SMOKE
hhtoooNNANNSAAAAEE thh bseerervvtoorryimmgee yyyJoJoJs eveevee ,,usuuususs
VIIVIVRSSSddd aa froomN EOODID LAA nddGIGIGII ooo eew,e dd
theSumNainnll larr-oroobbi Prtnnneerrs.the big
picture.
NO ICE,
JUST FIRE
A cloud of smoke larger than
continental Europe has been
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ƫƸÿƣƸĪģěǣŧŏŃŊƸŲŏŲŃƫƸƣŏŤĪƫ᠁ŊÿǜĪ
been burning for three months
inside the Arctic Circle.
Fires in this region burn annually,
but the intensity this year is
unprecedented. An area bigger than
Denmark – 4.3 million hectares of forest- has burned, releasing CO2 equivalent
to 36 million cars. The real danger,
however, is the soot which will blow
over and settle on Arctic ice on the land
and sea, accelerating the rate at which
it is melting.
As sea ice melts, it results in
ŏŲĜƣĪÿƫŏŲŃƫĪÿŧĪǜĪŧƫÿŲģŏŲǵŧǀĪŲĜĪƫ
ocean currents. On land, the melting
permafrost releases carbon dioxide
and other gases into the atmosphere,
adding to a cycle that worsens and
hastens the climate crisis further.
The real danger, however, is the
soot that will blow over and settle on
Arctic ice, accelerating the rate at which
it’s melting.
June and July, globally, were the
hottest two months ever recorded.
18 | BIGISSUE.COM ǼȄɯǽȀg&g]cǽǻǼȄ