Stepping outside on Monday, November 18th, the entire campus of Gordon College was filled with eerie mist that brought the ashy, burning smell of smoke. This was not the first day the toxic smell lingered in the air but a common occurrence within the last month and a half on the north shore. 440 acres of land are burning in the Lynn Woods Reservation, and 517 acres in the Boxford State Forest are on fire in North Andover. These are just two of the approximately 37 brushfires burning around Massachusetts this fall.
With .89 inches of total precipitation, October 2024 has been the driest October on record since 1895. 26.6% of Massachusetts is in what is categorized as stage 3 critical or extreme drought, the next stage would bring the state into an emergency drought. According to the Massachusetts drought management plan from 2023, it is predicted that climate change will cause a possible increase in precipitation in the form of large storms in Massachusetts. This increase in precipitation is predicted to lead to a possible increase in drought that we are now seeing. These dry conditions are what brought on the increase in the number and length of fires this fall.
It is rightly unsettling to walk outside and notice that the campus smells like a bonfire. From a climate activist perspective, Biology professor at Gordon College Dr. Dorothy Boorse discussed the fact that these fires have been rather unexpected in that “most people in eastern Massachusetts that pay attention to climate change have been more focused on sea level rise.” Drought and fire are not typically discussed in the northeast regarding climate change but have proven a concern. Dr. Boorse said, “One of the reasons why [the Fires are] so concerning is because of the air quality” Referencing the fact that “air pollution worldwide is one of the biggest causes of death from a public health perspective.”
While thanking God for the rain this past week has brought, the fire has acted as a sobering reminder that the effects of climate change are becoming prevalent in all sorts of unprecedented ways throughout the Northeast. Brush fires decreased air quality, an increase in the frequency of extreme precipitation events that cause flooding, sea level rise as well as changes in agriculture processes and ecosystems. Dr. Boorse discussed her “cautiously optimism that there will be some people that are [looking to begin taking action about climate change because of the fires” even though the response to shocking climate-related issues is typically temporary.
Looking towards change, Dr Boorse left me with a few pieces of advice for those looking to take action in response to the pressing effects of climate change. The first piece of advice she gave was to act on an individual level because small actions for example “eating lower on the food chain and partaking in less gas-powered travel, or getting carbon offsets if you do travel, actually make a big difference.” One resource, she recommended regarding individual contributions is Project Drawdown, an organization that “shows you essentially how much of a difference an action makes.”
The second recommendation Dr. Boorse gave was to be politically active and to talk about climate change “Talk about this with your families, talk about it at church and with anybody.” Dr. Boorse talks of this conversation of utmost importance for two reasons. First is the fact that young people have much more power to persuade than they typically give themselves credit for both in social activism and politics. Secondly, Dr. Boorse discussed the multitude of people who feel lonely in their beliefs because they are not talked about. This loneliness causes people to feel as if they are disempowered, but they are not. This disempowerment thrives when we give up in the light of crisis but cannot survive discussion when we come together in our concern and realize we are not alone.
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