Waking up with windows open to the nauseating smell of smoke: My daily reminder of how horrific 2020

[hlthe2b]

has become and how bleak our future if we do not double down our efforts to remove the RW Trumpist scourge on this country.

NOTHING will be addressed, whether climate change, resultant explosive western fires, southeastern hurricanes, or spawned tornado disaster mitigation, our devastated economy, the tinderbox that is becoming our race relations, and most imminent, our devasting COVID-19 response.

Yup, all that from a momentary whiff of smoke from our nearby wildfires.

Double down your efforts today, folks. Don't ignore those texts and emails from the many groups and DEM campaigns seeking your help--or ACLU (gotta go update my membership with a $$).

Do something to make today just a tiny bit better. It is only 4:30 AM here, but I'm making a list! Won't you join me?

[at140]

1. Forests need better management?

I have no experience in forest management, but a house near me went up in flames due to a cigarette butt thrown in dead and dry grass around the house. Dead grass and leaves allowed to remain and accumulate is a fire hazard.

[haele]

2. Brush fires are not forest fires.

And you can get brush fires started in the middle of towns and cites due to empty overgrown lots or poor local lawn control. Am overgrown block full of old, mostly empty houses can go up like kindling and potentially take out a small town during a dry spell - no matter what state the town is in, or whether the block is in an urban or rural setting.

Haele

[at140]

3. I want all forests crisscrossed with swaths of clearing

The clearing should be as wide as a 4 lane highway. That will make it very difficult for forest fires to engulf 100's of square miles.
It will burn itself out after consuming the local square of forest.

[haele]

4. ?????. Forest fires are a natural method of self-control.

Historically, a bi-annual lightning strike based forest fire would slow - burn itself out across a smaller area over a shorter period of time because the last natural forest fire cleared out the underbrush and deadwood.
Animals - and natives could get out of the area fairly quickly with their lives, and regrowth could start up within a month or so.

The problems arise when humans clear-cut and build housing and businesses too close to forests and leave years of conbustable litter about as the scrub trees and bushes grow up in place of the older trees that would normally keep that sort of undergrowth in check.

I saw a out of control brushfire jump an eight lane freeway in 2003. Crisscrossing forest area won't protect from wildfires.

Haele

[at140]

5. I did not make my point crystal clear, no wonder you did not understand

I am fully aware most forest fires are a natural phenomena. But then those fires spread miles and miles from the origin of fire.
Those fires then get close to populated areas. By criss-crossing wide clearings of say 1 mile in each direction, the odds of limiting spreading the fire beyond 1 square mile drop by orders of magnitude.

There is nothing wrong with people building homes next to woods. My own home backs up to very thick woods. We love the privacy and the variety of birds which visit our bird feeders from the woods. But this is NE Florida and this area is not prone to forest fires. The high humidity is probably the main reason, along with frequent rains all year long.