As of August 28th, there have been 4,936 wildfires in California so far this year. The most devastating wildfire in recent history was in 2018, where the town of Paradise, California was burned to the ground and caused 85 deaths.
According to a new study, wildfires will only increase in intensity with climate change boosting the risk of fast-spreading fires by 25 percent in California. The key driver for this is the hotter air pulling water out of dead and alive plants, making entire regions tinderboxes ready to go up in flames quickly. Another driving force is the extreme wind caused by the jet stream.
Fortunately, there are several members of the .earth web domain tribe who are coming up with solutions for best understanding and managing wildfires:
- Cervest.Earth: This climate intelligence company has enhanced an EarthScan solution to include a “wildfire signal” that assesses current and future wildfire danger on individual assets and portfolios across different climate emission scenarios. Learn more here.
- Puro.Earth: As the world’s first marketplace for carbon removal, this organization has partnered with providers of biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from biomass that can protect forests from wildfires. Be sure to check out our Voices.Earth podcast with Elba Horta of Puro.Earth here.
- GLP.Earth: A researcher from this organization published a study that proposed changing California state laws on overall land management practices to help minimize the spread of wildfires. Learn more here.
- FireLore.Earth: This Indigenous-owned and operated cultural land management consultancy focuses on reducing overall wildfire risks and revitalizing destroyed ecosystems. Learn more here.
- Intersphere.Earth: This organization offers a prediction system that detects weather and climate patterns that influence the location and frequency of wildfires. Learn more here.
From a global perspective, according to the United Nations (UN), overall wildfires will increase by 50 percent by the year 2100 – with an elevated risk even for the Arctic and other regions previously unaffected by wildfires. On top of this, the UN study pointed to global governments not being prepared to manage this drastic increase in wildfires.
We applaud the member of the .earth web domain tribe who are advancing solutions that are needed to counter climate change consequences.
If you are developing an innovation for addressing today’s climate challenges, the .earth web domain is ideal for enhancing your brands and communicating your special mission.
To learn more about the .earth domain, visit Voices.Earth. In addition, many organizations and individuals are sharing their voices about the benefits of a .earth domain in our Voices.Earth podcast series.
