August 22, 2018 and I feel like a pack a day cigarette smoker. I quit smoking years ago but it seems like the habit has followed me around somehow. The air has this thick smoky flavor and I can see the gray outline of my neighbors trees through the haze. Air quality, “hack, hack” has been really low lately from the countless fires all around the region.
Heather flowers attract pollinators – click for viewing full screen
This seems like it is becoming the new norm with many of my favorite camping areas having experienced nearby forest fires in the recent years. My fear is that once all the forests around here are burned down there will no longer be sufficient conditions to allow them to regrow how they once were. Maybe we will see some drought and heat tolerate trees grow back, I’m not sure.
Most people don’t seem to be connecting the dots very well about the things we are experiencing globally and the possible connection to anything “human caused.” Everything, including the smallest insect causes countless ripples of change throughout the world. With no pollinating insects there would be no food for us to eat. How can we believe that we are not capable of making great changes in the environment?
It really depends on how you look at it – click for viewing full screen
The next few years seem very pivotal imho. Technological solutions exist or are being developed, for many of the issues we are facing. There are a great many more efficient ways of doing things that do not deplete world resources as much. (Crypto being one of them, lol)
At this point I really don’t know what to think. The heat, fires, and dangerous weather conditions seem to be increasing globally without much concern from anyone in charge.
Things I would seriously consider funding or researching more, if I were benevolent dictator for the day:
- Hydrogen power
- Solar electric generation
- Geothermal power
- Ocean upwelling tubes for CO2 removal
- Ocean fertilization
- Active CO2 removal through any means
- Indoor farming, vertical farming
- Better road and pavement materials that are porous and reflect heat
- Better roofing materials that reflect heat or generate power
- Production of meat or protein based foods without methane generation
- Better distribution of wealth and improved metrics for economic success
Bee in flight, are we ready for take off? – click for viewing full screen
Those are just a few of my ideas, but there are countless other things we could be doing with our funding. Can you think of other things we could be funding?
Thanks for reading! I always value your support and comments. The pictures were taken by me with my Galaxy S9+.