How apocalyptic wildfires in California affect Singapore

The San Francisco skyline is obscured in orange smoke and haze as seen from Treasure Island in San Francisco, California on Sept 9, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

A boat motors by as the Bidwell Bar Bridge is surrounded by fire in Lake Oroville during the Bear fire in Oroville, California on Sept 9, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

Climate scientist Peter Kalmus, from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa) Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the United States, speaks to The Straits Times on his own behalf in this Green Pulse podcast. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DEVIN YALKIN

Updated

Published

Sep 25, 2020, 06:00 PM

Green Pulse Ep 33: How apocalyptic wildfires in California affect Singapore

19:01 mins

Synopsis: Green Pulse is an environmental podcast series at The Straits Times which analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Images of the apocalyptic wildfires in the American south-west have dominated headlines around the world. But what do the intense blazes there have to do with nations far away, such as Singapore?

In this episode, ST's environment correspondent Audrey Tan and climate change editor David Fogarty speak with climate scientist Peter Kalmus on the climate change link. Dr Kalmus is from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (Nasa) Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the United States, and is speaking to The Straits Times on his own behalf.

They discuss the following points:

1. What is driving the wildfires in the west coast of the United States? (3:38)

2. What does the fire crisis in the US mean for countries farther away? (5:57)

3. How are the growing amounts of emissions from human activities causing more intense blazes? (8:31)

4. What is the role of the individual in tackling the climate crisis? (14:48)

For more climate news, follow Dr Kalmus on Twitter

Produced by: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg) & David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg) & Ernest Luis

Follow Audrey Tan on Twitter

Follow David Fogarty on Twitter

Edited by: Adam Azlee

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Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf