FireStorms - Reaping What We've Sown

Southern California Burns - A Trip Down 101 - Fall Firestorms 2007

As the droughts continue the plants historically tied to the region die off, and will be replaced with desert plants. Sadly, as global warming changes world climate many of those areas which were arid, but not desert will in fact become desert areas.

These YouTubers drive down Route 101. It's like driving on Mars!.
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Fall 2007 - Pepperdine University Students Watch Fires Advance

CNN Reports that a quarter of a million people in California have had to flee from the firestorms baring down upon their homes. This from CNN:

"Hardest hit was San Diego County, where 250,000 people have fled from five fires. One person was killed and 18 were reported injured in the county, including five firefighters. Local officials said the fire situation had worsened throughout the day, prompting new evacuations.

"We have a very dangerous, unpredictable situation," said Ron Roberts, chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "We have some of the highest temperatures, some of the driest landscape conditions and some of the most powerful winds -- all the ingredients for a perfect firestorm.""

The incidence of massive firestorms will increase. Ancient forest will give way to deserts, and there's nothing human beings will be able to do, but learn to adapt. We are after all simply reaping what we have sown.


Pepperdine University Students Cover The Firestorm

These YouTube Posters, presumably students from Pepperdine University were awoken by their smoke alarms, and couldn't get back to sleep. So they filmed this little video.
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YouTube: Ventura, California - October 21, 2007

This YouTube Poster lives fifty miles from Malibu. As the video illustrates there's plenty of smoke for everyone to breath. That may not seem like an important issue as the more dramatic line of fires racing across the country sides is more exciting, but when all the numbers are crunched many people with lung problems will have died as a result of these fires. And hardly anyone will have noticed.
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Video: October 2007 - Southern Californian Readies To Flee Firestorms

This YouTuber provides us with a view from her location. She concludes by saying she's going in to pack - just in case. I wonder what the cost of dislocation will be? Must add up into the hundreds of millions of dollars. And that doesn't include property damage either!
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Video: October 2007 - Smoke and Ash Over Camarillo, California

There's also the psychological, and social disruption which takes place as the result such an event. This young woman expresses her concern while video recording shots of the sky filled with yellowish smoke, and ash. It certainly looks like the end of the world doesn't it? It's a natural reaction to any disaster.


Video: Firefighting Helicopters Fill Up With Water At Pepperdine

Then there's the cost of fighting the fires. Living in, and along the desert adds an enormous responsibility in terms of fire preparedness Some question the wisdom of people building enormously expensive homes atop hillsides covered in dried out brush. Who will pay in the end for such arrogance? Taxpayers, and those paying premiums on property insurance all over the nation.