A firefighter stands on boulders covered with pink fire retardant while monitoring the Gavilan Fire, which has already burned more than 250 acres in Perris, Riverside county, California, on July 15, 2023. [Photo/VCG]

"We are making available 1 million N-95 masks," New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said in June. 

Was this in response to another COVID-19 outbreak? No. Although there were 306 positive cases in New York on June 16, the number of coronavirus transmissions is at an all-time low. The current crisis is extreme haze, a result of wildfires intensified by climate change.

New York City's air quality index, a measure of harmful pollutants in the air, shot up to 484 at one point. That's more than twice the level deemed "hazardous." Not only sensitive groups, but everyone, was advised to "significantly cut back on outdoor physical activities."

The number of active wildfires has since declined, but much of the U.S. remains blanketed in moderately polluted air. The Los Angeles area and Southern Nevada are classified as orange, which is "unhealthy for sensitive groups."

While the smoke affecting New York City originated from Canadian fires, the U.S. has also been registering a high number of blazes. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 68,988 forest fires consumed 7.6 million acres of U.S. land in 2022. That was the highest number of forest fires since 2017, and 2017 had the most since 2011. The number of forest fires in 2022 was 3.8 times higher than in 1983.

The problem of forest fires and other extreme weather are not confined to North America. A 2019 analysis in Nature reported an increase in forest fires in many Southeast Asian countries.

The 2019-20 bushfire season in Australia, so severe it was dubbed the "Black Summer" for the often blackened sky, destroyed over 60 million acres and 9,352 buildings. A fire commissioner from New South Wales implored the government to act on climate change.

Some fires result from farming techniques, others from natural disasters. But the reality is, regardless of the cause, forest fires are generally worsening – burning larger areas and persisting for extended periods – due to climate change.

Dryer fields burn more easily. Wildfires fueled by dry vegetation burn hotter and are harder to extinguish. The Environmental Defense Fund states, "Climate change affects wildfires by exacerbating the hot, dry conditions that help these fires catch and spread. As global temperatures rise, we expect the size, frequency, and severity of wildfires to increase in the years ahead."

Things are only going to get worse. According to a report commissioned by the U.N. Environment Programme, wildfires are going to increase by 50% during the 21st century. A U.N./DESA Policy Brief from 2021 proposed six measures to curb wildfires, including international collaboration, promoting a synergetic agenda for climate and forests, and applying scientific and sound traditional knowledge.

But anti-wildfire policies will not make a dent if nations do not work together to address climate change. Not only are wildfires made worse by climate change, but climate change is also made worse by wildfires. The U.N. report said, "Climate change and wildfires are mutually reinforcing. The historical increase in GHG emissions from human activities has led to more fire-prone climate patterns."

There are many arguments between different countries, but wildfires, extreme storms, and climate change harm everyone, in every country. It's crucial for representatives of each nation to proactively collaborate on measures to cool down the planet.

Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.