California Wildfires 2009

Name: Abdullaziz Ahmed Al MohannadiGrade: 9CDate: Wednesday, January 26th, 2011.Subject/ Teacher: Humanities/ Mrs. Korbatits

What is Wildfire?

• Wildfires are fires has started from the wild, usually from lightening, or bad climate and it spreads out quickly.

• Wildfires destruct the wild and the environment

What is the issue?In July 7th, 2009, a total of 63 wildfires were

active. Before couple of days since the wildfires started a red flag warning have warned the people living in California near the forests that a wild fire is about to occur. Then the wildfires have started – a total of 63 wildfires were active – and it burnt the South West of California, in 3 months and 20 days. for example: Southern California, Station Fire south of LA, Santa Barbara County, Santa Cruz County, Mount Wilson, La Canada Flintridge, Altadena, La Crescenta, Glendal, Pasadena, and Acto and Agua Dulce. On October 27th, 2009 the wildfires were put down.

What is the issue?

Scientist and firefighters didn’t know the cause of the wildfires. Yet they guessed it is naturally, because It usually starts from hot and dry temperature and climate. Then it increases because of the global warming. In California, the risk of large wildfires is expected to increase about 20% by mid-century, and about 50% at the end of the year. If average statewide temperature increase to the medium warming range, the risk of wildfires is expected to rise almost twice if temperatures are kept within the lower warming range. If global warming doesn’t stop increasing in the temperature, by the end of the century the costs of damage property from California wildfires will rise to 30%.

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About the country

Sacramento is the capital state of California. California is a state that’s made up of 58 counties. It was admitted on the 9th of September, at 1850. It’s the 31st state in the United States of America. It’s located on the far west of the United States of America. It’s bordered by the 3 states – Nevada, Arizona and Oregon. A country also borders it, which is Mexico. California is also bordered by the Pacific Ocean. It’s the 3rd biggest, and most populous state in the USA. It has a population of approximately 33,900,000. California has 18 National Forests. In other words it has 20 million acres of National Forest land.

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About the climate

It’s usually hot and dry and has a low humidity. In the summer, the coastal counties, has a hot and dry and low humidity, but in the winter it gets a little bit cool and a bit of rain. On the other side, the inner counties, has a hot and dry winter, but in the summer it’s cold and wet. A hot and dry climate could increase the flammability of vegetation, and promote up to 90% rise in large wildfires. Even a hot and a wet climate could be a 40% rise in large wildfires. So, maybe California’s climate could be the cause of the wildfire that happened in California in 2009.

Impacts

• Economical and Political: Wildfires have historically cost California $800 million each year, for repairs, for the people and for other damages that are caused by the wildfires

• Social: Wildfires have also cost California lives, in other words it killed a lot of people

• Environmental and Social: As global warming increases, so will wildfires, and the damages that these two environmental hazards cause for the country, government and people

• Environmental: By century’s end, if we didn’t find a solution for decreasing global warming we may see as many as 55% more large wildfires

Impacts

• Social: When wildfires are burning, they produce small black powdery substance, which are soot that can cause illnesses and diseases in human’s respiratory and cardiovascular system, it may also lead to death

• Environmental: Soot may also effect the air and cause air pollution, which may also be dangerous for animals and other creatures who breathe oxygen

• Economical: If global warming doesn’t stop increasing into the higher warming range, property damage costs from California wildfires will rise approximately 30% by the end of the century.

Impacts:

• Social and Economical: Wildfires may burn down peoples’ houses, then they would not have any shelter, and if they’re going to build a new house this needs a lot of money

• Economical, Environmental and Social: Wildfires may burn croplands, and trees that are useful, or in other words trees that produce goods for us. People then won’t have enough food, or for example people that have their own croplands that they eat from, because they can’t afford buying food everyday, won’t have food anymore. Even if the croplands are burnt the economics will drop.

Impacts

Political, Economical and Social: The exportation of agriculture will decrease if the wildfires burn the croplands, or the government will be forced to import food because they don’t have enough food in the country. In this situation, the economics will drop in the country, and the government won’t have a lot of money because they use to earn their money from exporting. Plus the have to import if they don’t have enough food in the country. So if they don’t get to a solution for the problem, after few decades the country will get poor and the government will be out of money, and then they have to start cutting from the peoples’ salary.

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