Now that officials say the wildfires in California have been contained, tallies are being done and the damage is being assessed. The number is still climbing, but as of October 20th the official number of homes destroyed in the blaze was 7,000. The death toll stands at 42. 22 of those deaths took place in a particular Sonoma County fire, making that fire the third deadliest fire in California history. As of last Thursday, more than 15,000 people still remain evacuated as Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order to speed up the recovery efforts and ban price gouging on emergency supplies.
A fire once in a while in a natural setting is a normal thing, but when fires grow out of control and spread to urban areas, the consequences for the environment are disastrous. Not only the animals and plants who have been killed or displaced, but the humans whose lives have been destroyed as a result of the fire are a paramount concern. The pollution and damage done by the fires will also have further repercussions on the environment in the coming months. More must be done to take preventative measures against fires in the future.
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In Southeast Asia in 2015, the drought following El Niño caused severe wildfires. Now that the area has somewhat recovered, Dr. Benjamin Lee from the University of Kent has been analyzing the changes in animal acoustics activity in the forests. His research shows an alarming 37.5% drop in animal acoustic activity in the period of time following the fires. This is because the pollution and haze as well as the blaze itself was detrimental to many of the species living in the forest.
Dr. Lee's research is especially alarming considering the wildfires that are currently happening in the northwestern United States. Even after the fires themselves have been put out, the ensuing pollution and haze will still spell disaster for many animals who call the northwestern U.S. home. Further action should be taken in the wake of the wildfires to monitor animal activity and ensure that a drop like the one in Southeast Asia either doesn't happen at all, or is able to recover at a faster rate. When people think of renewable energy sources, they often think of solar power or wind turbines. One unlikely source, however, is the common ocean plant seaweed. Seaweed can be processed into a renewable and environmentally friendly biofuel. The plant also grows relatively quickly, making it a perfect choice for a major source of energy. The U.S. Department of Energy has designated over a million dollars to be poured into seaweed farms, in order to help research and experiment with how to slowly replace some fossil fuels with this new form of biofuel.
Now that fossil fuels are understood to be unsustainable and bad for the environment, many wonder where we should turn next. Seaweed is both renewable and good for the environment. Furthermore, seaweed farms as a source of energy would be far better than drilling for oil or mining for coal. The U.S. Department of Energy is smart to be investing in this new source of energy. It is a source of hope for future generations who will inherit this planet, and a step in the direction of reversing the damage done by fossil fuels. The results of a new study done on honey from all over the world has found an amount of neonicotinoid chemicals in 75% of the honey. Neonicotinoids are some of the most common insecticides, because they can be put on seeds before they're even planted and are often considered less detrimental to the environment than other more toxic insecticides. However, many scientists have been concerned about neonicotinoid's effects on pollinators, and this study proves that they have a right to feel that way. Although the level of chemicals in the honey was not enough to harm humans, 34% of the honey had levels of neonicotinoids that would be detrimental to bees.
Bees are pollinators, meaning their movements transport pollen between plants, helping them to reproduce. Bees are crucial to the environment, both natural ecosystems and human-run farms. If insecticides are killing off bees, this could contribute to the decline of biodiversity in some parts of the world. Some countries are already being forced to revert to humans pollinating their own crops, such as China. While this is effective in agriculture, this does nothing to save biodiversity, which some scientists say is already in the stages of collapse. The authors of the aforementioned study are proposing a complete ban on neonicotinoids. It is only one study, so more research should be done to confirm it, however, the importance of bees should not be underrated and measures should be taken to ensure their safety and their importance in the environment. |