The growing megafire crisis -- and how to contain it | George T. Whitesides
TED Talks Daily
TED
4.1 • 11.9K Ratings
🗓️ 19 July 2023
⏱️ 12 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Megafires, or fires that burn more than 100,000 acres, are becoming more frequent worldwide, wreaking havoc on landscapes and communities -- and fire experts say the problem is only going to get worse. George T. Whitesides is focused on fighting these devastating natural disasters through innovative technologies and intentional changes to how we build communities. He presents three emerging solutions to this blazing dilemma, calling for us to redefine our relationship with fire in order to build a more resilient and sustainable future.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Ted Audio Collective |
| 0:11.0 | I'm Elise Hugh. |
| 0:12.0 | You're listening to Ted Talks daily. |
| 0:14.5 | Wildfires. |
| 0:15.5 | Well, I'm coming at you from Southern California, so this is something we live with annually. |
| 0:20.6 | But all of us around the world are living in a reality of more and more mega wildfires. |
| 0:26.7 | And they're getting worse. |
| 0:28.4 | And his talk from Ted 2023, Mega Firefighter George T. White Sides, lays out his vision |
| 0:33.8 | for a firefighter force fit for the future after a sponsor message. |
| 0:41.5 | What's up with the weather? |
| 0:42.5 | If you're confused about climate change, there's a show for you. |
| 0:45.9 | Ted Climate from the Ted Audio Collective. |
| 0:48.7 | Join host Dan Courtler as he brings you leading experts who will unpack every problem and |
| 0:53.1 | solution of our climate crisis. |
| 0:55.3 | From carbon to capitalism, from wind power to sustainable housing. |
| 0:59.3 | You'll learn not only how the world is changing, but what changes you can make in your daily |
| 1:03.3 | life to help keep the planet livable. |
| 1:06.0 | Find Ted Climate wherever you listen to podcasts. |
| 1:10.6 | My wife grew up in Santa Rosa, California. |
| 1:14.3 | And her best friend was a woman named Joy Durand, who lived on the northeast outskirts of |
| 1:18.6 | town. |
| 1:20.4 | And midnight on the evening of October 8, 2017, Joy's telephone rang. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from TED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of TED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.