A recent study suggests that climate change may lead to an increase in lightning strikes in the forests of the northern hemisphere, which could in turn raise the risk of wildfires. The forests in these regions play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by capturing carbon emissions. However, the fires caused by lightning strikes release carbon dioxide, contributing to a cycle of more frequent storms and lightning. While the overall number of fires has decreased globally over the last two decades, heavily forested areas outside the tropics have seen a significant increase in wildfires.
Canada experienced an unprecedented fire season this year, with over 6,500 fires burning approximately 18 million hectares of forest and land. Smoke from these fires traveled to major cities in Canada and the US, as well as across the Atlantic to Spain and Portugal. The majority of fires in the northern forests were ignited by lightning strikes. A new global map developed using machine learning tools revealed that 77% of burned areas in these forests are linked to lightning ignitions, unlike tropical regions where human activity is the primary cause of fires.
The study also predicts that the frequency of lightning strikes in intact northern forests could increase by 11-31% for every degree of global warming, posing a threat of increased carbon emissions. These extratropical forests, often located in permafrost regions, are vulnerable to the combined effects of a warmer, drier climate and a heightened likelihood of ignitions by lightning strikes. While fires in tropical forests can be managed through education and intervention programs, preventing lightning-induced fires is far more challenging.
The researchers emphasize the need for significant reductions in warming gas emissions to limit the rise in lightning strikes. They warn that the unprecedented fire season in Canada should serve as a wake-up call, urging action to address the growing threat of wildfires in the planet’s cooling forests. Despite the challenges, experts believe it is not too late to make a change and that forest fires should be seen as a warning rather than a reason for inaction.
Original news source: Lightning fires threaten planet-cooling forests (BBC)
Listen
Slow
Normal
Fast
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Students will work in small groups to summarize the article, focusing on the main points: the correlation between climate change and an increase in lightning strikes, the impact of wildfires on carbon emissions, and the significance of the recent study’s findings. Each group will have three minutes to present their summary to the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Conduct an opinion poll in the classroom where each student must choose a position on the following statement: “Significant reductions in warming gas emissions can effectively limit the rise in lightning-induced wildfires.” Students will then discuss their positions in pairs or small groups, providing arguments to support their opinions, and share a summary of their discussion with the class.
– Mind Map
Instructions: Individually or in pairs, students will create a mind map on a large sheet of paper, visually organizing the key concepts and data from the article, such as “lightning strikes,” “carbon emissions,” “wildfires,” “climate change,” and so on. After completing their mind maps, students will present them to the class and explain the connections they have made.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Students will write a short paragraph predicting the future of forest management in the context of climate change and increased wildfires, based on information from the article. They will share their predictions with a partner and discuss the likelihood and potential implications of these scenarios.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs and provide each pair with a list of keywords from the article (e.g., unprecedented, mitigate, vulnerable, ignitions, emissions). Pairs will then have a set amount of time to come up with as many synonyms as possible for each keyword. Afterward, they’ll share their synonyms with the class, and the class will discuss the nuances of each synonym in the context of the article.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What potential consequence of climate change is discussed in the article concerning the forests of the northern hemisphere?
2. How do the forests in the northern hemisphere contribute to mitigating climate change?
3. What impact do the fires caused by lightning strikes have on the environment?
4. What trend has been observed in the overall number of fires globally versus in heavily forested areas outside the tropics?
5. How many fires did Canada experience during its unprecedented fire season, and what was the extent of the land affected?
6. According to the new global map developed with machine learning tools, what percentage of burned areas in northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions?
7. What is the predicted increase in the frequency of lightning strikes for every degree of global warming, and how does it threaten extratropical forests?
8. What do the researchers suggest is necessary to limit the rise in lightning strikes, and why should forest fires be seen as a warning?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A recent (1)______ suggests that climate change may lead to an increase in (2)______ strikes in the (3)______ of the northern hemisphere, which could in turn raise the risk of wildfires. The forests in these regions play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by capturing carbon emissions. However, the fires caused by lightning strikes release carbon dioxide, contributing to a cycle of more frequent storms and lightning. While the overall number of fires has decreased globally over the last two decades, heavily (4)______ areas outside the tropics have seen a (5)______ increase in wildfires.
Canada experienced an unprecedented fire season this year, with over 6,500 fires burning approximately 18 million hectares of forest and land. Smoke from these fires traveled to major (6)______ in Canada and the US, as well as across the Atlantic to Spain and (7)______. The majority of fires in the northern forests were ignited by lightning strikes. A new global map developed using (8)______ learning tools revealed that 77% of burned areas in these forests are linked to lightning ignitions, unlike tropical regions where human activity is the primary cause of (9)______.
The study also predicts that the frequency of lightning strikes in intact northern forests could (10)______ by 11-31% for every degree of global warming, posing a threat of increased carbon emissions. These extratropical forests, often located in permafrost regions, are vulnerable to the combined effects of a warmer, drier climate and a heightened likelihood of (11)______ by lightning strikes. While fires in tropical forests can be managed through (12)______ and intervention programs, preventing lightning-induced fires is far more challenging.
The researchers (13)______ the need for significant reductions in warming gas emissions to limit the rise in lightning strikes. They warn that the (14)______ fire season in Canada should serve as a wake-up call, (15)______ action to address the growing threat of (16)______ in the planet’s cooling forests. Despite the challenges, experts believe it is not too late to make a change and that forest fires should be seen as a warning rather than a reason for inaction.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is your opinion on the link between climate change and an increase in lightning strikes?
2. How would you feel if your local forests were at a higher risk of wildfires due to climate change?
3. Do you think your government is doing enough to combat the effects of climate change on forest fires? Why or why not?
4. What are some ways you believe communities can prepare for the increased risk of wildfires?
5. How do you think the rise in wildfires could affect wildlife and biodiversity in forested areas?
6. Do you think the media is giving enough attention to the issue of wildfires and climate change? Why or why not?
7. What is your stance on the use of machine learning tools to predict and manage natural disasters like wildfires?
8. How would you propose educating people about the risks of wildfires in areas not typically affected by them?
9. Do you like the idea of international cooperation to address the issue of wildfires? Why or why not?
10. Do you think that wildfires should be seen as a warning sign for action against climate change, as the article suggests?
11. What is your experience with air quality issues resulting from distant wildfires, if any?
12. How do you think the increase in wildfires will impact future generations?
13. Do you think that current intervention programs in tropical forests are effective? What could be improved?
14. How do you feel about the potential for forest fires to release more carbon dioxide, further contributing to climate change?
15. What do you think are the biggest challenges in preventing lightning-induced fires in northern forests?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. lightning
2. forests
3. wildfires
4. Canada
5. global
6. warming
7. emissions
8. threat
Meanings:
(a) Large areas covered with trees and vegetation
(b) Something that has the potential to cause harm
(c) Substances released into the air
(d) Relating to the whole world
(e) Sudden electrical discharge during a storm
(f) Uncontrolled fires in natural areas
(g) The process of making something warmer
(h) Northern North American country
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is the primary cause of wildfires in the northern forests, according to the article?
(a) Lightning strikes
(b) Human activity
(c) Global warming
(d) Drought
2. What percentage of burned areas in the northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions?
(a) 50%
(b) 77%
(c) 90%
(d) 25%
3. What is the predicted increase in the frequency of lightning strikes in intact northern forests for every degree of global warming?
(a) 11-31%
(b) 5-10%
(c) 40-50%
(d) 1-5%
4. What are the extratropical forests vulnerable to, according to the article?
(a) Flooding and hurricanes
(b) Deforestation and pollution
(c) Warmer, drier climate and heightened likelihood of ignitions by lightning strikes
(d) Invasive species and disease
5. How can fires in tropical forests be managed, according to the article?
(a) Controlled burns
(b) Reforestation efforts
(c) Education and intervention programs
(d) Firefighting drones
6. What do the researchers emphasize the need for to limit the rise in lightning strikes?
(a) Increased forest management
(b) Stricter lightning safety regulations
(c) More advanced firefighting technology
(d) Significant reductions in warming gas emissions
7. What do experts believe about the possibility of making a change to address the growing threat of wildfires?
(a) It is too late
(b) It is unlikely
(c) It is impossible
(d) It is not too late
8. How should forest fires be seen, according to the article?
(a) As a natural occurrence
(b) As a warning rather than a reason for inaction
(c) As a reason to abandon the forests
(d) As a reason to invest in fireproofing forests
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The frequency of lightning strikes in intact northern forests could increase by 11-31% for every degree of global warming, posing a threat of increased carbon emissions.
2. Heavily forested areas outside the tropics have not seen a significant increase in wildfires, despite a global increase in the overall number of fires over the last two decades.
3. Forests in the northern hemisphere do not play a crucial role in capturing carbon emissions to mitigate climate change.
4. A new global map developed using machine learning tools revealed that 77% of burned areas in the northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions.
5. The fires caused by lightning strikes in these forests do not release carbon dioxide, contributing to a cycle of less frequent storms and lightning.
6. The researchers emphasize the need for significant reductions in warming gas emissions to limit the rise in lightning strikes and urge action to address the growing threat of wildfires in the planet’s cooling forests.
7. Climate change may not lead to an increase in lightning strikes in the forests of the northern hemisphere, lowering the risk of wildfires.
8. Canada experienced an unprecedented fire season this year, with the majority of fires in the northern forests ignited by lightning strikes.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What correlation between climate change and lightning strikes is suggested by the recent study?
2. How do wildfires in the northern hemisphere’s forests impact the cycle of climate change?
3. What significant difference in the cause of wildfires is noted between tropical regions and northern forests?
4. What is the predicted increase in lightning strikes in northern forests for every degree of global warming, according to the study?
5. What actions do researchers recommend to address the growing threat of wildfires in the planet’s cooling forests?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What potential consequence of climate change is discussed in the article concerning the forests of the northern hemisphere?
The article discusses the potential increase in lightning strikes in the forests of the northern hemisphere due to climate change, leading to a higher risk of wildfires.
2. How do the forests in the northern hemisphere contribute to mitigating climate change?
The forests in the northern hemisphere capture carbon emissions, playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
3. What impact do the fires caused by lightning strikes have on the environment?
The fires caused by lightning strikes release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to a cycle of more frequent storms and lightning, and exacerbating climate change.
4. What trend has been observed in the overall number of fires globally versus in heavily forested areas outside the tropics?
Globally, the overall number of fires has decreased over the last two decades, but heavily forested areas outside the tropics have seen a significant increase in wildfires.
5. How many fires did Canada experience during its unprecedented fire season, and what was the extent of the land affected?
Canada experienced over 6,500 fires during its unprecedented fire season, burning approximately 18 million hectares of forest and land.
6. According to the new global map developed with machine learning tools, what percentage of burned areas in northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions?
The new global map indicates that 77% of burned areas in northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions.
7. What is the predicted increase in the frequency of lightning strikes for every degree of global warming, and how does it threaten extratropical forests?
The predicted increase in the frequency of lightning strikes is 11-31% for every degree of global warming, posing a threat of increased carbon emissions from extratropical forests, which are vulnerable to warmer, drier climates and heightened likelihood of ignitions by lightning strikes.
8. What do the researchers suggest is necessary to limit the rise in lightning strikes, and why should forest fires be seen as a warning?
Researchers suggest that significant reductions in warming gas emissions are necessary to limit the rise in lightning strikes. They argue that forest fires should be seen as a warning to take action against the growing threat of wildfires in the planet’s cooling forests, rather than a reason for inaction.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) study
(2) lightning
(3) forests
(4) forested
(5) significant
(6) cities
(7) Portugal
(8) machine
(9) fires
(10) increase
(11) ignitions
(12) education
(13) emphasize
(14) unprecedented
(15) urging
(16) wildfires
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. lightning
Answer: (e) Sudden electrical discharge during a storm
2. forests
Answer: (a) Large areas covered with trees and vegetation
3. wildfires
Answer: (f) Uncontrolled fires in natural areas
4. Canada
Answer: (h) Northern North American country
5. global
Answer: (d) Relating to the whole world
6. warming
Answer: (g) The process of making something warmer
7. emissions
Answer: (c) Substances released into the air
8. threat
Answer: (b) Something that has the potential to cause harm
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is the primary cause of wildfires in the northern forests, according to the article?
Answer: (a) Lightning strikes
2. What percentage of burned areas in the northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions?
Answer: (b) 77%
3. What is the predicted increase in the frequency of lightning strikes in intact northern forests for every degree of global warming?
Answer: (a) 11-31%
4. What are the extratropical forests vulnerable to, according to the article?
Answer: (c) Warmer, drier climate and heightened likelihood of ignitions by lightning strikes
5. How can fires in tropical forests be managed, according to the article?
Answer: (c) Education and intervention programs
6. What do the researchers emphasize the need for to limit the rise in lightning strikes?
Answer: (d) Significant reductions in warming gas emissions
7. What do experts believe about the possibility of making a change to address the growing threat of wildfires?
Answer: (d) It is not too late
8. How should forest fires be seen, according to the article?
Answer: (b) As a warning rather than a reason for inaction
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The frequency of lightning strikes in intact northern forests could increase by 11-31% for every degree of global warming, posing a threat of increased carbon emissions. (Answer: True)
2. Heavily forested areas outside the tropics have not seen a significant increase in wildfires, despite a global increase in the overall number of fires over the last two decades. (Answer: False)
3. Forests in the northern hemisphere do not play a crucial role in capturing carbon emissions to mitigate climate change. (Answer: False)
4. A new global map developed using machine learning tools revealed that 77% of burned areas in the northern forests are linked to lightning ignitions. (Answer: True)
5. The fires caused by lightning strikes in these forests do not release carbon dioxide, contributing to a cycle of less frequent storms and lightning. (Answer: False)
6. The researchers emphasize the need for significant reductions in warming gas emissions to limit the rise in lightning strikes and urge action to address the growing threat of wildfires in the planet’s cooling forests. (Answer: True)
7. Climate change may not lead to an increase in lightning strikes in the forests of the northern hemisphere, lowering the risk of wildfires. (Answer: False)
8. Canada experienced an unprecedented fire season this year, with the majority of fires in the northern forests ignited by lightning strikes. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
