The sky is red, the air is filled with toxic smoke, and the world is on fire. California wildfires have worsened over the years, and are no longer seasonal drought events, but year-round threats., We are unable to predict when the next one will spark.
In 2023 over 2.1 million acres of land burned in California, leaving animals who already suffer from climate change hurt and confused, families devastated, and houses and towns burned to ash.
While they may be called wildfires, these fires aren’t accidents, they are getting worse and worse due to climate change. Rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather conditions are all contributing to making the issue worse and worse.
According to NASA, California’s average temperature has risen three degrees over the last century.
Warmer air dries out vegetation, turning green forests dry and ready to spark at any moment.
The human impact of climate change is devastating. Thousands of people and animals lose their homes every year, communities are forced to rebuild everything they have ever known from scratch. The air quality during these fires exposes millions of people to dangerous levels of pollution. These fires are not normal; they are warning signs that we need to address climate change.
If temperatures keep rising, so will the amount of wildfires. A study from the United Nations in 2022 reported, “The number of wildfires worldwide can increase by 30% by 2050.” Fighting wildfires isn’t just about putting out flames, it’s also about fixing the starting problem that causes climate change.
Transitioning to renewable energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions are all difficult because they take investment in technology and require people to change from easy access to things such as gas to electric, but if we do not act now, the fires we see today will be nothing compared to our future. In the end, every time we see these fires out of control, it’s a wake up call that our planet is in danger and that we need to start thinking about the future of earth and communities.
We cannot afford to ignore the emotional and physical damage. The future of our earth is in our hands, and the way we respond to these fires changes the world for better or worse.
