When you try to play poker with nature, it lashes back at you. That is one lesson man must learn before it’s too late. Only yesterday was I discussing with my friends about should man be trying to control nature. Some of them felt that we should control it as long as it benefits us. I vehemently disagreed. (With my limited intelligence, all I can ever do is disagree) Now I present my case to them. The wild fires that have tormented both firemen & scientists (who try constantly to predict their course & fail) rendering millions of Southern Californians homeless, has been attributed as another effect of ‘Global Warming’.
US senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has stated that;
One reason why we have forest fires is Global Warming.
Like many major natural disasters off late, even the flames that are engulfing Southern California right now are also attributed to the same factor. But the major thing to note here is that it is perceived as ‘one of the reason’ & not the sole reason. Whether it is the major reason is anybody’s guess for now. But scientists do point out variety of factors that have contributed to this sudden & major development.
For all those who still have not heard of it; Global Warming is the alarming increase of the temperature of the world due to excessive production of greenhouse gases. Now that might sound simple, but that is because I have put it in the most simplified manner. The matter is of great concern to governments across the planet & has been the focus of many an environmental treaty. The California fires are said to be an effect of this as global warming has made the tropics of the world more & drier. When conditions are drier & hotter, then more are the chances of a forest fire. The logic sounds pretty simple to believe.
So a summer which is more hot & dry than normal could be the reason for the fire. But that is not the sole reason. With global warming playing havoc with world weather, thunderstorms have become more frequent than normal. More is the chance of lightning occurring, then more is the chance of the spark that needs to start the fire. It again sounds simple to believe.
Remember that forest fires are not all bad. They are nature’s way of starting a fresh new generation. This is the process of nature. This is the course it takes to sustain its balance in the longer run. But the problem with the present situation in California is that we humans have breached the walls of nature & infringed into the area that we have no right to be in. This also means that there is more chance of a human accident starting a forest fire.
Add to all this, the unpredictable nature of Santa Anna Winds of Southern California & human intervention into the cycle of forest rejuvenation. This makes for quite a deadly combination & points towards an accident waiting to happen. Well, it has already happened, so lets be more aware next time. The worst part of all this is that the forest fire adds a great volume of greenhouse gases again into the atmosphere. It’s a deadly cycle. Not, to forget of course that millions are already homeless.
So now I suppose you understand why I feel we should never tamper with nature. We know too little, understand scant & are too short sighted to try controlling nature. Let the world pledge itself to recycling & using of alternate sources of energy. There are no quick-magic solutions to this.
Good luck to the Firemen on the job.
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