Too Soon Old; Too Late Smart

That was a favorite saying of my grandmother. It's applicable to all of us, from individuals to countries to our species.

Watching my adopted State burn, breathing smoky air, wondering if fires will hit here, I am very aware of how foolish we've been. Population in what's come to be called "the arid West" has grown exponentially in the past several decades. I am one among millions who fled the harsher climate of the Mid-West. We've overbuilt. We've under-planned. We've closed our eyes to the completely unsustainable mess we've been creating.

Here's a small example: Next to us is a vacant lot, just over an acre, owned by a couple who live near LA. They've decided they don't want to build here and have put the lot on the market. Fine. In a recent visit they stopped by to see us, and the conversation turned to the fact that our county is getting more strict with building requirements in these semi-remote areas. That strictness covers things from fire requirements to water to septics. With an attitude of a city dweller Mr. Visitor informed us that the county was being ridiculous that "this area isn't overbuilt; anyone can see that." When we talked a bit about the need to cut back flammable vegetation, he let us know that since he doesn't live here he really doesn't care what happens.

That attitude - know-it-all-don't-care - has contributed greatly to the disaster we're making of Mother Earth. We mess with Her at our peril. Even well-meaning messing often goes wrong. Look at the Forest Service. For years they had a policy of not allowing any fire to burn. While that had a start in protecting people and property, the result was the creation of decades of fuel just waiting to become a massive fire. The West has always had periodic fires. They are a part of the ecology here. With way too much under-story in the forest, way too much dead and dry fuel on the ground, and way, way too many people living in areas that are near-impossible to protect. . . . well, the result is plain. (If you'd like a historical view of how far back that goes, check out The Western Range Revisited, by Debra L. Donahue. It's an informative and very, very scary read.)

Add to that a drought that shows no signs of ending soon (ever wonder if our greenhouse gasses, etc., are causing these almost nationwide droughts?), serious shortages of underground water supplies in much of the West, a terribly strained State economy (to say nothing of various local economies) and the ability to fight the current fires is seriously hampered.

I'm a pretty optimistic person by nature. But, I'm struggling to come up with an optimistic outlook right now. I fall back on a slogan created when the whole "green" movement was young - Think Globally; Act Locally. Turn off the water while I brush my teeth. Recycle. Conserve. Drive less. Use less. Waste less. Perhaps if I'm again One Among Millions it will do some good. Perhaps not.