‘We’ve looked over the Amazon during the dry season, and there are hundreds or thousands of forest fires induced by the farmers there. And the amount of smoke that goes to the atmosphere and mixes with clouds is huge.’ – Ilan Koren
Atmospheric scientist llan Koren of Israel’s Weizmann Institute spoke with EarthSky’s Jorge Salazar at a recent science meeting about how smoke over the Amazon affects not only the immediate forest, but also global climate because of its dramatic impact on Earth’s clouds.
Our thanks to NASA‘s Terra Mission, helping us better understand and protect our home planet.
Our thanks to:
Ilan Koren
Weizmann Institute of Science
Rehovot, Israel
There have been fires through the eons. Some worse than others. The effects of the smoke and ash are of limited duration. They are not permanent in nature. An eruption of a volcanoe is a much more important and significant event. More smoke, more ash and much more CO2 than anything that man can do.
While it is repugnent to many folks living here, the burning of the rainforest is the business of those who own the property. And, as in the case of the Panama Canal Zone, as soon as man quits burning and clearing the jungle, it reaserts itself. Our pitiful little efforts are soon forgotten.