news, journals and articles from all over the world.
In advance of a wildfire season projected to be among the worst, the American Thoracic Society has released a report that calls for a unified federal response to wildfires that includes investment in research on smoke exposure and forecasting, health impacts of smoke, evaluation of interventions, and a clear and coordinated communication strategy to protect public health.
Read moreNew research from the University of Utah ties the worsening trend of extreme poor air quality events in Western regions to wildfire activity, with growing trends of smoke impacting air quality clear into September.
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Wildfires affect both the visible parts of plants and the plant microbiome. Understanding these effects helps scientists mitigate the effects of wildfires. This research examined microbial DNA samples from tissues of young quaking aspen saplings after a prescribed burn. Aspen relies largely on fire to regenerate. This work demonstrates that fire affects the entire plant microbiome, not just nearby soil.
Read moreJust adapting to climate change is not something the world can afford to do. So, the CSU is exploring all options to thwart potentially disastrous consequences.
Read moreReliance on petroleum fuels and raging wildfires: Two separate, large-scale challenges that could be addressed by one scientific breakthrough. Researchers from two national laboratories have collaborated to develop a streamlined and efficient process for converting woody plant matter like forest overgrowth and agricultural waste – material that is currently burned either intentionally or unintentionally – into liquid biofuel.
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In a long-term study in a Salt Lake-area building, researchers found that the amount of air pollution that comes indoors depends on the type of outdoor pollution. Wildfires, fireworks and wintertime inversions all affect indoor air to different degrees.
Read moreDHS S&T recently conducted a virtual training on its Team Awareness Kit (TAK) that provides such features as video sharing, location tracking of fire equipment, fire perimeters from aircraft, and fire model forecasts.
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Irvine, Calif., Dec. 7, 2020 — In 2018, California wildfires caused economic losses of nearly $150 billion, or about 0.7 percent of the gross domestic product of the entire United States that year, and a considerable fraction of those costs affected people far from the fires and even outside of the Golden State. For a study published today in Nature Sustainability, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, China’s Tsinghua University and other institutions combined physical, epidemiological and economic models to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the blazes.
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2020 is the worst fire year on record in the United States. In the face of heartbreaking losses, effort and expense, scientists are still grappling with some of the most basic questions about how fire influences interactions between plants and animals in the natural world. A new study grounded in the northern Rockies explores the role of fire in the finely tuned dance between plants and their pollinators.
Read moreDHS S&T’s Smart City Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs program is bringing together government and private sector partners to identify technologies that can detect and alert emergency management, utilities, and citizens of a threatening wildfire.
Read moreA new observational study has revealed a decreasing burned area trend that could impact African ecosystems.
Read moreWhat are the effects of wildfires on the ecosystem, the atmosphere, and human health? Through remote sensing, Nancy French, senior research
Read moreProf. Jim Randerson is a leading U.S. expert on human impacts on biogeochemical cycles, with particular empasis on climate and
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David Blunck, an associate professor of mechanical engineering Oregon State University, is an expert on the burning of live fuels,
Read moreWildfires continue to rage in California, Oregon and other western states as residents evacuate, while cities like San Francisco face
Read moreWildfires are becoming more common and severe due to climate change and warmer and drier conditions in the West. As wildfire season rages in the United States, people are also at increased risk for COVID-19 infection due to wildfire smoke.
Read moreWhat are the effects of wildfires on the ecosystem, the atmosphere, and human health? Through remote sensing, Nancy French, senior
Read moreGrass fires behave differently than those in forests. But computer fire simulations don’t capture that difference very well. Derek Mallia
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Some governments are counting on planted forests as offsets for greenhouse gas emissions—a sort of climate investment. But as with any investment, it’s important to understand the risks. If a forest goes bust, researchers say, much of that stored carbon could go up in smoke.
Forests can be best deployed in the fight against climate change with a proper understanding of the risks to that forest that climate change itself imposes.
Researchers synthesize how climate change will affect the risk of wildfires in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana. The study also suggests how managers and individual landowners in different ecosystems can best prepare.
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Leading up to Earth Day on April 22, Cedars-Sinai is posting a weekly story and video that investigates the various ways climate change is impacting our bodies. This week’s topic: The Lungs and Climate Change.
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In 1988, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Armenian city of Spitak. The temblor destroyed cities and is estimated to have killed between 25,000 and 35,000 people, many of whom were schoolchildren.
Read moreWith 80+ Featured and Scientific Sessions and 2,000+ presentations showcasing advances in fundamental and translational sciences and emerging disciplines and technologies, the 59th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo of the Society of Toxicology is the largest forum for toxicological research in the world.
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Wildfires significantly impact the health of economies in the western United States that are highly dependent on tourism, agriculture, and timber. David Blunck, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to spearhead a $2.1 million study examining the burning behavior of live fuels
in order to better predict and manage wildfires.
As record wildfires continue to burn in Australia, people are wondering about their long-term impacts, including on the environment. To
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In a little over two weeks, more than three million Australian students will return to school, ready to start a new year. But, amid the packed lunches and book bags, many may also be returning with a sense of anxiety and confusion in the aftermath of Australia’s devastating bushfires.
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West Virginia University geographer and paleoclimatologist Amy Hessl has studied the climate history of Australia and even happens to be in the country
Read moreTwo dozen people and an estimated 480 million animals have been killed in Australia during unprecedented early-season bushfires that have
Read moreAs wildfires become deadlier, larger and more expensive, there is strong interest in better risk governance. Managing future wildfire risk requires an interface between human decision processes and knowledge about climate trends related to fire, as well as humans’ abilities to anticipate wildfire potential and mitigation approaches are critical. Several presentations at the 2019 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting will explore analyses of past fire seasons, projections for the future and approaches for decision making aimed at mitigating risk.
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Tips for this month include:
• More heart valve patients now are able to choose minimally invasive procedures instead of open heart surgery.
• Our experts tell how to protect your lungs during wildfire season.
• Cedars-Sinai scored a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index.
• 3D mammograms are becoming more popular and could save more lives.
• Men’s Health experts available to discuss “Movember” topics.
• Flu experts also available
Virginia Tech offers several interview opportunities with experts in wildfires, smoke and the impacts on health, resources for optimal disaster
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UCLA Health has an expert available to discuss ways to cope with the stress, trauma and psychological implications of the
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Wildfires continue to burn throughout Southern California, forcing many people to evacuate their homes and workplaces. Even if you don’t live in an evacuation zone, smoke from the fires can pose a serious health risk.
A Q&A with Berkeley Lab indoor air scientists on protecting homes, schools, and other buildings, from air pollution during wildfires.
Read moreExperts from the University of Delaware’s Disaster Research Center can provide tips and analysis about evacuations and response related to
Read moreJames Randerson, Chancellor’s Professor of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, is a senior researcher on the
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