasing size and volatility of wildfires around the world. Here are some of the key reasons:
1. Climate Change: Climate change plays a significant role in the increasing severity of wildfires. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and changing precipitation patterns create drier conditions, making vegetation more susceptible to ignition and fires more difficult to control.
2. Forest Management Practices: Poor forest management practices, such as inadequate controlled burns and limited clearing of dry and dead vegetation, can lead to an accumulation of fuel that can promote larger and more intense wildfires. In some cases, fire suppression policies in the past have also contributed to the buildup of flammable materials.
3. Human Activities: Human activities, such as careless behavior, intentional arson, and accidental ignition, can trigger wildfires. Additionally, the expansion of human settlements into wildland-urban interface areas increases the likelihood of fires igniting and spreading due to the proximity of flammable structures to forested areas.
4. Invasive Species: The introduction of invasive plant species can alter ecosystems, often leading to increased fire risk. Invasive species can outcompete native vegetation, creating more continuous and flammable fuel beds.
5. Fire Suppression Challenges: As wildfires become more intense and frequent, they become more difficult to control. Stronger and faster-spreading fires can overwhelm firefighting resources and strategies, making it harder to contain them.
6. Natural Fire Cycles: Some ecosystems have evolved to depend on periodic fires for regeneration and maintenance of their ecological balance. However, disruptions to these natural fire cycles, such as fire exclusion policies, can lead to an accumulation of fuel and more severe fires when they do occur.
It's important to note that the specific factors influencing wildfires can vary depending on the region and local conditions. However, the overarching trend of increasing wildfire size and volatility is a complex issue influenced by multiple interconnected factors, including those mentioned above.
Someone's been talking to Chat GPT about wildfires ;)