MIT Technology Review Weekend Reads 1/11/2020

Weekend Reads How the next generation is using technology to mask, reveal, and form identity 1.11.20

Good morning, Weekend readers. Welcome to the new year!  Major wildfires devastated different parts of the globe in 2019. These were not one-off, or freak, occurrences.  As global temperatures continue to rise, fueled by climate change, we can expect more extreme weather events like this in the coming years. So, if this is to be the new normal, how can we better understand and survive the next of the world’s worst wildfires? If you’re looking for ways to help the victims of Australia’s ongoing fires, the New York Times has created a list of organizations taking donations to help victims fight the flames and rebuild.

Meet the scientists trying to understand the world’s worst wildfires It won’t be easy to update the 47-year-old standard for predicting what fires will do—but it will save lives.

Australia Yes, climate change is intensifying Australia’s fires Tens of thousands of Australians are fleeing their homes as hundreds of fires rage across the continent’s southeast coast. And yes, climate change is almost certainly to blame for the extent of the disaster. This NASA satellite image shows the extent of Australia’s devastating wildfires Almost 15 million acres of land have burned so far, compared with two million acres in California in 2018. But to get a visual sense of the sheer scale of the fires, it’s worth looking at them from space.  Inside Australia’s plan to survive bigger, badder bushfires Unprecedented wildfires are breaking out all over the world. Is Australia leading the way in fighting them?

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Amazon We aren’t terrified enough about losing the Amazon Scientists aren’t sure if there’s a tipping point, or how close we are to it – but it would be “absolutely catastrophic” if we cross it. Brazil’s presidential election could mean billions of tons of additional greenhouse gases Policies leading to more destruction of the Amazon and Cerrado would have a huge impact on climate change.

California

How a town destroyed by fire is trying to make itself fireproof Can a town like Paradise, California, ever be truly safe in the era of climate change?

Paradise, California, and the impossible choice between climate fight and flight The town’s residents are rebuilding in the wake of the Camp Fire. But should they?

California needs to reinvent its fire policies, or the death and destruction will go on Reducing the escalating destruction from fires will mean rethinking development patterns, forest management, early warning systems, and more.

California’s shutting off power to prevent fires. Here are some better options. Microgrids, buried lines, better building standards and more.

Did climate change fuel California’s devastating fires? Probably. A long drought and a record hot summer set the conditions for a brutal wildfire season.