Don Sutherland's photos with the keyword: smoke

Another round of smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada shrouded New York City today (New York City, New York)--June 30, 2023. The Air Quality Index remained in the 160s (unhealthy) throughout the afternoon.

Wildfire smoke shrouds the Long Island Sound (Larchmont, New York)--June 7, 2023. The New York City area is experiencing a historic period of wildfire smoke. Thick smoke from wildfires in Quebec brought blood-red sunrises, an acrid smell of fire, and almost apocalyptic darkness during mid-afternoon. The visibility crashed to 0.75 miles and the Air Quality Index spiked at 484 in the City. Climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels is resulting in increasing vapor pressure deficits (a measure of dryness). In turn, fires become more frequent, more expansive, and more intense. To date, the fossil fuel industry receives approximately $5.9 trillion in subsidies annually according to the IMF's methodology that incorporates externalities such as climate change-driven disasters. No policy efforts aimed at directly reducing the burning of fossil fuels are underway and CO2 emissions continue to move farther from the trajectory required to limit warming to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels. Recent weather extremes--extremes that are increasing in magnitude at a faster rate than the temperature is rising--hints that the world's climate may be approaching or even have reached a critical point. Beyond that critical point may lie a harsher and more unstable climate. The unprecedented smoke event in New York City is perhaps just another symptom of the climate transition that leads to that more volatile climate state.

A pallid sunrise created by the wildfire smoke that originated in the western United States and Canada (Larchmont, New York)—July 20, 2021 Climate scientists have long highlighted the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gas pollution is driving a warming of the Earth’s climate. They have long warned that extreme weather and related events—heat waves, drought, floods, and wildfires—would result from ongoing climate change. Greenhouse gas polluters knowingly attacked the truth and deliberately pushed propaganda aimed at paralyzing policy. Policy makers remained oblivious 2021 has already seen an unprecedented heat wave crash upon North America’s Pacific Northwest; unsparing drought send reservoirs in California and Utah’s Great Salt Lake to record lows; exploding wildfires and fire tornadoes pillage parts of western North America and Siberia; terrible floods ravage parts of Europe, India, Nigeria, Russia, and China; and drought-driven famine stalk Madagascar’s helpless population like vultures awaiting death. The suspects —those who bear primary responsibility for the climate catastrophes of this year and the even greater ones that lie ahead—are well-known. Yet, in many countries, policy makers remain enthralled by the siren song of those fossil fuel polluters. Many governments subsidize the expansion of these increasingly destructive enterprises and activities. People bear the enormous and growing burden of the costs and consequences of climate change. The lifeless morning of July 20 is just the latest reminder that the world is now at, and perhaps beyond, a pivotal moment. That moment requires courageous, committed, and ethical leadership that, perhaps for the first time, puts the wellbeing of society ahead of the interests of the amoral architects of destructive climate change. There is no refuge for the world’s peoples from climate change. There are no permanent resting places for the world’s peoples. The intervals between extreme events are temporary respites. Justice requires that there be no respite for the polluters. November’s COP26 conference offers the world’s leaders a renewed chance to chart a better course for humanity. Eloquent words and bold promises won’t matter. Only credible commitments anchored in enacted policy changes will matter. Examples include eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, permanently suspending the awarding of new oil and gas exploration and drilling leases, shutting down the coal industry, providing investments for rapidly building and scaling clean energy technologies, levying a fee on the greenhouse gas polluters for their pollution, and establishing binding deadlines for the transition toward achieving global net zero emissions. There still remains time for a reasonable transition. However, each day of relative inaction only squanders the slender amount of time that now separates relatively painless transition from painful disruption. The world’s leaders can still secure humanity’s future. At COP26, they should rise to the occasion. What course will they choose?