Life in Southern California right now makes it impossible for me to ignore the wildfires that national and world news are also reporting. Beginning this past weekend and daily now the sun has only rarely broken through the smoke blanket covering our skies at higher altitudes. Earlier this week there was a darkness when I looked outside which was unusual.
Gazing out my windows in daytime now the air can seem clear at ground level but generally there’s a slight haze present. Local news tells us microscopic lung-damaging particles permeate our air. They are not filtered out when we breathe even with the masks we wear to protect us from Covid-19, so we’re told to stay indoors.
Last week forest wildfires erupted in the mountains many miles east and west of where I live during our record setting high temperatures. Fires causes are reported in one instance to be accidental as a consequence of an ill-advised gender reveal event; another due to arson. At least one small town is gone, other homes have been incinerated and lives have been lost with threats of more losses continuing.
Some residents in our city, perhaps in fringe wooded areas, reported receiving alerts to prepare for possible evacuation though they were not threatened nor is our city. Some local areas experienced a rain of ashes but I’ve seen none where I live below the foothills.
We’re sandwiched between two only slightly partially or uncontained wildfires but great distances apart with no likelihood they will join together. The San Bernardino Mountains wildfire named the El Dorado is many miles east of here with many cities in between. West of here, but closer is the Bobcat wildfire in the Los Angeles National Forest, also separated by many cities. Fortunately, the unpredictable treacherous Santa Ana winds have not whipped up in late afternoon, evening or night to completely alter the fire’s direction and volatility as can occur. Regardless, my city and I remain quite safe.
News accounts and photos of Northern California, smoke-filled orange and blood-red darkened San Francisco fires are awesome to view in photos but are indicators of the devastation that is occurring elsewhere. Oregon is experiencing incredible losses with dangers continuing. Smoke is coming our way from those areas and now heads east with reports of being present as far as midwest Great Lakes state Ohio.
This climate change so many choose to deny or even recognize as a need to address is only just getting started. Future years will be no less better and are expected only to worsen.
Will we humans accept our responsibility for how we’ve corrupted our environment, continue to do so, and undertake to correct our planet’s self-destruction – if not for ourselves, at least for our children, grandchildren and future generations? May all reading this remain safe, staying healthy as I am.
It surely is terrifying to see those pictures and the destruction, Joared. Climate change is with us all. Our summer/fall is unseasonably hot and humid, humidity has been unheard of out here until the past couple of years.
ReplyDeleteI fear little is being done for the future of our planet as the greed of the few supersedes the health and well being of the rest of us. Endless exploitation and waste until nothing is left.
XO
WWW
We can’t count on much positive change for the environment in the U.S. unless theres a change in our government’s administration.
DeleteThe images coming out of California are other worldly. My heart goes out to all those affected by loss of life, loss of home and even loss of clean air to breathe. YES- surely even the most dense can see we are the cause of much of this. We so need a leader who understands this.
ReplyDeleteStay safe.
You would think all people could see what’s happening as you say.
DeleteI suspect that our Orange Thing understands perfectly well what's happening (much as he, in January 2020, understood the COVID-19 dangers) but just doesn't give a flying fig. As to others, I would hazard a guess that some truly don't understand (their religions may forbid understanding), some feel helpless, and others are like the Orange Thing.
DeleteIt's been tragic in Oregon too.
ReplyDeleteThe tragedies in Oregon are truly horrific.
DeleteI have watched the news with amazement. I also read another's blog link about how poor forest management has contributed to this. I am sure climate change is the real stimulus, but it is unfortunate that money and regulations prevented communities from doing controlled burns at an earlier time. The hurricane down south may bring us more rains here. Areas that never had flooding are now getting that from torrental downpours that quickly overwhelm storm drainage and instead flood homes and businesses. Yes we are reaping what we have sown.
ReplyDeleteThe issue about whether or not there has been poor forest management is debatable though some former employees have alleged this based on their view of what should occur. I’ve read problem areas can be attributed to federal Govt lands over which our state officials have no authority contrary to some accusations made by this President.
DeleteI'm so glad to hear you're safe.
ReplyDeleteThese horrific fires are the result of climate change and will also change climate themselves. I think there needs to be a new Cabinet position, Secretary of Climate Change and Environmental Policy which will be laser-focused on only this issue.
These fires are complex issues. Lightening caused fires have significantly increased into the hundreds partially due to increased heat as described in this recent L.A. Times article and the experience of an Ohio couple:
Deletehttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-30/why-californias-2020-lightning-fires-have-grown-bigger-and-faster-than-any-in-state-history
And the worst of it, really, is, we have known all along. At least we could have. It's not a sudden spark of insight, the science of climate change and the consequences for life on earth has been available for 20+ years. We had so much time to avoid scenarios like this or the loss of forests in my country, the disappearance of vital insects . . . and so on.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is the tragedy of it all as man-made destruction continues also in rain forests, All living creatures aré interrelated which is a critical factor ignored by too many.
DeleteIt has always seemed to me (for many/most of us) that we are each blind to our own transgressions against the environment. I, myself, spent 30 years working in the aviation industry - not thinking until entirely too late what a deleterious effect the millions of air miles flown each day have on our atmosphere/stratosphere. In the early days, there were not that many flights; but, it has become mind boggling how we flit about the globe with nary a thought. Mea culpa.
DeleteYes, Cop Car, we didn't always know then as has been true with other things how damaging to the environment they were.
DeleteI hope you and your community stay safe. Although western Canada has very little in the way of wildfire this year, they are experiencing very bad air quality due to smoke, which is apparently no respecter of human borders.
ReplyDeleteI expect you’re reaping smoke from all these fires in our country and possibly others as i hear news of atmospheric conditions across our country and around the world.
DeleteGlad to know you're safe from the wildfires, which by all reports are causing massive destruction. One report said the fires were the size of Wales, which is quite something. And no doubt thousands of innocent animals are dying. I see Trump is spouting his usual nonsense about exploding trees and forestry mismanagement (which I understand is 90% the state's (i.e. Trump's) responsibility!
ReplyDeleteI tend to think based on his track record people would be wise to consider that everything our self-described genius leader speaks is a lie until proved otherwise.
DeleteI thought of you as I watched the devastation spreading out west. When will people start to realize that Climate Change is more than real ... it is and has been here for ages!
ReplyDeleteAlso I wanted to share your concern for the huge portion of the country that back Trump ... it amazes me to see so many that seem to care little about what he is doing to our great country. In all my 87 years this is the worst thing I've seen. Other catastrophic things have
brought us closer ... not divided us like this. I am ashamed of (and for) them.
We’ve been on a more pronounced downward spiral since the Republicans out of desperation to get the first Bush elected discovered their introduction of social issues created divisions that benefitted him. Those social issues should never have been politicized. They’ve subsequently deliberately been used as a divisive force along with increasing religious intrusion negatively impacting how our government functions. Will we end up with a capitalistic autocratic theocracy?
DeleteThose wildfires are awful and they seem to happen every year. If I were you I would move to Connecticut or Vermont or New Hampshire. No fires there.
ReplyDeleteI’ve lived in Great Lakes snow country and been in those east coast stares but don't welcome their winter weather. They are beautiful, especially in the fall. In years to come i think most states are going to face weather and environmental issues they may not have had before and even Hawaii will not be immune. I’m really quite safe from many issues, especially with virus issues now keeping me indoors more so have little need to be outside breathing the air though, fortunately, it is gradually clearing.
DeleteI meant to add we used to have these fires mostly during a couple fall months, would have rain, mountains had snow. With climate change over the past decades that has changed. We have fires pretty much year-round now, much less rain and snow even to drought conditions for several years with more of the same, even worse expected. Oceans are rising so coastal beach areas here and around the world, some islands (Marshalls for example), are going under water.
DeleteSomething I hadn't thought of until reading about it in the paper recently is: the mass die-off of migratory birds as a result of sustained and prolific wildfires. What's it going to take before we finally get real about combating climate change, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteThe birds and so many more creatures of all sizes are adversely affected by these fires. We so need to do more.
DeleteThe problem right now is that not enough is being done to curb our destruction of the earth. My husband worked for the US EPA and he's aghast and all the changes that have been happening with this administration. I worry for what will be left for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much we need to do -- I share your concern about the world our children and future generations will have.
Delete