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If anybody really wanted to know "who started the fires," that's easy: It was you, driving that car of yours, running that air conditioner, heater, stove, fridg

If anybody really wanted to know "who started the fires," that's easy: It was you, driving that car of yours, running that air conditioner, heater, stove, fridge, washer/dryer, buying those products, living your life. Not a mystery. But nobody wants to know that. Consider each downvote a confirmation of that last sentence.

rbecker 6y ago
But the oil companies that lobbied to prevent any action on climate change, to make sure oil subsidies remain and renewable subsidies don't come to pass, that funded FUD research on climate change when their own confidential, internal research said it was a problem, they are completely blameless. It is individual consumers, whose every attempt at organized action has been sabotaged, that are to blame. Some sources: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/20/oil-company-records-exxon-co2-emission-reduction-patents https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/20/oil-company... https://graphics.latimes.com/oil-operations/ https://graphics.latimes.com/oil-operations/
- rdiddly 6y ago
  I don't see it as an either/or situation. Also it's really not worth all the histrionics. It's a fact, it's happening, I'm contributing to it right now by continuing to not kill myself.
samatman 6y ago
If carbon dioxide brought the bark beetle to our shores, then forced the federal and state agencies to not treat the resulting megatons of dried out trees as the emergency they were, then ok. But you're going to have to explain how that works, because I'm not seeing it. Sure, climate change is a real and increasingly urgent problem. And you can make a case that it made the situation worse; fine. But the bark beetle was both necessary, and sufficient, to cause the crisis we're seeing. I've seen estimates of 30% kill rates in Western forests over the past five years.
- rdiddly 6y ago
  Here is how it works: "Many species, such as the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) attack and kill live trees. Most, however, live in dead, weakened, or dying hosts." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_beetle#Ecology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_beetle#Ecology
Nuzzerino 6y ago
You do realize the Native Americans used controlled burns for many centuries, as a way to prevent mass fires? The government hasn't been doing that, and the amount of combustible material on the ground has accumulated to dangerous levels as a result. Just some food for thought.
- rdiddly 6y ago
  Yes, I've heard about that. Definitely important, though for the record I was talking more about things like the hundred-degree temperatures, bone-dry humidity and the unusual wind event last week (kind of like Santa Ana winds except in Oregon/Washington). But strictly in terms of wildfire suppression, there are people "voting" to keep doing it, whether it's the people who have claimed property and built structures in the forested areas; or ones who, voting with their wallets via the corporations they buy from, want those trees for building houses elsewhere or making paper products; or (ironically) the people who pushed for strict environmental laws, some of which now effectively prevent that kind of controlled burning. Sprinkle the usual "uninformed dust" on top for both voters and their reps, and there you have it! Maybe this kind of event will shove things in a better direction.

rbecker 6y ago

But the oil companies that lobbied to prevent any action on climate change, to make sure oil subsidies remain and renewable subsidies don't come to pass, that funded FUD research on climate change when their own confidential, internal research said it was a problem, they are completely blameless. It is individual consumers, whose every attempt at organized action has been sabotaged, that are to blame. Some sources: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/20/oil-company-records-exxon-co2-emission-reduction-patents https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/20/oil-company... https://graphics.latimes.com/oil-operations/ https://graphics.latimes.com/oil-operations/

rdiddly 6y ago
I don't see it as an either/or situation. Also it's really not worth all the histrionics. It's a fact, it's happening, I'm contributing to it right now by continuing to not kill myself.

samatman 6y ago

If carbon dioxide brought the bark beetle to our shores, then forced the federal and state agencies to not treat the resulting megatons of dried out trees as the emergency they were, then ok. But you're going to have to explain how that works, because I'm not seeing it. Sure, climate change is a real and increasingly urgent problem. And you can make a case that it made the situation worse; fine. But the bark beetle was both necessary, and sufficient, to cause the crisis we're seeing. I've seen estimates of 30% kill rates in Western forests over the past five years.

rdiddly 6y ago
Here is how it works: "Many species, such as the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) attack and kill live trees. Most, however, live in dead, weakened, or dying hosts." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_beetle#Ecology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_beetle#Ecology

Nuzzerino 6y ago

You do realize the Native Americans used controlled burns for many centuries, as a way to prevent mass fires? The government hasn't been doing that, and the amount of combustible material on the ground has accumulated to dangerous levels as a result. Just some food for thought.

rdiddly 6y ago
Yes, I've heard about that. Definitely important, though for the record I was talking more about things like the hundred-degree temperatures, bone-dry humidity and the unusual wind event last week (kind of like Santa Ana winds except in Oregon/Washington). But strictly in terms of wildfire suppression, there are people "voting" to keep doing it, whether it's the people who have claimed property and built structures in the forested areas; or ones who, voting with their wallets via the corporations they buy from, want those trees for building houses elsewhere or making paper products; or (ironically) the people who pushed for strict environmental laws, some of which now effectively prevent that kind of controlled burning. Sprinkle the usual "uninformed dust" on top for both voters and their reps, and there you have it! Maybe this kind of event will shove things in a better direction.