On February 26, one of the country’s largest wildfires began to spread through the Texas Panhandle, a region of northern Texas, blazing through towns, farms, and homes. The fire is the largest recorded wildfire in the state of Texas, scorching roughly 1.2 million acres of land, according to an article published in The New York Times. The fire, known as the Smokehouse Creek fire, has had devastating effects on surrounding towns, including leaving at least 11,000 people without power. Smokehouse Creek also killed two Texas residents and over 7,000 cattle as it blazed through the northern part of the state. Although a large number of cattle survived the blaze, farmers are now faced with the challenge of finding their livestock food to eat, as it was scorched in the fire. The Smokehouse Creek fire burned through Texas for nearly three weeks before it became fully contained by firefighters. According to an article published by The Guardian, Xcel Energy, a utility company, admitted that their equipment was “involved in ignition” of the fire. Investigators believe that the company poorly maintained a power pole, causing it to begin to decay at its base. The power pole eventually fell, and its wires came in contact with the grassfields below, causing the devastating blaze.
Wildfires are becoming increasingly common throughout the country due to climate change. As stated by the Texas State Climatologist’s office, temperatures in Texas have risen by 0.61 degrees Fahrenheit each decade since 1975. The rising temperatures are a major contributor to the commonality and intensity of wildfires in the United States. The rise of sea level is another effect of climate change in Texas. According to The United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Along much of the [Texas] coast, the sea is rising almost two inches per decade.” As the sea level rises, homes along the coast are in greater danger of being flooded. Roads, railways, and oil and gas facilities along the Gulf Coast are also affected by rising sea levels. This is due to increased usage of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses. These gasses trap heat near the Earth’s surface. As more gasses are being released into the atmosphere, they trap more heat, causing the planet to become warmer. Other effects of climate change include drought, more acidic oceans, and shrinking ice sheets, along with hotter and drier summers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that “seventy years from now, Texas is likely to have three or four times as many days per year above 100°F as it has today.” This can be dangerous for the elderly, sick, or people who have medical conditions, as the extreme heat affects their nervous and cardiovascular systems. Additionally, the rising temperatures affect Texas’s cattle farms. As temperatures rise, droughts increase, which provides cattle with less available water to drink, as well as drying out crops and plants, causing them to die. This would endanger a major economic contributor for Texas.
To conclude, climate change is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in Texas. Rising temperatures affect agriculture in Texas, as well as causing potential health risks. Sea level rise, shrinking ice sheets, and increased acidity in oceans are other effects of climate change. Finally, increased wildfires are an effect of climate change in Texas. The fires have the potential to wipe out millions of acres of land, as well as destroy architecture, and cause numerous fatalities. Reducing electricity, cutting food waste and using renewable energy are all ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Together, our seemingly small actions have the potential to create a better future for generations to come.
