12 votes

With 147 million dead trees, Californians brace for fire

5 comments

  1. [5]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [4]
      GnomeChompski
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      negative feedback loop My opinion, we're on the very teeter totter edge of climate change in terms of speed. I see it kind of like an -X^2 curve, or more sinusoidal actually. I still think things...

      negative feedback loop

      My opinion, we're on the very teeter totter edge of climate change in terms of speed. I see it kind of like an -X^2 curve, or more sinusoidal actually. I still think things in nature and universe work in cycles. So with that, then why don't we all finally get serious about this shit we're in and honestly put together a plan for how to correct the direction on the graph? Essentially, lets start to be realistic by accepting what's happening and plan by expecting. California as a state and individual citizens should start assessing a type of yearly "fire hazard level" and take preventative measures like clearing all trees from x-feet distance from the house if those tree's hazard level is increased.

      Also, I think maybe we should ask (lobby?) congress to create a public Climate Change Research Initiative (starting with explaining the 1980 AQ-9 Climate Change Task Force report) for the purpose of making a Constitutional Amendment where it establishes that climate change is real and that it is a collective priority as a promise to our posterity.

      By the way, do we have a norm yet for edits? Anyone care as long as it's marked with a trike through or tacked at the end with an indicator?

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        MimicSquid
        Link Parent
        California already has rules in place regarding defensible space, but enforcement is rare and many people don't take it seriously.

        California already has rules in place regarding defensible space, but enforcement is rare and many people don't take it seriously.

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          GnomeChompski
          Link Parent
          Wow! That's good to know, thanks. And that's also really disheartening. A little too sad that we place such low priority on risk assessment. I mean, I think that being able to asses risk into the...

          Wow! That's good to know, thanks. And that's also really disheartening. A little too sad that we place such low priority on risk assessment. I mean, I think that being able to asses risk into the future is one of my most valuable abilities as a person!

          2 votes
          1. Gaywallet
            Link Parent
            Defensible space is not enough to reverse the problem. Fire is a part of the natural cycle around here and by fighting fires so aggressively we've changed the very landscape of flora. 99%...

            Defensible space is not enough to reverse the problem. Fire is a part of the natural cycle around here and by fighting fires so aggressively we've changed the very landscape of flora.

            99% invisible did two great episodes on the man who invented the idea of the defensible space and the changing ecology of Californian floral life if you find yourself inclined to listen to someone talk about it.

  2. DonQuixote
    Link
    Here's an article from last year on the issue of cutting down some of this dead wood by the Timber industry....

    Here's an article from last year on the issue of cutting down some of this dead wood by the Timber industry.

    https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/03/california-timber-firms-maybe-piece-of-the-puzzle-to-cut-fire-risk.html

    It sounds like little to no progress has been made on using the wood, at least part of it, for timber. "California has no commercial timber operations on state-owned lands."

    Although I expect the situation is far from simple, this is the only article I found discussing the issue.