Professional update. For a few reasons, I’ve moved my program from INSTAAR to a CU institute focused on meeting net zero emissions via sustainable energy. I now hold the title of Director of Arctic Security, because there is no national security or climate justice w/out considering the Arctic.
Where does Halloween collide with the climate crisis? Zombie fires! These are fires that smolder underground through the winter, reemerging in the spring (aka holdover fire). Zombie fires are expected to become more common w/ climate change. Learn more here -> www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nationa...
Alaskan bogs putting on a glorious frosty display. Peatlands have cooled the climate by storing carbon that was once in the atmosphere. Protecting these natural carbon sinks is now critical so that all the hard work of peat accumulation is not undone. Protect Peat!!
Personal Confession. There are a lot of things that keep me up at night. Permafrost thaw unleashing disease onto us is NOT one of them. I know that media coverage has scared a lot of people about this - I share this in case it can ease some anxiety and refocus on the climate crisis.
Here is a brief primer on permafrost carbon. Permafrost (frozen soil) stores a HUGE amount of carbon because ancient life took up carbon dioxide, built biomass, then died. These organisms' organic matter (~50% C) slowly accrued in Earth's best freezer for 1000s of yrs. 1/
Permafrost stores more than twice the carbon contained in the atmosphere. Our best projections show that permafrost carbon release with thawing will be like adding another U.S. or China to global emissions. We must reduce fossil fuel use to keep some of this carbon frozen and in the ground.
Charles Darwin LOVED sundews and once declared "I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world". He would be thrilled that sundews have been restored to the Winmarleigh Moss bog after 100 yrs of drainage. Protect the Peat!
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
REMINDER - Wildfires are still igniting and spreading in northwestern Canada. It's not over yet. Even though we have predicted an increase in these mega-fire years, the magnitude of this season of burned area and emissions still has me in shock.
Everyone! I went searching for bogs in western Greenland and look what I found. While Canada and Russia and great places to find the bogs of yesterday, this young landscape may hold the bogs of tomorrow. I am in love.
Fire Fact! In the boreal and subarctic, forest fires don't just burn forests. They often are so large and intense that they burn peatlands, other wetlands, and permafrost ecosystems. These are the carbon powerhouses of the north.
Severe fires are now ravaging the Northwest Territories Canada. The capital city of Yellowknife is evacuating tonight. More than half of the population of the NWT has been displaced, with few safe travel routes. In 20 yrs of fire science, I've never seen anything like this before.
