Western wildfire smoke plumes are getting taller
In recent years the plumes of smoke crawling upward from Western wildfires have trended taller, with more smoke and aerosols lofted up where they can spread farther and impact air quality over a wider area. The likely cause is climate change, with de.....»»
Unusual mix of blazes sparked 2023 fire season, study shows
An unusual mix of blazes sparked Alberta's fierce 2023 wildfire season, suggests a new report by experts including a University of Alberta researcher......»»
Newly discovered protein stops DNA damage
Researchers from Western University have discovered a protein that has the never-before-seen ability to stop DNA damage in its tracks. The finding could provide the foundation for developing everything from vaccines against cancer, to crops that can.....»»
Wildfires are increasing toxic mercury in streams in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, study finds
Wildfires have been burning across Idaho this summer, and their list of harmful impacts is long, from worsening health conditions because of smoke to challenges recovering millions in costs to fight them......»»
Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
As wildfires scorched swaths of land in the wine country of Sonoma County in 2020, sending ash flying and choking the air with smoke, Maria Salinas harvested grapes......»»
Athens blaze reignites questions over "fire every year"
Climate change may have played a part in the latest massive wildfire just outside Athens, but some critics blame inadequate equipment and lack of planning for what has become an annual crisis......»»
Scientists cook up a plan to save freshwater crocodiles from toxic cane toads
Scientists from Macquarie University working with Bunuba Indigenous rangers and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in Western Australia have trialed a new way to protect freshwater crocodiles from deadly invasive cane.....»»
Greek firefighters calm deadly Athens inferno
Greek emergency services fought back Tuesday against a massive wildfire that scorched the Athens suburbs, killing a woman, causing widespread damage and sending thousands of people fleeing from their homes......»»
EU firefighters to join as Greece battles blaze
Greece battled a massive wildfire near Athens for a third day on Tuesday, with hundreds of European firefighters due to join the effort to contain the deadly blaze that has scorched parts of the capital's suburbs......»»
Historic fires trapped in Antarctic ice yield key information for climate models
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey tracked fire activity over the past 150 years by measuring carbon monoxide trapped in Antarctic ice. This gas is released, along with smoke and particulates, by wildfires,.....»»
China auto market hits milestone as EVs, hybrids make up half of July sales
Half of all vehicles sold in China in July were either new pure electric vehicles (EV) or plug-in hybrids, industry data showed, a milestone that underscores how far the world's biggest auto market has leapt ahead of Western counterparts in EV adopti.....»»
Scientists and rangers share knowledge to restore seagrass
Scientists from The University of Western Australia have partnered with Indigenous rangers on a seagrass restoration project in Gathaagudu (Shark Bay) to help moderate climate change and conserve biodiversity......»»
Harvest starts very early in Sicily"s drought-hit vineyards
On the hills of the Contessa Entellina vineyard in western Sicily, the harvest is already well underway, the grapes ripening earlier than usual because of drought and high temperatures......»»
Some Trees ‘Hold Their Breath’ during Wildfires
When wildfire smoke is in the air, some trees essentially shut their windows and doors and hold their breath.....»»
Treatment with smoke can favor seed germination in Brazil"s Cerrado biome
For thousands of years, plants have evolved in the presence of wildfires in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna-like biome. Scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) studied the effect of smoke on seed germination for 44 plant species typical of th.....»»
Tundra vegetation to grow taller, greener through 2100, study finds
Warming global climate is changing the vegetation structure of forests in the far north. It's a trend that will continue at least through the end of this century, according to NASA researchers. The change in forest structure could absorb more of the.....»»
New York City"s fireworks display prompts temporary surge of air pollution
In 2023, roughly 60,000 firework shells exploded above Manhattan's East River as part of Macy's Fourth of July show. The resulting air pollutant levels were many times higher in the hours after the display than those seen when smoke from a Canadian w.....»»
Scientists reveal strategically applied livestock grazing can benefit sagebrush communities
While a cow grazing in a field isn't typically remarkable, United States Department of Agriculture scientists have identified potential ecological benefits of strategically applied livestock grazing in sagebrush communities across U.S. western rangel.....»»
How to Stop Wildfire Smoke Damaging Your Health
Smoke from fires is linked to thousands of premature deaths every year, and is a growing health threat as widespread blazes becomes more common......»»
Wildfires in Colorado burn dozens of homes and structures, threaten hundreds more
A wildfire burning in Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region has burned dozens of homes and outbuildings, while a second fire crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes near Denver on Thursday......»»
Wildfires encroach on homes near Denver as heat hinders fight
A wildfire on the edge of metro Denver crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes, but authorities said Thursday morning they were hopeful to save hundreds of threatened residences as they grapple with sweltering temperatures and firefighters suf.....»»