BURNING LAND
Climate change isn't burning; it's merely the spark, the fuel for something to happen due to human activity. Since the Industrial Revolution in 1760 (18th century), human impact on Earth has continued unabated under the guise of innovation, industrialization, and modernity. All of this, and much more, is having a tragic impact on the planet that is very difficult to stop, despite the fact that some governments (not all) claim that we must become aware that if we continue on this path, we are headed for self-destruction in a dystopian world that will become a reality in a short time. We may not live to see it, but future generations will. Therefore, we should, now while we can, educate them to leave them a Brave New World (Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, 1932).
Forest fires emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases, mainly CO₂, as well as invisible pollutants (VOCs, fine particles) that affect air quality and health, with emissions that vary greatly but globally can exceed 5% of annual fossil fuel emissions, and even tens of times more than human activities in specific areas, significantly increasing air pollution.
And they have serious consequences:
Climate Change: They add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Air Pollution: Smoke and gases affect air quality locally and globally, traveling thousands of kilometers and worsening respiratory problems.
Weather Disruptions: They decrease humidity and increase radiation absorption, warming the Earth's surface.
In short, forest fires are a significant and growing source of air pollution, releasing more gases and pollutants than previously estimated, with severe effects on the climate and human health. The Burning Land project began documenting the fires in Galicia in 2006, one of the places in the European Union where wildfires are the main news story of the summer each year. They are a staple of the news outlets during the summer season. Other regions have since joined Galicia, such as Castile and León, Portugal, and Extremadura, where the fires have claimed lives and caused significant damage.
For years, the Fire Cartel (G6) existed, a criminal group that has received little to no investigation from the justice system. These are companies that provide aerial firefighting services and receive government contracts due to the human-caused need to combat wildfires.
Those who profit from the fires have learned that it's not necessary to be part of a criminal organization. They act like the predators of nature, patiently waiting for their prey before attacking. These profiteers know that the weather provides them with the fuel and the fuse; they simply have to light it at precisely the right moment, what scientists and experts call the perfect 30-30-30 rule: low humidity, high temperature, and strong winds.
Like the predator, those who live off wildfires know the crucial moment to light the fuse that will ignite the unstoppable, devastating, and destructive blaze. Everything in its cruel path is consumed.
