Flames have ripped through Siberian Taiga forests, where wildfires have now burned down an area larger than the country of Greece, according to Greenpeace Russia.
Take a look at the post below …
Unfortunately, wildfires in the area have become an annual occurrence but record-breaking heat has intensified the damage. For months, Siberia has been experiencing extreme heat due to a combination of persistent sunny weather and human-caused climate change.
Arctic temperatures cracked 100 degrees in June and the heat has fueled an enormous outbreak of wildfires, including fires on tundra that are underpinned by permafrost which is normally frigid soil that is likely becoming even less frozen this year.
Environmentalists warn that the blazes could become the worst in Russia’s history … and that authorities aren’t doing enough to improve conditions.
According to satellite monitoring data, 19 million hectares — or about 47 million acres — of forests and fields have burned across Siberia since January, making the region a “climate hotspot.”
Most of the fires have occurred in remote areas, but harmful smoke has spread to large cities and smaller towns.
The smoke is hurting air quality in the region, which could exacerbate symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses.
Activists believe that some of the forest fires may have been a result of lightning … but many have started due to campfires or intentional burnings that got out of hand.
Over here at Karmagawa, we want everyone to know that everyone’s actions affect the environment and if we don’t make changes, more of our beautiful planet will be destroyed.
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What do you think about the rising temperatures in Siberia and the damage being done by wildfires? Leave a comment below.
(Cover image: 24Novembers/Shutterstock)