Our friends on the west coast

3 years ago

The news of the devastation caused by fires sweeping California, Washington and Oregon moves me to tears. May you and your trees be safe and lead us all out of this madness.

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Olychick

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Thank you. It's awful here right now. It is so tinder dry that I don't believe any community with forested land is safe. And that includes many suburbs.

To the climate change deniers: What if human activity is NOT causing extreme climate change around the planet? (I believe it has and is, but you don't). But let's just say we take drastic steps to try to turn this train around, just in case you are wrong. And assume that there is any possibility that it can be made better. We prioritize clean energy, we drastically reduce our carbon footprint, we try to stop the deforestation of tropical forests, etc.

If WE are wrong, the planet will still be better off and at what harm to you? If YOU are wrong and we don't take drastic measures, the polar ice caps completely melt, the oceans continue to warm, the land burns in these hell fires in record breaking events. The oceans rise and swallow the coastlines, and on and on. That is great potential harm to every living being on this planet. Just consider for a moment what it means to your children and grandchildren if you are wrong. Let's err on the side of dialing this back as much as we can, just in case.

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Comments (10)

PRO
Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.
3 years ago
Thank you. Sometimes the news manages to exaggerate disasters. What you see in the news now is not exaggerated. I just watched a local candidate forum and everyone is talking about fire safety, which is good to see. These fires are also highlighting the need to address climate change. Here are a couple of interesting websites: This NASA FIRMS website shows fires worldwide and you can also track them by day to see the progression: https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:2020-09-11..2020-09-12;@0.0,0.0,3z

This AIRNOW map shows how fires have impacted air quality:

https://fire.airnow.gov/?lat=37.37961000000007&lng=-122.11163999999997&zoom=12
emmarene9
3 years ago
Thank you. I am not threatened by fire so far but there is a sense of doom. Many of the fires were caused by lightning.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
Thanks for the concern. I am not under any direct threat from fires - and I truly feel terrible for those that are - but the air quality is awful!! At one point yesterday (Friday), Seattle, the closest metro area to me (~10 mi), was determined to have the worst air quality at that time of anywhere on the planet! And it is expected to stay like this, if not worsen, through the weekend.

This morning there is a dense ocher glow - no visible sunrise. The air is heavy and the smoke layer low. Visibility is maybe a few hundred yards at most and the ferries are blowing their fog horns constantly. I ran out to do a few quick errands yesterday afternoon and my normal beachfront drive with a drop-dead gorgeous view of downtown Seattle and Mt. Rainier was completely obscured.....like they didn't exist!

It is also preternaturally still and deathly quiet....not even the slightest breeze, no birdsong and very few out and about, even in cars. Very eerie!! And it smells!

Air quality is rated as 'very unhealthy' and we are advised to stay indoors with doors and windows closed. This is putting a major kibosh on any of my gardening activities but I can't really complain....it is only bad air and not the property devouring conflagrations that others are experiencing. I really should feel quite lucky!
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
3 years ago
Math remains skeptical that wildfires are the result of climate change. A much more believable theory is that the eco-weenies terrified of short-term pollution from controlled burns, allowed unnatural levels of underbrush to accumulate. When this man-made build up lit, disaster ensued.
Embothrium
3 years ago
The legacy of the Smokey Bear policy has nothing to do with eco-weenies terrified of short-term pollution from controlled burns
RTHawk
3 years ago
Math remains skeptical that wildfires are the result of climate change

What does "wildfires are the result of climate change" mean when you say that math does not support that? Do you mean, the increased frequency of wildfires is not the result of climate change? Or the increased intensity/duration/damage of wildfire is not due to climate change? Or the fact that wildfires occur at all is not the result of climate change? And should you trust a single article from a business magazine to make this conclusion? What other scientific publications have you read to be making this statement?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
3 years ago
Embothrium:

I have a penchant for substantiating what I say here.
lkloes
3 years ago
Mr. Corlett: we meet again. This post is not about you and your denial of climate change. It’s about someone acknowledging the devastating wildfires and wishing those affected well. Get off your sanctimonious high horse. And don’t use the words “theory” and “eco-weenie” in the same sentence if you expect to come off as credible. Clearly your “PRO” status has nothing to do with fire science. Get back in your lane.
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Yardvaark
3 years ago

Our friends on the west coast

Olychick

Comments (10)

Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

emmarene9

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