Sunday, June 29, 2008

California Wild Fires

Since last Monday, I have been forced to stay indoors with my windows shut due to the pall of hazy smoke hanging in our air. We have had a plethora of wild fires in California and they have created a major health hazard. I work from home but I still had to run errands and even though I limited my exposure to the smoky air, I could still feel heaviness in my chest due to polluted air. Interestingly, the usual suspects of environmentalist groups have been rather silent during this whole fiery event.

Today, the air is clearer and visibility has improved. I can finally open my windows and the sun doesn’t glow a hazy red-orange. The stench of burnt wood has subsided. But I can’t help but to feel annoyed and peeved at the hypocrisy of groups like the Sierra Club who have successfully managed (through lawsuits) to obstruct management of our forests and wooded areas in the name of “saving” them. Incredibly, the Sierra Club has been hostile to clearing brush and to even creating fire trails. I have no doubt that the extent of these wild fires could have been reduced if a sensible land management plan was currently in place.

The amount of carbon dioxide that has been pumped into the air over the last week must have been massive (there are still fires that are currently burning and may burn for the entire summer) and the amount of state resources needed to combat the fires have also been massive. I don’t understand how environmental groups--who purport to want to save the planet from global warming by reducing carbon dioxide--adopt policies that would invariably, do harm to the environment!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, such a complicated matter. Seems like wildfires are becoming more and more common in California (or perhaps it is just my noticing of them). We definitely need to consider the environmental impact and better prevent them.

Sorry you've had to deal with this!

Anonymous said...

You know, I always thought their position was ludicrous. You need to clear the underbrush or what happened is the only end result. They want to save those freakin' trees by obstructing a sound land management program - yet - their obstruction actually causes the destruction.

Do they not understand that underbrush clearing through controlled burns actually rehabilitates the land and puts much needed nitrates back in to the soil whereby improving and encouraging greener and more healthy trees as well as sprouting new growth?

Idiots, all of them!

I'm glad to hear you are doing well and came out of unscathed!

James said...

"I don’t understand how environmental groups--who purport to want to save the planet from global warming by reducing carbon dioxide--adopt policies that would invariably, do harm to the environment!"

Easy answer: because they have no clue as to what they are actually doing. To them it is all about feel good and the consequences be damned.

The greens are heart healthy and brain dead.

tashabud said...

Good to know that You're safe from the threat of the fire itself. Sorry, however, that you have to put up with too much amoke in the air.

Environmental groups don't care about humanity. As far as they're concerned, as long as the environment is preserved, they have no trouble seeing people suffer. This is Tasha's take. Stay safe.

she said: said...

Oh - and did you know that Cal Fire doesn't hedge their fuel?

So, they are paying for gas to run the planes at the current inflated cost. It got to be costing the state a fortune.

On a brighter note - I can see the sky today!