Coffel Cited in NY Times Article on the Link Between Traveling Wildfire Smoke and Climate Change

June 15, 2023

The New York Times

Ethan Coffel

Geography & the Environment Department

Climate Change

Natural Disasters

United States

Wildfires

The New York Times

Ethan Coffel

The heavy smoke that blanketed New York last week may soon be a regular occurrence as wildfires are on the rise. And according to a 2021 report published by the journal GeoHealth, despite most large wildfires occurring in the western U.S., most deaths, emergency room visits and hospital admissions in America that are attributable to smoke occur elsewhere, particularly in the East.

The link between traveling smoke from wildfires and climate change is evident via the the increase in wildfires. And extreme heat means drier conditions.

When there is less precipitation than normal, warmer temperatures cause vegetation to dry out more quickly, says Ethan Coffel, assistant professor of geography and the environment.

Read more in the New York Times article, "Smoky skies could become a recurring feature in New York."