California wildfires pass 4 million acres burned, doubling previous record – that's a lot of toxic smoke

To understand the risks of wildfire smoke, it helps to understand the chemicals people are breathing.

Joshua S. Fu, John D. Tickle Professor of Engineering and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee • conversation
Oct. 2, 2020 • ~8 min

Wildfire smoke is laced with toxic chemicals – here's how they got there

To understand the risks of wildfire smoke, it helps to understand the chemicals people are breathing.

Joshua S. Fu, John D. Tickle Professor of Engineering and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee • conversation
Oct. 2, 2020 • ~8 min

Climate change and forest management have both fueled today's epic Western wildfires

Debating whether climate change or forest management has caused the devastating wildfires in California, Washington and Oregon is a false choice.

Steven C. Beda, Assistant Professor of History, University of Oregon • conversation
Sept. 16, 2020 • ~10 min

California wildfires: why a gender-reveal party got the blame, but shouldn't have

It's comforting to blame California's wildfires on human stupidity. But this hides a very uncomfortable truth.

Doug Specht, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Westminster • conversation
Sept. 14, 2020 • ~6 min

Arctic warming: are record temperatures and fires arriving earlier than scientists predicted?

The high temperatures and wildfires of 2019 were thought to have heralded a freak summer for the Arctic. Then 2020 brought worse.

Christopher J White, Senior Lecturer in Water & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde • conversation
Sept. 8, 2020 • ~7 min

Extreme wildfires can create their own dangerous weather, including fire tornadoes – here's how

Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.

Leila Carvalho, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Aug. 25, 2020 • ~6 min

Western wildfires are spinning off tornadoes – here’s how fires create their own freakish weather

Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.

Leila Carvalho, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Aug. 25, 2020 • ~6 min

It’s Hurricane Preparedness Week, and communities aren't ready for both coronavirus and a disaster

The US faces a high risk of hurricanes and other disasters this year that could leave thousands of people in need of shelter. COVID-19 will make those disasters more dangerous to manage.

Mark Abkowitz, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Environmental Management Studies, Vanderbilt University • conversation
May 5, 2020 • ~9 min

The age of stability is over, and coronavirus is just the beginning

The pandemic has exposed how vulnerable we are to unexpected climate shocks.

Wolfgang Knorr, Senior Research Scientist, Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University • conversation
April 16, 2020 • ~5 min

Wildfire smoke worsens coronavirus risk, putting firefighters in extra danger

Wildfire smoke makes it harder for firefighters' bodies to fight off viral invaders. But firefighting conditions make the usual protective measures nearly impossible.

Luke Montrose, Assistant Professor of Community and Environmental Health, Boise State University • conversation
April 15, 2020 • ~7 min

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