LAS VEGAS (Sept. 11, 2024)- On Sept. 11, Wednesday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada, there was smoke in the air due to the California fires, making the sky gray and the sun red.

The sun rose a reddish color and the air quality was in the danger zone in the 100’s. There were three California fires that caused this change in the air. 

Those three fires lasted longer because of the heat from climate change. Climate change is making the temperatures hotter, therefore more water is being used and it’s becoming denser. The denser it is, the longer the fires last.

According to NASA, “Antarctica is losing ice mass (melting) at an average rate of about 150 billion tons per year.” The ice melting shows how much climate change is making the temperatures hotter, which is also why the fires are lasting longer. Although new technologies are being made, there are little things we can do to help prevent climate change from getting worse. 

Mr. Chomintra said in his interview his thoughts about what can be done about climate change. When asked in the interview about what we can do about climate change, Mr. Chomintra said, “…conservation, recycling, driving less.”

According to the National Geographic and Atmospheric Administration, global climate change can make it hotter, therefore the fires last longer. Mr. Chomintra also shared how he witnessed the smoky air, saying,“It was kind of crazy.”

Some people wore masks and others stayed home to not breathe in the smoke to prevent themselves from getting sick.

Mr. Chomintra was asked in the interview if the California fires affect people’s health. He said, “Yes, just breathing in all that smoke and everything can be very, very bad for your lungs”.

Climate change is affecting the weather all over the world. Natural disasters are getting more severe, the weather intensifying, and more people are getting hurt. People can prevent climate change from getting worse by separating their trash with recycling, reserving the amount of water they use, and carpooling or walking instead of driving.