Wildfires Set to Increase in Western U.S. - Report
The rim fire at the Yosemite National park has wrecked havoc at the quality of air in nearby cities like Fresno California. Climate change is reported to cause more wildfires especially in western U.S.
According to a report by Live Science, rising temperatures across the globe have had a major impact on wildfires. The pollution caused by the smoke and soot from the wildfires have a detrimental effect on the health of people living close by. Although a rise in temperature is not directly responsible for causing a wildfire, they do determine how fast the wildfire spreads and to what extent it can spread. Humidity and rainfall are also other determining factors for wildfires.
The report was based on a study published in the journal 'Atmospheric Environment.' The study noted that the western regions in the U.S could see the major impact of the climate change. August is generally the month for wildfires. Due to increased temperatures, the wildfires in the Rocky Mountain forests are set to quadruple and the Pacific Northwest could see a 65 percent increase by the year 2050, according to the study.The wildfires have severe impact on the health of individuals travelling to the area. The California air quality officials deemed the air quality unhealthy for outdoor activities like camping, disappointing many campers.
The predictions for the future were based on a model developed by researchers. The model was tested by comparing the real world data between the years 1980 and 2004. About15 climate models were created to predict the future possibilities and the results varied form a big increase in wildfires to a decrease in wildfires. The researchers have taken a median.
Climate change is a majorly debated subject internationally. There has been a big thrust for countries to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy like Solar and Wind energy. There have been some sticking points however. Developing countries like India and China want to balance growth based on fossil fuels with some consideration to the environment.
Human intervention to achieve economic growth can have severe environmental consequences. Click here to read about how Fracking might have caused earthquakes in Ohio.
Many countries have been pushing for a reduction in the carbon footprint and are trying to come up with a workable solution. Recently the U.S supported The Majuro Declaration, a new pact by a 15 nation Pacific Islands Forum to aggressively combat climate change. Future technological breakthroughs can aid in achieving the goal of effectively combating climate change.