Wildfires are destroying the West and strangling the East-it’s time to find a solution
Photo by Marcus Kaufman/Unsplash
This review article was first published on The Hill.Full text is available here.
It is hard to imagine that the resurrected delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not the only continuing serious threat to public health.But what is emerging now is wildfire Consume millions of acres Throughout North America’s woodlands, fierce fires and Smoke conditions It is leading to the death and widespread deterioration of many chronic diseases across the African continent, even in communities and cities that are not actually on fire. Record-breaking high temperatures, raging wildfires and widespread smog and haze all pose serious threats to public health.
At the beginning of this month, Record heat wave Temperatures in parts of the western United States and Canada are 20 to 30 degrees higher than normal, further drying the soil and other shrubs that have experienced severe drought.According to the U.S. Drought Monitoring Agency, approximately Western United States 60% It is currently facing a persistent drought.
In the country, more than 3.3 million acres More than 37,000 fires have been burned across the United States—all of which occurred in the first seven months of this year.In California, wildfires are already burning Three times more land Compared with last year’s record fire season during the same period, to early July.And in Oregon, the fatal Pirate Fire More than 400,000 acres of land have been burned-this makes it the biggest wildfire so far this season because it changed wind patterns and produced its own lightning.
At this point, there is no doubt that climate change is exacerbating at least 29 million Americans There is a danger of wildfire every year. As temperatures in the western United States rise and extreme drought conditions worsen, dry forests have become fire boxes waiting for sparks.Last June was The hottest month ever The record average temperature in North America surpassed the record set in June 2012 and was nearly 2 degrees higher than the average temperature from 1991 to 2020.
Unlike other natural disasters, wildfires endanger the health and well-being of people far and near. Toxic gases and particulates found in the smoke from western fires increase the risk of hospitalization and death due to worsening obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and heart disease, as far as the east coast.New York City Air Quality Index last week Up to 157 — The worst level in 15 years is not safe for vulnerable groups including pregnant women or those with asthma or COPD.
As the nature and scope of threats evolve with climate change, so must our ability to manage and mitigate near-term risks. In other words, although we are trying to stimulate the world’s urgent need to mitigate climate change, there are three of the many possible mitigation strategies that can help save lives and protect the environment in the short term.
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Irving Redline He is the director of the pandemic resources and response plan of the Colombian National Disaster Preparedness Center.
Sean Hanson It is a staff member of the National Disaster Prevention Center.
