Today I returned from a job in the Bay Area (more about the whole job thing later) and I was planning to take a leisurely drive down the scenic 101, but last night I realized that I had to take the potently un-scenic 5. The reason for this change came completely down to one word: fire.
Anyone following the news this week has seen the startling pictures of forests, brush, and houses engulfed in flame. I was put off from my beachside drive by pictures of traffic creeping through areas with fire only yards from each side of the freeway. As upsetting these pictures may be, made more so by the direct incursion into populated areas, they are to some extent as typical of the late fall in California as hurricanes are to the East Coast, our rolling natural disaster.
When I see these pictures I am always torn. What am I supposed to feel? Of course my heart breaks for any loss of life or loss of property. It seems every year we are told that this is the worst ever. I’m wishing that there were no fires and dreading the winds and heat that are their harbinger. However, is this the right way to feel? Fires existed long before humans moved in to California. In fact the appropriate amount of fire is necessary for the health of a forest. When humans incur in a natural environment, it is not possible to eliminate these threats, so while the destruction is sad, it is the playing out a deal made in our natural cohabitation.
On the other hand, I worry about broader trends that this destruction reveals. There has been a clear shift of weather from my childhood. The late summer heat lasts longer and longer. No “natural” phenomenon can be seen as unaffected by climate change, and every year, every change makes me wonder when a tipping point will put things completely out of joint. Is this a fire created by the natural environment, or an effect of everything that is being done to the earth as a whole (this is not even considering the human carelessness or recklessness that start fires)? Are the losses of so many home and business owners and the struggles and losses of fire fighters solely a natural disaster, or was nature given a push?
So while my sympathy is unquestioned, my reaction is confused.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Well stated, young man.