The Growing Megafire Crisis — and How to Contain It | George T. Whitesides | TED

Published

3 years ago

July 21, 2023

Megafires, or fires that burn more than 100,000 acres, are becoming more frequent worldwide, wreaking havoc on landscapes and communities — and fire experts say the problem is only going to get worse. George T. Whitesides is focused on fighting these devastating natural disasters through innovative technologies and intentional changes to how we build communities. He presents three emerging solutions to this blazing dilemma, calling for us to redefine our relationship with fire in order to build a more resilient and sustainable future.

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29 Comments

海賊王に俺はなる

July 21, 2023 at 8:33 am

日本のみんなこれを見て受験勉強頑張ろう！夏を制そう

Reply
The Barking Mouse

July 21, 2023 at 8:50 am

Stop preventing every forest fire and allow the undergrowth the burnout. When you don’t let a fire happen for fifty or a hundred years guess what then you’re going to have a fire you can’t stop

Reply
Marc Volpe

July 21, 2023 at 9:26 am

TONIGHT ENJOY A PLATE OF PASTA CON BROCCOLI RABE

Reply
Dennis Cambly

July 21, 2023 at 9:36 am

Do the corporations have any responsibility when the strip mine a forest and leave everything except the stripped tree behind?

Reply
- Austin Denotter
  
  July 21, 2023 at 12:49 pm
  
  As a matter of fact they do it’s called reclamation. But you are way too snarky to understand
  
  Reply
- Dennis Cambly
  
  July 21, 2023 at 1:00 pm
  
  @Austin Denotter I can show you photos of so-called reclamation. You won’t see the strip mining of forests along the main highways. What you don’t see you don’t know.
  
  Reply
Jan Christensen

July 21, 2023 at 12:51 pm

What about “stop burning fossile fuels”?

Reply
Nico Ocin

July 21, 2023 at 3:21 pm

WHAT is CHUZPA?
When a pyromaniac not only tries to charge u 10 grant for his DEW expences (gasoline, flamethrower, helpers etc)… BUT additionaly sues u for 10 Million bucks for a self inflicted sore thumb suffered in the act of >burning down ur house.

Reply
jib the world

July 21, 2023 at 4:15 pm

As climate change gets worse these (very concerning) surprises seem to be coming along more and more.

Reply
RehanRC

July 21, 2023 at 5:10 pm

Two individuals from George Mason University developed a subsonic fire extinguisher. Combine it with a team of air moving drones and you can solve your problem.

Reply
1 Of A Kind

July 21, 2023 at 6:19 pm

Thanks ❤

Reply
James G Sarah

July 21, 2023 at 6:57 pm

BS…try forest management…this all natural,has nothing to do with “climate change “

Reply
M.K.

July 21, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Why not just allow lumber companies to cut a grid into high risk forested areas. This would create natural barriers to slow the spread of mega fires, while helping to lower home building costs. Harvesting that lumber rather than burning it down would create a new industry, create tons of jobs, and offset (if not eliminate) the costs of the fire prevention measures. Like allowing hunters to buy tags for over populated areas.

Reply
- squinlan74
  
  July 22, 2023 at 10:37 pm
  
  Correct in theory, but it’s not about allowing the lumber companies to cut grids, it’s about making them.
  They clear cut huge swaths of land because it’s efficient.
  
  Reply
93VIDEO

July 22, 2023 at 5:20 am

????=????=????All trees make it rain except conifers and eucalyptus … Deciduous trees strengthen the water cycle, while conifers and eucalyptus create megafires.????=????

Reply
Dave Russell

July 22, 2023 at 10:28 am

New guy at the WUI wildfire table. Home Ignition Zone, WUI fuels reduction and RX Fire. NOTHING USEFUL HERE…

Reply
sumi

July 22, 2023 at 10:52 am

good

Reply
Nadi ॐ Tapasya

July 22, 2023 at 2:32 pm

Maybe just stop spraying chems in the air for a decade for example.. and see if the fires are as severe and reacquiring as often?? Don’t cure the symptoms , look at the cause.

Reply
Eron Thomas

July 22, 2023 at 6:50 pm

One thing that might help is for you all to stop blaming arson on the climate.

Reply
srcarranza

July 22, 2023 at 10:10 pm

AVA aircraft vigilance & attack. Dedicated SEAT’s. Public aerial firemen. Chinook’s are so expensive to operate that fire managers hesitate to deploy them. SEAT’s flight hour is so inexpensive that these should be deployed to hunt for fires. Aircraft vigilance and INSTANT attack. Has been done. Has been proven. It hasn’t catched on because of going against business’s interest, sadly.

Reply
Ahmad Qadeib Alban

July 23, 2023 at 12:50 am

“ultimately, we need to become the crew of spaceship earth, so let’s get to work, let’s learn from fire, and let’s build a resilient sustainable future”

Reply
Debra Humbles

July 24, 2023 at 5:16 am

Wow do something to bethanny garcia

Reply
Debra Humbles

July 24, 2023 at 6:30 am

12233

Reply
Debra Humbles

July 24, 2023 at 6:31 am

Ne hights

Reply
Sol Goodman

July 24, 2023 at 2:05 pm

Well I got some real bad news for you. It’s way way way too late… The window of opportunity to manage our forests and set controlled fires is no longer. There is no time in the season that that is safe to do anymore. Bye-bye. Don’t believe me. Ask experts in fire behaviour that have been studying this for a long time.. too late…

Reply
Doug Clem

July 24, 2023 at 6:40 pm

DRY ICE BOMBS!

Reply
Vinegaroon

July 24, 2023 at 8:57 pm

We know that the forest in cally burn and we keep building in them. Also many of the fires are man made. I wish I could spare sympathy but I can’t…

Reply
iSiqhwaga_sangakini

July 25, 2023 at 11:19 am

He said (discovery)????????????????…

Reply
XTC

July 27, 2023 at 1:06 am

The best way to manage fires is to manage the landscape before the fire ever happens. This means logging.

Reply

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