Wildfires in Algeria: Exploring the impact of Climate Change across the Globe
As we enter the month of September, we Californians are gearing up for what has usually been the hottest month of the year, reaching high temperatures that are only getting higher as climate change continues to impact our world. And as we Californians are also aware, these rising temperatures have led to the threat of wildfires only getting more and more real. However, while I am well acquainted with California’s propensity for wildfires,I was curious to see how these rising temperatures have impacted places around the world that don’t have the resources that places like California have in order to combat the heat. I learned that the rising temperatures have far more detrimental effects in other places in the world, and no better example than recent fires in Algeria.
In recent weeks, the country of Algeria has suffered immensely due to a number of large wildfires igniting all across the country. So far, the fires have killed at least sixty five people fighting the flames, a number of those killed being Algerian soldiers. Countless homes have been destroyed, and the lives of many Algerian citizens have been upended. In addition to the concrete damage that has occurred
at the hands of these fires, air quality for many Algerians remains at an unhealthy level. An alarming piece of information with respect to the current situation is that the damage to Algeria’s forests incurred from this year’s fires alone is more than all the fire damage from 2008-2020.
The severity and frequency of these kinds of fires in Algeria and really across the globe highlight the growing need for immediate climate action. It is especially important to focus on where and who this kind of climate change is impacting most severely. While California is also struggling to combat this rising temperatures, places like Algeria where firefighting resources are far less common need to be at the forefront of the global conversation about climate change.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/11/africa/algeria-wildfires-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58269789
Anna, what an interestingly fresh take on a very prevalent theme in today's world. You open with the claim, "reaching high temperatures that are only getting higher as climate change continues to impact our world." What is your evidence? This is a great spot to point out with evidence, not just anecdotal expressions. From California to Australia to Russia to Turkey to Greece to ... You wrote, "So far, the fires have killed at least sixty five people fighting the flames, a number of those killed being Algerian soldiers. Countless homes have been destroyed, and the lives of many Algerian citizens have been upended. In addition to the concrete damage that has occurred
ReplyDeleteat the hands of these fires, air quality for many Algerians remains at an unhealthy level. An alarming piece of information with respect to the current situation is that the damage to Algeria’s forests incurred from this year’s fires alone is more than all the fire damage from 2008-2020. " Great use of facts/evidence in terms of the fires in 2021 equal the total fire damage in Algeria's previous 12 years. The other content needs some explaining: how/why are the soldiers dying, how have lives been upended, and what are the unhealthy air quality levels? Did you see Gov Newsom recently signed a $15 billion bill to set prevent/combat the effects of climate change and fires (https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/09/23/governor-newsom-signs-climate-action-bills-outlines-historic-15-billion-package-to-tackle-the-climate-crisis-and-protect-vulnerable-communities/)