Long power outages after disasters aren't inevitable – but to avoid them, utilities need to think differently

Building even more power poles and transmission lines won’t avert outages when major disasters strike.

Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State • conversation
Sept. 24, 2021 ~7 min

Pinpointing the role of climate change in every storm is impossible – and a luxury most countries can't afford

Rapid attribution studies reveal climate change’s influence on the weather, but they’re expensive and time-consuming.

Luke Harrington, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington • conversation
Sept. 20, 2021 ~6 min


Western fires are burning higher in the mountains and at unprecedented rates as the climate warms

As the risk of fires rises in areas once considered too wet to burn, it creates hazards for mountain communities and for downstream water supplies.

Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Ph.D. Student in Engineering, McGill University • conversation
Sept. 13, 2021 ~9 min

Firebrands: How to protect your home from wildfires' windblown flaming debris

A fire scientist explains the risk of flying embers that can travel over a mile from a wildfire and how people can protect their homes.

David Blunck, Associate Professor School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, Oregon State University • conversation
Sept. 9, 2021 ~9 min

Firebrands and protecting homes from wildfires: What everyone needs to know about flaming windblown debris

A fire scientist explains the risk of flying embers that can travel over a mile from a wildfire and how people can protect their homes.

David Blunck, Associate Professor School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, Oregon State University • conversation
Sept. 9, 2021 ~9 min

Wildfire burn scars can intensify and even create thunderstorms that lead to catastrophic flooding – here's how it works

An atmospheric scientist and sailplane pilot describes why large areas of burned land can produce clouds and rainstorms.

William R. Cotton, Professor Emeritus of Meteorology, Colorado State University • conversation
Sept. 7, 2021 ~5 min

Wildfire burn scars can intensify and even trigger thunderstorms, leading to catastrophic flooding – here's how

An atmospheric scientist and sailplane pilot describes why large areas of burned land can produce clouds and rainstorms.

William R. Cotton, Professor Emeritus of Meteorology, Colorado State University • conversation
Sept. 7, 2021 ~5 min

Breathing wildfire smoke can affect the brain and sperm, as well as the lungs

Here are some of the ways wildfire smoke particles or the inflammatory signals they cause could reach the brain and what researchers found in the sperm of animals exposed to wildfire smoke.

Adam Schuller, Researcher in Biomolecular Sciences, Boise State University • conversation
Aug. 30, 2021 ~8 min


When hotter and drier means more – but eventually less – wildfire

Not all forests respond to hotter and drier conditions in the same way.

Jeremy Littell, Research Ecologist - Climate Impacts, US Geological Survey • conversation
Aug. 19, 2021 ~9 min

3 wildfire lessons for forest towns as Dixie Fire destroys historic Greenville, California

Hundreds of computer simulations point to a few best strategies for keeping homes safe from fire in a warming climate.

David Hulse, Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Florida • conversation
Aug. 6, 2021 ~10 min

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