Wildfires, Sea levels, and The Ozone.
CC22 Summit
04 March 2022
The news of another wildfire is common enough nowadays that I can compare it with my daily weather channel update.
Really?
OK, maybe not that common, but enough that it doesn't phase anyone anymore. Why is that?
Most of the time we attribute it to a mistake, maybe a discarded cigarette, or even an unattended campfire.
But what we have to consider is the climate itself. Temperature, soil moisture, trees, shrubs, all play a huge role. According to research, these climate changes create warmer, drier conditions, that lead to increased droughts, which in turn increases the chance of wildfires.
Climate change enhances drying organic matter in forests, and has doubled the number of fires between 1984 and 2015 in the U.S. Projections show that “ an average annual 1 degree C temperature increase would increase the median burned area per year as much as 600 percent in some types of forests.”
The 2017 wildfire season was significantly above average, with fatal fires in California and across the West, including Montana, Oregon, and Washington state. The 2018 wildfire season went on to set records in California as the deadliest and most destructive season on record. The state's historic wildfire
season was fueled by record-breaking heat and dry conditions in Alaska during the summer months. Five of the six largest fires on record burned in California and Oregon in 2020, resulting in unprecedented wildfire spread and damage. Wildfires across the West resulted in weeks of unhealthy air quality for millions of people.
Wildfires aren't the only natural disasters enhanced by climate change. It has contributed to another concerning issue: sea levels rising. This raises issues for people living near water bodies such as frequent flooding, submersion, and can even harm coastal ecosystems.
But what's the science behind this?
As the water gets warmer, it takes up more space. Moreover, melting glaciers and ice sheets also play a role. In 2020, global sea levels rose to a record high of 3.6 inches. The rate is accelerating, having more than doubled from 0.06 inches per year to 0.14 inches per year from 2006. If this trend continues, as much as 8.2 feet above 2000 levels by 2100 cant be ruled out. Considering how 8 out of the world's 10 largest cities live near a coast, rising sea levels threaten infrastructure, energy plants, industries. We would be vulnerable to deadlier storms, high-tide flooding, in addition to, endangerment of habitat for fish, coral reefs, etc.
The list just keeps growing.
A deadlier consequence, that we can't fully control would be damaging to the Ozone layer. Climate change and the Ozone go hand in hand. Temperature, humidity, winds, and the presence of other chemicals in the atmosphere all influence ozone formation, and ozone, in turn, influence those atmospheric elements. The Ozone layer depletion is greatest at the South Pole, recently becoming bigger than the Antarctic continent itself.
With our depleting ozone layer, we are subjected to increased UV radiation levels. Leading to cancer, immune system deficits, and a lot more harmful factors. In addition, it also affects plant growth, in turn affecting the ecosystem.
These are just a few of the reasons we need to continue our fight against climate change and global warming.
Citations:
“Wildfires and Climate Change | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.” Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, 22 July 2021, www.c2es.org/content/wildfires-and-climate-change/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2022.
“Climate Change: Global Sea Level | NOAA Climate.gov.” Climate.gov, 2020, www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level. Accessed 17 Jan. 2022.
“NASA GISS: Research Features: Ozone and Climate Change.” Nasa.gov, 2020, www.giss.nasa.gov/research/features/200402_tango/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2022.