Todays Thoughts

 Yesterday a huge t storm rumbled through the northern part of the province, lighting up more fires.  At the moment the wind is blowing the smoke more or less northeast, but of course wind is fickle and things could get smoky again.  If people hated masks against Covid, I suggest they get over that against smoke.  At least smoke is visible, so who knows, maybe more people will get over their aversion.  I know it’s hot, and masks are uncomfortable, but smoke is bad for lungs, surely we all know this by now?

Apparently climate denialists have selected their scapegoat and are beginning to mount a campaign to blame Canada, ignoring the wildfires around the world, including California.  I guess we didn’t rake our forests enough, or something.  

Western Canada has been battling increasing wildfires for years, while climate change denialists poo-poo’d the increasing risk to life and limb, then the ramifications of too much forest devastated, followed by floods because a scorched earth can’t absorb much water.  And round and round we have been going.  Now?  BC is experiencing drought conditions, so fires will light more easily, burn hotter, range over more hectares and be harder to put out when they start.  Fighting the symptom instead of the cause will be far harder and way more expensive in the long run.  

What to do?  We could stop burning fossil fuels for one thing.  Not just individuals but industry.  Solar is finally gaining a toehold.  We are seriously considering a hybrid vehicle to reduce our gas consumption. We already drive the most fuel efficient vehicle we can, do circle routes when we run errands, group errands by location.  We have composted since the 1980s, recycle what we can, reuse, repair.  We wear our clothing out, buy natural fibres as best we can. 

Someone posted the new seasons in Canada, fires, floods, heat domes and freeze. Right now BC isn’t faring too badly but almost all the other provinces are struggling to put fires out and smoke blankets the east side of the continent.  Not so easy to ignore when the smoke covers the higher density population areas?  But this is not the fault of Canada alone.  This is a global problem and it’s going to need a global response.  Can we do it?  Dunno.  It might already be too late.  But dammit we have to at least try?