Wildfires – the global future?
Wildfires – the global future?
31 July 2009
published by www.bbc.co.uk
Deadly wildfires have been raging in southern Europe for two weeks now, attracting media attention as they burn. This week, scientists have made some worrying predictions about how climate change is going to make the fires burn harder and further, more on that later. We spoke to some of the scientists that are trying to measure and control the spread of wildfires right now. One thing that doesnt grab the headlines is that the effects of forest flames burning out of control are far more significant in the developing world.
We also talk to the researchers who have looked at the impact global climate change could have on the wildfire rate in the USA by 2050 wildfires could double. Normally, the media covers the wildfires that ravage California, often threaten the homes of Hollywood stars, but the new data suggest that as climate change drives temperatures higher, so the frequency of wildfires will follow – with big consequences for the level of pollution caused.
Listen to the tape (MP3, 28 minutes, 8.5 MB)
