Wildfire

My rant - never mind.  But, the ranchers that burn off rangeland for their cattle, really piss me off.  So much wildlife and plant life dies in these fires.  Plus, they always get out of control.

We got a call that our mountain was on fire and nearing the cabin.  Of course, we were both in the city, so dealing with the forestry service and local volunteer fire departments by phone is frustrating to say the least.  

They rarely get into trouble for burning, but I have seen the aftermath, and many lizards, turtles and ground nesting birds' nests are killed and destroyed.  Now, multiply that by the wildlife that is killed when they start cutting hay.  Sometimes, depending on the rain, they do it several times during the summer.  

I quit eating red meat for five years in protest.  Guess I need to start drinking/using nut milks.  Eventually, maybe their practices will change, but I'm not holding my breath.

Oklahoma's On Fire

As I mentioned, this summer is hellishly hot and dry. Wildfires are starting  up. Oklahoma is the example for climate change.  The last two summers have been unbearable; hotter temperatures than ever and drier.  Our dubious Senator, Jim Inhofe, rails against scientists and anyone else who has studied climate change; likens the theories of global warming to the liberals and their ilk.  Of course we know Inhofe is no scientist, nor a statesman, he just likes to pad his pockets with monies from the energy companies and whomever else he can get money from.  Inhofe, a career politician, really is an embarrassment to our state.  Recently, for the energy companies benefit, he tried to get the House and Senate to relax the rules for acceptable levels of mercury being dumped into the environment.  Now, anyone who has grandchildren or is pregnant knows that their doctors advise them not to eat tuna etc. because of high mercury levels.  Duh... When will Inhoff get his comeuppance?  He needs to be voted out of office like years ago - at this point I don't care if it is a democrat or a republican - just anybody besides him, (okay, I take that back, tea bagger people need not apply).

And after 367 posts dear folks, this is my first political post.

This wildfire photo was taken from behind my house looking south a few years ago.

WILDFIRES

As you have heard the past two days, wildfires have devastated towns and range land. I posted this pic of a wildfire south of where our farm is a few weeks ago. I was home alone and thinking about how I would use my water hose to wet the house down. After hearing of the fires yesterday, I think my only hope would have been to run to the pond. It is scary to think of the poor people that lost everything, not to mention all the little and large animals that didn't make it. The wind was howling; there was no stopping the fire. A lot of these fires are started by the ranchers wanting to burn off pastureland or to burn off the woodlands to make more pastureland. They do this to make range land for their cattle to graze and burn off the weeds so feed grasses will grow. The fires always seem to get out of hand and burn for miles until it rains or the fires finally reach a firebreak. But, oh the nature; the flora and fauna that is destroyed in the process. You see, the turtles haven't come out of hibernation quite yet, and if they have, they move too slowly to escape the firestorm. Ditto for all the other animals, pastured and wild too. One byproduct of the burning happens when the hay grows deep in the spring. The mother deer lay their new fawns down in the grasses to go some distance away to graze. A hay mower told me that the mowers chop up the new baby deer while they are mowing, and also quail nests...you get the picture. And all for the ranchers to raise their cattle and send them to the slaughterhouse. Some relatives in my own family do this. And this goes on on a global scale everyday. Why can't they just burn and mow hay later in the season? I don't have all the answers. What I do know is I quit eating mammals 4 years ago. I haven't missed the red meat at all and my family were big meat eaters. You have heard the old saw, you can't save the world, but do what you can. This was one way I could.

As a postscript~According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the animal agriculture sector contributes to global warming even more than transportation does. Reducing the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy products in your diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Humane Society of the United States, humanesociety.org/food.