1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: There have been three things that I've seen tumbling down 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: the timeline in the past couple of days. 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 2: First is the Ivy parking Adida's collaboration. 4 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 3: Yes, have you gotten anything? Were you able to? 5 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 4: No? 6 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 3: I thought I could at least get a pair of socks. 7 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 3: I was able to snag a sweatshirt, which I was shocked. 8 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 2: Why'd you buy a sweatshirt? You know, Beyonce, gon send 9 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: you a box. 10 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 3: I know, I'm just still waiting for it. I don't 11 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 3: know it's taking so long. Well, Junie Ambrose got hers. 12 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 3: Junie Ambrose got hers and slay that Liza. I was like, 13 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 3: this is the best Beyonce Ivy park try on of 14 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 3: all time. I'll link to it in the show notes 15 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 3: because it's just amazing it is. 16 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: What's the second thing? 17 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 3: The second thing is those things on Instagram that you 18 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 3: can set It shows you like what Disney character are you? 19 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 3: What Harry Potter House are you? What's your next vacation? 20 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 3: And it and you do all everybody's been doing them. Okay, 21 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 3: I've done probably like fifty fifty at least. 22 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: Man, that's a lot. I look at that. 23 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: I don't want to do them because I don't want 24 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: anybody to assign me the wrong character, and then I'm 25 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: gonna be and can you do it over again? You 26 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: can do it over and decide when you're going to record. 27 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 3: You can record and then delete it. 28 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: I can't delete the data. 29 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 3: I'm TT and I'm Zakijah and from Spotify Studios. 30 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 4: This is Dope Labs. 31 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 3: What's the third thing? 32 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 2: Third thing is everything fire related in Australia. 33 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. 34 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: Yes, have you. 35 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: Seen the videos of the animals running from the fire 36 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: and people helping them? 37 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 3: It is awful. Is awful all the destruction that it's causing. 38 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 3: There have been people that have died, there's you know, 39 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 3: thousands of homes that have been lost. Yeah, it's just 40 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 3: awful to see. 41 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: And it taught me, like, even looking at some of 42 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: the information that's being spread, I realized I don't know 43 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: enough about a Australia and B fire. 44 00:01:58,400 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, and so I think we should jump into this. 45 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 3: I think so too, because there's a lot to be learned. 46 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: So this episode we're talking about the Australian fires. We're 47 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: going to give you a broad overview of what's been happening, 48 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 1: what caused the fires, and what we need to think 49 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: about to prevent things like this happening in the future. 50 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 3: So let's get into the recitation, all. 51 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: Right, what do we know TT I know that there 52 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: was a lot of destruction. There were a lot of fires. 53 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: I don't know if it was one single fire or 54 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: multiple fires, but I know that it was mass fire destruction. 55 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 3: Another thing that we do know is that a lot 56 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 3: of scientists are linking these fires to climate change, and 57 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 3: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAH, they just 58 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 3: released their finding saying that twenty nineteen was the second 59 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 3: hottest year on records, and they have a long record exactly, 60 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 3: and so twenty nineteen was only second to twenty sixteen. 61 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 3: So in the last five years, we've put up the 62 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 3: hottest the two hottest year, the two hottest years on record. 63 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: But what do we want want to know? 64 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 3: I want to know how these fires actually started, because 65 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 3: there are a number of ways that fires can start, right, 66 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 3: But I want to know who is the culprit. 67 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 2: TZ wants to know who did it? 68 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 3: Yes, find that person, or it could be other things. 69 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 3: It might not be a person, it could be. 70 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: Other factors, other factors. I think. 71 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: The other thing that I want to know is exactly, 72 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: like what are the links between fire and climate change? 73 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: You know, I want to know what that link looks. 74 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: Like, what are the variables that can lead to more 75 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: instances of fires like this that are out of control? 76 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: Because the fire isn't new, no, So what led to 77 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: this mass destruction? And has this been going on and 78 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: it just got picked up in the news or like 79 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: when did this start? 80 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 3: That's a very good question, And I want to know 81 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: what we should expect in the future, Like this seems 82 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 3: to be something that's not just happening in Australia, It's 83 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 3: happening in other parts of the world, and I want 84 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 3: to know what we should be expecting now that this 85 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 3: is becoming a part of our normal everyday lives. 86 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: Fires, all right, I think we're ready to jump into 87 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: the dissection. 88 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 3: So to help us out, we called on doctor Sarah 89 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 3: Perkins Kirkpatrick. 90 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 5: So my name is doctor Sarah Perkins Kirkpatrick. I'm a 91 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 5: research fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, 92 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 5: and I specialize in extreme events and heat waves, so 93 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 5: I analyze how they've changed over the observational record. 94 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: Doctor Perkins Kirkpatrick says the fires occurring in Australia right 95 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: now are the worst in the continent's historical record. 96 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 5: We have just had our worst bushfire event on record. 97 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 5: I was going to say season, but the season isn't 98 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 5: even over yet. 99 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: These fires have been blazing since September and many of 100 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: them have been in forest away from major cities. But 101 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: now the country has seen a rapid spread since December 102 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. 103 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 3: And what we're talking about is almost two hundred fires 104 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: burning at the same time. These fires are eating up 105 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 3: everything in their path. 106 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 5: We haven't seen fires of this ferocity really ever in 107 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 5: the observational record here. 108 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: In the past few weeks, the Australian government has updated 109 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: this report of the area that is either currently burning 110 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: or has been burned. It's now it's seventeen million hectares 111 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: across all the territories of Australia. 112 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 3: I don't know what a hectar is, don't. 113 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 2: Even worry about it. From a hectare to an acre turm. Now, 114 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 2: don't worry. You know I got you, so I basically 115 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 2: I did the conversion for you. 116 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: And seventeen million hectares is basically the size of Florida. 117 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: Can you imagine? 118 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 3: No, that is insane, So what caused these fires? What 119 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 3: started them? 120 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 5: For fires, we actually need an ignition. You can have 121 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 5: the worst fire weather ever, but it doesn't mean anything 122 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 5: really if the fire isn't ignited. 123 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 3: So there are two primary culprits for fires and how 124 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 3: they start. One of them could be a natural event, 125 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 3: like a lightning strike that ignites a dry bush or 126 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:00,799 Speaker 3: a plant and then the fire starts. 127 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 5: It's been really dry. We've had three of our lowest 128 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 5: years on record in terms of rainfall over Eastern Australia. 129 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 5: We also had our driest year on record last year, 130 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 5: and that feeds into fuel. So the dryer it is, 131 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 5: the more the vegetation dries out and consequently becomes fuel 132 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 5: to a fire. 133 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 3: The other possibility is a man made ignition like arson, 134 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 3: where somebody intentionally sets a fire. 135 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 5: So this could be either people going out and deliberately 136 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,679 Speaker 5: lighting fires for god knows what's reason, or even throwing 137 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 5: a cigarette but out the car window, or leaving some 138 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 5: rubbish which can then trap the sun and ignite the fire. 139 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: And this is all really awful to think about, you know, yeah, 140 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: But the thing to remember is that fire is nothing 141 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: new in Australia. 142 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 5: Indigenous people have been using fire management practices for tens 143 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 5: of thousands of years, so it's not like it's anything 144 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 5: new here. 145 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 3: Aboriginal fire management consisted of deliberately setting fires to get 146 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 3: rid of some of the dry vegetation that could lead 147 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 3: to spontaneous fires in the future. This practice is called 148 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 3: controlled burning. Modern day fire agencies adopted these practices from 149 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 3: the indigenous people of Australia. 150 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: And I think this is really this is a really 151 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: clever strategy. If you know there is an issue with 152 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: things catching on fire in a certain period, why not 153 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: preemptively burn so you don't have all this dry fuel that. 154 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 3: Could catch fire at any moment from anything. Right In 155 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 3: Australia actually has a fire season. 156 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 5: So the fire season usually follows the warmer weather. It 157 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 5: follows summer in the southern part of Australia, and it's 158 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 5: basically when we see the bushfires occur. So you can 159 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 5: get bushfires in winter, it's not impossible, but we tend 160 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 5: to see much more of them and then generally of 161 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 5: higher intensity within the warmer seasons, simply because it's hotter 162 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 5: and temperature is a major component to fire weather. 163 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 3: But what's happening in Australia. This year is unprecedented from 164 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 3: other fire seasons for a couple of reasons. First, it's 165 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 3: starting earlier, right. 166 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: Peak fire season is usually late January to February. But 167 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: remember these fires have been happening since September, so this 168 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: is really unexpected and the weather will only get drier 169 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: from here. Second is the intensity of fire. 170 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 5: They were burning at intensity it's you know, upwards of 171 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 5: six seven hundred degrees centigrade. 172 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 3: That's up to one thousand, two hundred degrees fahrenheit. 173 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 2: That's wild. I don't cook above five hundred what like? 174 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 2: What does that even feel like? You would never know? 175 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 2: I don't want to know. 176 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 3: You would never know. 177 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 5: These fires they moved extremely quickly. They have killed somewhere 178 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 5: between half a billion to a billion animals. We've lost gosh, 179 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 5: I think twenty five to thirty people. Thousands of homes 180 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 5: have been destroyed. 181 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: I think the last number I saw is that there 182 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: were twenty at least twenty seven people did and that's confirmed. 183 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 5: Right. 184 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 3: There are people that are missing, the people that you 185 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 3: know you can't get in touch with because people's homes 186 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 3: have burned, they've had to quickly evacuate. This is sure, 187 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 3: it's just hard to make a phone call I have 188 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,559 Speaker 3: it go through because of this all of the an emergency. 189 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah. 190 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: The other thing to consider is Australia's really unique ecosystem. 191 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: There are many species that are only found in Australia, 192 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: so this raging fire threatens the very existence of some organisms. 193 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: Now we're talking about the possibility of extinction. 194 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 3: The other thing to consider is that this number one 195 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 3: billion animals is a running estimate of those loss in 196 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,479 Speaker 3: the fire. Right now, we're not capturing the downstream effect. 197 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 3: There'll be more death when you consider those animals who 198 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 3: have lost their natural habitats with destroyed ecosystems, These fires 199 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 3: have wiped out what they normally eat, where they live 200 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 3: and are protected from predators. There's so much to consider. 201 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 5: Also, there's been lots of studies that have shown the 202 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 5: length of the fire season in Southeast Australia is increasing 203 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 5: in length. 204 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: So what we're really saying here is that there are 205 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 2: levels to this. Right. 206 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: First of all, we're talking about earlier instances of these 207 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: fires occurring. 208 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 3: And then when there's an instance, there's increased intensity. 209 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: And now the possibility of even longer periods of conditions 210 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:00,719 Speaker 1: that make these fires mo or likely to. 211 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 3: Occur, and that equation means more fire. 212 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: So now that we have an understanding of what's happening 213 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: in Australia and what has contributed to these fires, when 214 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: we come back, we'll talk about how climate and fire 215 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 1: season are both changing. 216 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 3: And we're back and it's time to get to the 217 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 3: root of this climate change. But before we jump into this, 218 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:36,719 Speaker 3: there's a couple of things that we really want to 219 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 3: make clear, and that's what is climate change and the 220 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 3: difference between climate and weather. 221 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: Greenhouse gases trapped in the Earth's atmosphere causes climate change. 222 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: So as sunlight comes down on the Earth, some of 223 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: it is absorbed, some of it is reflected back, and 224 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: some of it gets trapped in the Earth's atmosphere. Because 225 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: of these greenhouse gases, this causes the Earth to warm. 226 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 3: Think of it like a blanket. The more dense the blanket, 227 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 3: the warmer you are. Right well, because of our behavior 228 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 3: on Earth with fossil fuels, we're knitting ourselves a blanket 229 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 3: made of bricks. 230 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: Of all the greenhouse gases, though carbon dioxide is the worst. 231 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 3: Carbon dioxide is released through natural processes such as respiration 232 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 3: and volcanic eruptions, but through human activities such as deforestation, 233 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 3: land used changes, and burning fossil fuels, the amount of 234 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 3: carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 235 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 3: a third since the Industrial Revolution in the seventeen sixties. 236 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 2: That is crazy. 237 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: I knew it was bad, but I don't think I 238 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: knew it was increased by more than a third. 239 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 3: It's really crazy because it's happening so fast. 240 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think one of the main things I 241 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: see people doing wrong is confusing weather in climate change 242 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: or weather in climate. 243 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 3: Yes, and that is of those two things are very different. 244 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 3: Weather is a short term event that occurs in the 245 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 3: section of the Earth's atmosphere that is closest to the ground, 246 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 3: the trophosphere. Yes, and weather is different depending on where 247 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,839 Speaker 3: you are. So the weather here in my town could 248 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 3: be different from where Zakia lives in her town, which 249 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 3: isn't very far It's only about twenty five minutes away. 250 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 3: And the factors that affect weather are things like air pressure, wind, humidity, 251 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 3: and things like that. 252 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: Climate, on the other hand, captures long term changes, so 253 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: when scientists talk about climate, they are looking at trends 254 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: over a longer period. Of time and over larger regions. 255 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: When we talk about climate change, we're saying the overall 256 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: trend for a specific region of the world or the 257 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: world in general is trending in a certain way. 258 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 3: So if you have a record heat wave or record 259 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 3: snowfall in your state, that's the weather and that will 260 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 3: be averaged out with the rest of the weather for 261 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 3: the year to provide a data point for the overall 262 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 3: climate for a region. 263 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 5: And another way of looking at is climate is your wardrobe. 264 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 5: Whether it is the outfit you put on today. You 265 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 5: know you've got a broad general set of outfits that 266 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 5: that suits who you are, but what you pick that 267 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 5: day might or might not fit into that. You know 268 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 5: that generalized range that you have. 269 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,439 Speaker 1: Australia has experienced highly variable weather over the last few years, 270 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: and that's one of the ways scientists determined the climate 271 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,079 Speaker 1: is changing. What they do is look at extreme weather 272 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: events like heat waves, and they compare those events against 273 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,959 Speaker 1: what would be expected with the given climate. 274 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 5: And what we're starting to see now is more of 275 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 5: those extremes occur more often and they're actually starting to 276 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 5: break records and therefore break that envelope of climate that 277 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 5: we've measured from previous weather and that's how we can 278 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 5: detect the change in climate. 279 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 3: So as the climate continues to change, what should we 280 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 3: expect to see in Australia. 281 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 5: So in terms of climate change, we know that we're 282 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 5: going to see an increase in temperature and that's what 283 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 5: we've seen over Australia already. So even though we've only 284 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 5: seen an increase of average temperature of about one degree celsius, 285 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 5: which doesn't sound like a lot to most people, that 286 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 5: actually drastically increases the number of heat waves we see 287 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 5: in extreme temperature events that we see, and hot weather 288 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 5: is a key ingredient to bush fire weather. 289 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: This is another case of the butterfly effect. While it 290 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: may seem great to have these bursts of extreme weather events, 291 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: and I'm looking at you DC with those summer days 292 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: in January, it was lovely. We're seeing this happen more 293 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 1: and more off. Our frequency is increasing. 294 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 3: Yes, And this is just like contractions when somebody's about 295 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 3: to have a baby. So as those contractions become more 296 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 3: and more intense and they get closer and closer together, 297 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 3: that baby coming out. 298 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 2: And that baby is warm air, and. 299 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 5: Also warmer air can hold more moisture. So for every 300 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 5: degree celsius temperatures rise, approximately seven percent more moisture can 301 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 5: be stored in the atmosphere and it doesn't have to 302 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 5: rain out. 303 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: So now we're talking about warmer air and no relief 304 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: from that warmer air because your atmosphere just holds onto 305 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: the water says I could take a little more water. 306 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: You know, Normally, if it can't hold more water, it 307 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: will rain. 308 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 5: And eventually it will rain out. But it can just 309 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 5: sit there, and you know, because it can hold more moisture, 310 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 5: there's more evaporation going on and that can exacerbate droughts 311 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 5: and therefore bush fire weather too. 312 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: So not only is it warmer, is warmer and is 313 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: not raining and is taking water away from from the vegetation, 314 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: from the plants and creating basically starter fuel for these fires. 315 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 5: So if you look at maps of last year of Australia, 316 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 5: it was our hottest year and our driest year on record, 317 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 5: and a lot of that area, or some of that 318 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 5: area at least, is where we've had these really bad bushfires, 319 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 5: especially in the southeast. 320 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 3: Knowing this, knowing that the climate is continuing to change, 321 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 3: we can predict that what's happening in Australia isn't just 322 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 3: a blip on the radar. This is the new landscape. 323 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 5: These fires that we've seen this season will become much 324 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 5: more commonplace when the earth is warmed by about two 325 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 5: and a half degrees celsius. 326 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: Here's the thing to remember. Climate change is global, so 327 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: Australia isn't the only place likely to be affected this way, 328 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: and we've already. 329 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 5: Seen that this can happen anywhere else, especially Mediterranean climates. 330 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 5: So I think the climate of California, even with wildfires 331 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 5: in Canada, certain parts of Europe, weather like this where 332 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 5: it's hotter and drier is projected for the future, which 333 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 5: consequently can equal a lot more bushfires. So you know, 334 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 5: on top of that with the bushfires, we're going to 335 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 5: expect more heat waves. There's a direct relationship between rises 336 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 5: in global average temperature and the frequency and duration of 337 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 5: heat waves. 338 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: So what can we do to help mitigate the effects 339 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: of a change in climate? Doctor Perkins Kirkpatrick gave us 340 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: two big things to think about. 341 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 2: One of them is planning ahead, So. 342 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 5: We need to work out as communities how it can 343 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 5: best adapt to the conditions that are lie ahead. As well, 344 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 5: so you know what resources do we need to throw 345 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 5: at an emergency when it occurs. Are we best prepared 346 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 5: to handle higher hospital missions during a heat wave, for example, 347 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 5: or do we have enough firefighters when a push fire 348 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 5: does occur. We really need to be forward thinking and 349 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 5: forward planning as a society in those ways too. 350 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 3: The other way we can work against climate change is 351 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 3: to start at home with us. 352 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 5: We all need to collectively work together to reduce our emissions, 353 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 5: so we need to put pressure on our governments. We 354 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 5: also need to do our bits. So choose wisely with 355 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 5: the products that you buy. Choose wisely with what you 356 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 5: put in your mouth, Choose wisely with how you buy 357 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 5: and use your energy. You know, try and use green 358 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 5: energy where possible. If you can grow some food at home, 359 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 5: even if it's just herbs, use public transport. These all 360 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 5: sounds like really basic things. And I know a lot 361 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 5: of people think, you know, what can I do as 362 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 5: a person, as just one individual? But if we all 363 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 5: do a little bit, that's better than doing nothing at all. 364 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 2: This is a great point and it's really eye opening. 365 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 3: It really is, because I mean, we all feel like 366 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 3: we know what climate change is and what it does 367 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 3: but this really kind of like open up and shine 368 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 3: a light on a whole area climate change that some 369 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 3: of us in the United States don't really think about. 370 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: And this is nothing new. We have to do something different. 371 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: You can think back to the fires in California in 372 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, same thing, climate related, right, and today we 373 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: only put fires under the magnifying glass. But if you 374 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,640 Speaker 1: think about it, there's a flip side to that too, 375 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: when we talk about extreme events. If a fire is 376 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: coming through and burning up all your vegetation, there's no 377 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: root system to hold anything in place in the grain. 378 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: And we saw this in California after that fire season 379 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen. In twenty seventeen, there were mud slides. 380 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 3: Right, So what the roots do in the plant systems 381 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 3: is that they hold the ground together. They're not there 382 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 3: just for no reason. They helped this earth stay together. 383 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 2: Yes, now we're crumbling. 384 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: Or when you have excessive rains later because you've held 385 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: all this moisture, when your atmosphere finally does rain, it's 386 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: a lot of rain and the ground's really dry and 387 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:27,640 Speaker 1: everything's dead. 388 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 2: There's nothing to absorb that water. 389 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 3: Exactly. That's what's happening in my plant currently. I haven't 390 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 3: watered in a while. I tried to put water in 391 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 3: and it just came out the bottom. 392 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: I think the other thing that we didn't get the 393 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: chance to touch on today in this interview is about 394 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: the who else is affected. It's easy to say, oh, 395 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,959 Speaker 1: that's happening in Australia, but it's all of us, okay, 396 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: because there are even reports that smoke from the fires 397 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: in Australia has drifted over. 398 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 2: To South America. America, do you below us? 399 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,640 Speaker 1: Yes, we all have to work together collectively to stop 400 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: these types of events when they happen, because we all 401 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: feel the downstream effects exactly. 402 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 3: It just goes back to what we have said in 403 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 3: a number of labs. It's about being a global citizen 404 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 3: that's right, and doing your part for the overall good 405 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 3: for everyone on this planet. You know, this is something 406 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 3: that we've talked about, emergency preparedness and readiness. 407 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 2: Yes, we need to rethink what that looks like. 408 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 3: Absolutely, these natural disasters are becoming more frequent. We have 409 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 3: to know ways to save ourselves when these things happen. 410 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 3: Because the fires in Australia, they they happened, they started 411 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 3: so quickly and spread so rapidly that a lot of 412 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 3: people just didn't have the time to get out and 413 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 3: to prepare. 414 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 2: So let's start looking ahead, let's start thinking different. 415 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 3: That's it for Lab twenty two. Don't forget to check 416 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 3: out our website or a cheat sheet on today's episode. 417 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 3: You can find it and sign up for our newsletter 418 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 3: at Dope labspodcast dot com. Also, we'd love hearing from you. 419 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 4: What do you think about today's lab? 420 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 3: What are your ideas for future labs? Our number is 421 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 3: two zero two five six seven seven zero two eight. 422 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram at 423 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: Dope Labs Podcast, tt is on Twitter at d R 424 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: Underscore t Sho. 425 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 3: And you can find Zakiya at z Said. 426 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: So follow us on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. 427 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: Special thanks to our guest doctor Sarah Perkins Kirkpatrick. We 428 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: have some links to her work and some resources she 429 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: provided if you want to learn more about what's happening. 430 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 3: And some links on how you can help with the 431 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 3: effort in Australia. 432 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: This episode of Dope Labs is produced by Jenny rattlet 433 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,399 Speaker 1: Mass of Wave Runner Studios and Elizabeth Nikano mixing and 434 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: sound designed by Hannis Brown, special thanks to Masako Fukui. 435 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 3: Original theme music is by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex sugi Ura, 436 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 3: with additional music by Elijah Alex Harvey. 437 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: Dope Labs is a production of Spotify Studios and Mega 438 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: Owned Media Group, and it's executive produced by Us and 439 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: Zakiah Wattley. 440 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 2: Do you say toboggan her hat? 441 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 3: I say winter hat, winter hat? 442 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: Oh God, I've always known these little knit hats as Toboggo's. 443 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: I asked somebody that and they told me I was 444 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: a hundred for calling it a tobago. My mother asked 445 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: me to buy her a hat while we were in Michigan. 446 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 1: She said it's too cold outside for ladies hats. I 447 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: was like, I don't know what a lady hat is. 448 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,959 Speaker 1: What what's a lady hat. It's a stock of fashion 449 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: hat that doesn't come in the ears. 450 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:34,880 Speaker 2: Everybody knows that. 451 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 3: So you and my mother are on the same page.