The past few weeks have experienced high temperatures in California, Arizona and a number of other western states. The high heat and low humidity have made the chance for wildfires to explode, and they have in California.
Also, the electrical grid is stressed because of the need for power for refrigeration and air conditioning. Politics have consequences, and in California’s case, disastrous consequences. Since the Democrats have been in power for years in California (forget Arnold, he was a Democrat, a RINO) and hate the thought of building power plants and encouraging people to clear dead brush and undergrowth from their properties, they are experiencing what their politics have given them. The Left Coast has been skewed and influenced by the eco-nuts for years and this is what is the result.
The last few decades, the Green Movement has shunned and protested any time a power installation was discussed. For years and years, nothing was started and completed to help generate power for the power hungry population and businesses. With the lack of power and high heat, many will suffer rolling blackouts or complete blackouts because of an overburdened power grid. You don’t want power plants built, the famous NIMBY (not in my backyard) taking hold across the state and protests if something is even being discussed to alleviate the power situation.
Now it comes down to this because nothing was being planned, built, and on-line to boost the power supply. I feel nothing for those who will not help themselves. They have brought this upon themselves.
On the fire situation side, there are other “greenies” that don’t clear the dead and dying brush on their and surrounding properties, they want to let nature take its course. That is great if you are in a state like Michigan, where rainfall and access to water is usually abundant. However, in an arid state like California, this is an accident waiting to happen.
And they are now reaping what they have sown. Blazes of intense and fast moving magnitude, consuming and clearing everything within its reach are now happening. Most of these blazes are results of poor or negligent clearing of brush and dead debris close to homes and in canyons.
Once a fire starts at the base of a canyon, it sucks up all the oxygen and turns into a torrent of flame up the sides, creating its own wind from rising heat within the confines of the canyon. Everything it its path is completely consumed – brush, dead undergrowth, houses, barns, livestock, people. It is utter destruction by flame. I have seen the aftermath of such fires and it isn’t pretty – everything gone, nothing but ash and foundations. Without trees and ground cover, fall and winter rains create mudslides so what was left in the upper reaches of the canyon eventually end up at the bottom of the canyon and massive mud pits.
The other issue is the water problem; the vast amount of any rain or snow spring runoff goes directly to the ocean because California has not built a reservoir/dam in many years. The ones that still exist are in poor shape and in need of repair. The Hetch Hetchy dam east of San Francisco is old and was built in 1919 and started delivering water to San Francisco in 1934. Oroville, the largest dam in the United States was started in 1961 and completed in 1968 under Gov. Pat Brown (Gov. Jerry Brown’s (Moonbeam) father).
All this time, there has not been one other water storage facility built in the state of California when the population doubled since. The time to do the responsible thing and store the rain and runoff is now so California can once again thrive and support its population with abundant and clean water. The Greenies just won’t let that happen.
The population of California is an example of being held hostage because of politics and they are the ones doing the voting, so they are cutting their own throats. It is the case of doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result – lunacy at its finest!
The rotting of America for within continues…
I notice only the Dems’ houses burning. The Repubs’ houses all clean fire safe. You’re a JOKE. I bet you have a TRUMPY bear in every room in your house.
Ranger Rick
Most of the reasons you state have truth. But a couple questions for you.
What is your feeling about the wind farm proposed for Muskegon?? Add to the equation you live close to it.
In Michigan we have water, but looks like many of the aquifers are polluted with PFAS…would you support more regulations on dumping chemicals in the environment?
Would you agree someone concerned about our environment may belong to a political party other than Democratic??
Ranger Rick. Most of your articles have many true facts, but once you start blaming everything on one party (Democratic) . Even though I lean more conservative your articles just turns into bashing the Democrats , which masks the facts you may have stated.