Fire! In A Crowded World
Alex Smith | 19.04.2012 03:38 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Health | Sheffield
It's time for the Radio Ecoshock special, my recordings of a special session on fire and climate. The fire experts gathered at the February conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Vancouver 2012.
You'll hear how fires make a hotter climate which feeds more fires, the cycle of positive feedback. An internationally recognized wildfire expert, Dr. Michael Flannigan reports on the latest science and experience in the field. Flannigan also describes a new risk that could tip the climate of the world.
You may have a personal stake in this. Anyone with lungs does.
From the University of British Columbia School of medicine, Dr. Mike Brauer explains new ways of tracking dangerous smoke, which can travel thousands of miles, across international boundaries. I like Brauer's talk, because he also tells us how citizens can protect themselves during a smoke event.
Finally we'll hear from Dr. Fay Johnston from the University of Tasmania. She was part of a team asking the big question: how many people die from fire smoke every year? The answer, and the places most at risk, may surprise you. At least 340,000 people a year die from landscape fire smoke, in many parts of the world.
Nobody is immune, but there are a few things you can do.
More details and links here:
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CD Quality version of this 1 hour program (56 MB) here:
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Lo-Fi (13 MB lower quality, faster download):
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Alex Smith
Homepage:
http://www.ecoshock.org