Florida on Fire

Local newscasts in southwest Florida have been very busy this week trying to keep up with all of the brush fires. Just the other day there were five local fires ongoing. Yesterday, we were blanketed with smoke from fires burning as far away as Sarasota and Georgia. Emergency operators were inundated with calls from frightened residents who, apparently, thought their backyards were on fire. Yes, the smoke was that thick. Today "The Skeptic" drove out to take a look at the 100+ acre fire burning six miles from his house.

Due primarily to rainfall deficits Florida is a tinderbox. Throw a cigarette butt out your car window and you might burn 500 acres.

Water is becoming a big issue here. That will increasingly be the case as rapid population growth overwhelms limited natural resources. Our lakes are the lowest they've been in ages. Yet "The Skeptic" looks around and finds himself surrounded by green lawns and green fairways. It seems strikingly unsustainable. Tampa is already turning to desalination to quench their thirst. Maybe that will be an alternative for others but it isn't cheap.

Florida continues to burn. From what I see in the news Los Angeles is burning too. Seems to be, the more we burn, the more carbon we release, the warmer and dryer it gets, the more we burn, the more carbon we release. Or maybe something like that. If the reality is anything like that we will continue to burn in the years to come.