Once again, the vast wilderness of Canada It’s burningIt threatened the town and forced the evacuation of thousands of people. Looks like a breakout ‘Zombie fires’: Last year’s wildfires never really went out, smoldering underground and reigniting above-ground vegetation this year. They are once again pouring smoke into northern US cities. Its haze contains more obscure forms of carbon compared to its well-known cousin CO.2: Black carbon. By May 16th, monthly carbon dioxide emissions from fires were over 15 megatonswhich has sharply increased compared to the previous year.
Black carbon is made up of small particles produced from the incomplete combustion of fuels such as Canadian trees and soil, cooking fuels such as wood and charcoal, and coal. “The problem is that it doesn’t burn efficiently,” says Yusuf Jameel. the study Black carbon at climate solutions nonprofit Project Drawdown. “They don’t burn properly. So they emit a lot of particles and toxic gases.”
In households in economically developing countries, using wood stoves for cooking can have a devastating effect on indoor air quality. All kinds of health effects, heart problems, breathing difficulties, cancer and more. Black carbon wafts from these Arctic wildfires turns ice and snow black and dramatically accelerates melting. “It’s a big health problem. It’s a big climate problem,” Jameel says. “Yet, it is rarely mentioned when we talk about strong climate solutions.”
CO2 and methane (CHFour) is gaining attention as a global warming gas. And not surprisingly, humanity needs to drastically reduce emissions as soon as possible to slow climate change. At the same time, we are ignoring easy ways to reduce black carbon emissions.
Although it is not a greenhouse gas like CO,2 Methane and black carbon themselves have a significant impact on the climate. For example, dark smoke clouds from wildfires absorb the sun’s energy and warm the atmosphere. While CO2 The methane remains there for centuries, and the black carbon returns to Earth within weeks.
This short lifespan is a blessing in disguise for the atmosphere, but a disaster for the Arctic and other frigid places where black carbon accumulates. Snow and ice are usually able to survive because they are highly reflective and bounce the sun’s energy back into space. However, when covered with black carbon, its dark color absorbs heat. “You can see these tiny particles punching holes in the ice. It’s quite dramatic how black carbon absorbs sunlight and heats objects,” says the Union of Concerned Scientists. said Brenda Ekwazel, Director of Science. And fully melting highly reflective snow and ice would reveal dark ground and ocean beneath, which absorbs sunlight more easily and leads to warmer regions, she says.
This creates a feedback loop. As the world warms, wildfires in the Northern Hemisphere are becoming more frequent and intense as rising temperatures suck away remaining moisture from plants. Warmer temperatures also promote thunderstorms, increasing the number of ignition sources for these fires. Modeling suggests that lightning strikes in the Arctic could double by the end of this century. Wildfires have become so intense that thunderclouds of smoke are forming and roaming across the landscape, starting new fires.
