An unpleasant link between the war started by Russia and global warming could soon emerge in Siberia: Russian military units that usually participate in the containment and suppression of fires are now in Ukraine, which means that forest fires, which spread various emissions, may become uncontrollable.
Why is this important? Russian forest fires are a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, and, in addition, some types of fires also create so-called black carbon, or soot, in the Arctic, which accelerates ice melting.
(...) Meanwhile, the sanctions imposed by the US and Europe against Russia mean that Western scientists cannot collaborate with their Russian colleagues this year to monitor and study forest fires, but will have to make do with satellite data. However, these also have limitations, for example, regarding the confirmation of the actual cause of the fires.
Photograph by Kirill Shipitsin/Tass/Getty Images used
