Simple thoughts on complex subjects #1

California wildfires are nothing new.  American sailors traveling along the coast of California in the 1820’s told of seeing miles and miles of burned forests.  They noted in their journals and diaries about the devastation and questioned how anyone could live there again.

There are reasons, many of which have been articulated by people more knowledgeable than me.  California often undergoes droughts and just recently finished one that lasted eight years.  The world climate is changing and droughts are becoming more frequent and more long-lasting.  The state also suffers from a lack of water.  In the last several decades, California has embarked on “environmental” policies which make wildfires more and more probable.  And, more and more people are building homes in areas that had never been “urbanized” before.

The impact of those events on California, have a profound impact on those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest and Washington in particular.  More and more Californians are fleeing their state and moving here.  We know that at least 10,000 a month are calling Washington home, by looking at the number of driver license applications as they turn in their California licenses.  Many are moving to the Seattle metro area.  But some are calling Thurston County – home.

Climate scientists have said many times, that the only part of the United States to benefit from global warming, is the Pacific Northwest.  Our climate will eventually become like Northern California and our major cities such as Seattle, Vancouver and Spokane, will become like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.  Along with the people, come the same problems facing California.  Perhaps the most important one is  – – a single political party controls what happens.  Does that sound familiar?