California Wildfires

[sr71blackbird]

When I was a kid and visited California, I remember seeing tons of these oil dereks pumping up and down. I would imagine that they would have some heavy duty pumps out there. Being on the coast, why the hell can't they pump ocean water and spray it all over the areas that are dry and burning to put these damn fires out? That state has the tightest emmision standards, yet these fires must be dumping millions of tons of soot into the air. Seems very odd to me, and wonder why they don't use the ocean.

[Tallman388]

I think they have to filter out the salt in order to do that. I know in some areas they use water from nearby lakes, but it only seems effective in slowing down the fire rather than putting it out.

[sr71blackbird]

Probably because they can't get a lot at once. Imagine firehoses gushing ocean water. I don't think the salt would be an issue because it's not going to be pumping forever.

[TheMojoPin]

You really don't get what's wrong with saturating plants and soil with salt water?

[JPMNICK]

You really don't get what's wrong with saturating plants and soil with salt water?

he thought the blue water was full of viagra, hence promoting growth after

[led37zep]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/led37zep/Fish.jpg

[Chigworthy]

Most of the areas in California that burn every year are fire ecologies. The ecology is dependent on the fire for many things. One benefit is the release of valuable nitrogen in the form of ash from the burning off dead brush, pine needles, etc. Without a fire, due to the dry nature of these areas, that nitrogen would be inaccessible to new growth for many years. Another benefit of the removal of this brush is the allowance of sunlight to reach small young plants. Fire also weeds out competition for young growth in the form of ailing old trees and shrubs. Plants like pine trees actually encapsulate their seeds in cones that don't release the seeds until heated by a fire, the mechanic being that the seeds will need the nutrients and sunlight provided by a fire to germinate successfully. It's kind of like a female animal being in heat to signal the male that she is fertile. Otherwise, the male would just be dumping wasted jizz all over the place. Many plants that are part of a fire ecology actually contain flammable resins to encourage fire, such as pines and manzanita.

So when people bitch about the fires, they don't really understand that this area has been burning every year for hundreds of millions of years, and it will stay that way. Especially when a pesky Australian plants highly-flammable eucalyptus trees all over the state to add fuel to the fire.

[MC Pee Pants]

There's a forest fire climbin the hill
Burning wealthy California homes
Better run run run run run run
From the fire

But some of us stay and watch
And we think of your insurance costs
And we laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh
At your lives

[sr71blackbird]

Thank you Chigworthy. You are amazingly smart!

[sr71blackbird]

Now these California assholes who complained about how their state is buring due to dryness, and so God sends some rain and now they have too much rain and now there is a danger of mudslides!

What do they want? Maybe some areas are not meant to be habitated!

[Chigworthy]

Now these California assholes who complained about how their state is buring due to dryness, and so God sends some rain and now they have too much rain and now there is a danger of mudslides!

What do they want? Maybe some areas are not meant to be habitated!

I live in an area that has a high-flood zone. These assholes get flooded out every 5-10 years, then rebuild right in the flood plain again. It seems like FEMA enables this idiocy with their bailouts.

[TheMojoPin]

I live in an area that has a high-flood zone. These assholes get flooded out every 5-10 years, then rebuild right in the flood plain again. It seems like FEMA enables this idiocy with their bailouts.

I wonder if the "anti-government" crowd can reconcile their loathing for the government sticking its beak into private affairs and their hatred of all things California.

[sr71blackbird]

If some schmuck camper decides to pitche his tent on railroad tracks, and luckily escapes when a train comes but their tent and supplies are lost, should the government be responsible to reimburse the camper? At some point, shouldn't the camper have to take responsibility for their actions?