California Burning

[Pogo]

What I thought was fog was fucking smoke. Went running and got dizzy so I had to stop and go back in the house.

That's exactly how it was around here two years ago. I went out on a mountaintop to stare directly at the sun on a clear day, and couldn't see it at all. Smoke in everybody's house.

Amazingly nobody blamed "the fed" or "liburruls" or "O'bama" or even "looters" --- we all blamed what the actual cause was: drought. Highly unusual weather. There must have been a shortage of self-delusion around here.

While there was an occasional case of arson (one I think) or careless campfiring the vast majority was natural and the drought caused them to spread and burn for months.

Appalachia is Burning (from 2016)

CA has been the victim of utter malfeasance of Federally owned forests. That's a fact. The fuel has built of for decades; it doesn't take much to start a wildfire under such circumstances.

And as for introducing politics, I'll note the shrieking hysteria of the Left regarding Katrina and New Orleans to blame the floods on Bush instead of the corrupt local Dem politicians who neglected the infrastructure.

Nobody blamed Katrina on Bush. That's poppycocko. Don't go down this road with me; I'm a Katrinite and I know better. WAY better.

I do remember some sleazeball religion celebrity who tried to blame it on The Gay, but that's not political either.

And the fault for the broken levees was lain at the feet of the Army Corps of Engineers. That was established years ago. In court. That's a fact. NOR, I would remind you, was the city of New Orleans anywhere near the only damage Katrina did or the only refugees it left. The town of Waveland Mississippi for instance was wiped off the map. Go ahead and tell the class about the "corrupt local Dem politicians who ignored the infrastructure" in Waveland. Or Slidell.

Or Long Beach:

 

[badger2]

We can't rely on heresay, even when badger2's son lives in Metairie. This interesting report:

Ryan Zinke's Claim That "Environmental Terrorists" Are To Blame For Wildfires, Explained
Ryan Zinke’s claim that "environmental terrorists" are to blame for wildfires, explained
'...."We believe there is a lot of work to do in the forests....what we oppose is the logging of old growth forests." '

This still does not link democrats. Where are the best documents that link democrats?

 

[badger2]

Tree-Planting Drone


'Scale is often limited by feedstock availability constraints, although the world's largest bioenergy plant in Finland generates 265 MW of electricity, 100MN of steam and 60MW of district heat, and brings in 60 truck loads of biomass each day from long distances....One of the most important features of the Russian natural environment is is its forests which cover 45% of the land mass. The total carbon stock of Russian forests has been estimated as 36-38 billion tonnes....In the context of forests and climate change,, the Russian near-tundra forests are worthy of mention. They are 50km to 150km in width and protect much of northern Eurasia from the cold air masses of the Arctic Ocean. These forests were excluded from timber harvesting and assigned a special designation in 1956.....The influence of the Russian landmass on the global environment, including its contribution to the hydrologic cycle, is highly significant as a result of the vast expanse of wetlands, rivers and permafrost.....The reported trends included a northward shift in the polar tree line in Siberian, Sayan and Ural mountain forests over the past 50 years, although in other regions such as the Yamal Peninsula, a similar shift is not evident.

The data agree with studies in other countries which indicate that 'global warming is causing shifts in species spatial distributions that average 6.1km per decade towards the poles....For example, the Siberian moth outbreak in 1993-1996 completely destroyed more than 1 million ha of taiga forests an in 2001-2003, defoliation occurred over an area of more than 10 million ha. Similar infestations have also been observed in the U.S.A(east coast) and Canada (British Columbia). There are concerns over further dieback of spruce forests in the boreal zone of Russia due to:

- an increase in the severity of bark beetle outbreaks because of a general deterioration in the health of forest trees.
- deterioration of the hydrological regime

- evidence in a change in the virulence of Fomitopsis annosa and Armillaria mellea.'
(Forestry and Climate Change, Freer-Smith PH, Broadmeadow MSJ, Lynch JM, eds. 2007),

Davis, California Armillaria mellea
Evidence of natural hybridization among homothallic members of the basidiomycete Armillaria mellea sensu stricto. - PubMed - NCBI

Chinese Antrodia (Fomitopsidaceae)
A steroid like phytochemical Antcin M is an anti-aging reagent that eliminates hyperglycemia-accelerated premature senescence in dermal fibroblasts... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[badger2]

Tethered drone technology is not very cost effective for small California towns. A fire prevention system with tower and recharging platform is shown at time-point 1:10, which system should also applicable for border surveillance:

See Over the Trees

 

[badger2]

Timepoint 1:10

 

[badger2]

2015: Communities Should Use Drones to Monitor Forests

'....Mexico....'

 

[badger2]

Local fire departments and U.S. Forest Service drones of tomorrow will fly to the fire and do more than simply photograph it.

SonsofExplosions Drone Experiment

 

[Westender]

It seems that fire season in California is now unending. No beginning and no end. It is the new normal for those in California in particular, but also out west in general. They are our fellow citizens and we need to offer them all the support we can.

‘The Whole World Was on Fire’: Infernos Choke California, Piling On the Grief
******************************************
In the summer of 1998, Florida had its wildfire crisis. I remember the air was so dense with smoke you needed to drive with your headlights on. The smell of burning debris was everywhere. Entire neighborhoods were closed off and the sound of fire truck sirens were common. I'll never forget the sky. The sky was like a blue desert barren of all clouds. Every day that scorching sun with no end in sight.

My father joined the volunteer fire department. I remember seeing him on the TV hosing a house down. I went to stay with him and my mom as they were in a danger zone. I joined the small fire department with my dad, for the time I was with my parents, with the department's one fire truck. It was an eclectic group to say the least. Super conservatives like my Dad and a long haired hippie fire captain.

There was a camaraderie among its members. They all joined together in a time of crisis to try to halt what we thought was an unrelenting inferno. The clouds eventually returned and the rains fell. The crisis was over.

But every year could be the year of the next drought. We need to be cognizant that but for the grace of God go I.

I can understand what the people of California are going through. We live in Florida where every summer we face hurricane season and their destructive power. If you ask me the drought and raging fires were every bit as bad, and thankfully, the drought has not returned.

We also need to remember that all people should come together in these times. No one gave a damn about your politics only that you were there to help.

I know a John Law from Jacksonville, not you is it?

 

[badger2]

Yes, 'our fellow citizens' is the first-cause philosophy. One does not have to go there to help. These videos point the way. From Wisconsin, for example, we can concentrate on hybrid fuel reduction systems that include even aspects of a model from Chicago. Trees produce oxygen, fire consumes oxygen. Mini explosions on the fire line rob the fire of oxygen and help to halt its advance. We salute this entrepreneurial spirit.

 

[badger2]

20 Nov 2018 California Wildfire Emissions Equal Year of Power Pollution
California wildfire emissions equal year of power pollution

 

[danielpalos]

we had a drought, before. prescription burns are a preventive measure, now.

 

[badger2]

17 Dec 2018 Crane Operator Fired for Taking Insensitive Photos on Properties Destroyed by the Camp Fire
Crane operator fired for taking insensitive photos on properties destroyed by the Camp Fire