· 2 min read
illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Wired or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Vast areas of Canadian wilderness are ablaze again, forcing thousands to evacuate
• These "zombie fires" from last year smoldered underground and reignited this year, sending smoke into northern U.S. cities
• The fires have emitted over 15 megatons of carbon by mid-May
🔭 The context: Black carbon, a component of wildfire smoke, results from incomplete combustion of fuels
• It poses severe health risks and accelerates Arctic ice melt by darkening surfaces and increasing heat absorption
• Efforts to mitigate black carbon emissions include improved cooking technologies and reduced fossil fuel use
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Black carbon significantly contributes to climate change and health issues
• It accelerates Arctic warming and ice melt, creating a feedback loop of increasing fires and emissions
• Addressing black carbon can provide immediate climate and health benefits.
⏭️ What's next: Strategies to reduce black carbon include using cleaner cooking fuels, decarbonizing heavy industries, and adopting Indigenous fire management practices
• Investing in clean cooking solutions could prevent severe health and environmental costs.
💬 One quote: “Clean cooking has to be a very powerful emergency-brake solution,” says Yusuf Jameel of Project Drawdown
📈 One stat: By May 16, Canadian wildfires' monthly carbon emissions surpassed 15 megatons.
Click for more news covering the latest on carbon
