05/01/2022
Lynn Murphy Mark
Paradise on fire
If you have ever been to Northern New Mexico you know how beautiful the landscape is. Filled with sunlight and very clean air, there is something spiritual about the atmosphere there. There are mountains, forests, vibrantly hued rock formations, the Rio Grande, and other high desert beauties. I lived in Santa Fe for 6 wonderful years from 2009 t0 2015. I exist in a constant love affair with the area.
But paradise is burning right now. Friends on FaceBook are posting pictures of dense smoke covering blue sky completely. Ash is falling in some locations. The pungent smell of burning organic material is everywhere. Santa Fe, sometimes cited for the cleanest air in the country, is a dangerous place for anyone with breathing difficulties.
A big part of the problem are the ever present Spring winds, carrying embers from one hot spot to a neighboring dry patch. New Mexico is known for low humidity, another aggravating factor. There are areas now where mandatory evacuation orders are in place. The fire is some areas is rapidly increasing in size: in one location it grew over 30,000 acres in 24 hours.
People, and other living creatures, are in harm’s way. Fire is relentless, consuming everything in its path. Homes burn to the ground, forests turn into haunting places of burned tree trunks, animals die in the fire’s wake. People grab their most important possessions and leave everything else behind, knowing they may never see their home intact again.
More than two thirds of New Mexico is facing extreme drought conditions. This, plus wind and high temperatures, creates the possibility of a wasteland left behind after a fire. As I see the pictures and read the news stories, my heart is saddened and I worry about people that I count as good friends. I pray for their safety. I pray that the devastation will be contained by the over 1.000 fire fighters who are risking their lives to fight the fires.
From a scholarly article titled, “Forest fires and climate change in the 21st Century”, comes this statement: “Weather and climate are the most important factors influencing fire activity and these factors are changing due to human-caused climate change.” There is enough research out there to support the premise that we, ourselves, are responsible for this phenomenon. Yet there are too many climate deniers in places of power, fighting against attempts to remedy this deadly reality.
I think about Greta Thunberg, a 19 year old young woman who is not afraid to speak truth to power. She has organized huge rallies of young people who want to make us accountable for the ravages of climate change. She has been ridiculed and mocked for her passionate devotion to this cause. Politicians in this country have made fun of her. As far as I’m concerned, they are showing their own ignorance and avoidance. Shame on them.
I have discovered a great group called “Science Moms”, a non-partisan group of climate change scientists who are also moms. On the website you can see a bunch of PhD researchers who are concerned about the future of the world in which their children and grandchildren will have to exist. I have children and grandchildren too. I worry about their future environment too. I think I will sign up to support this grassroots group. Want to join me?