Value
This week my value is safety. When massive wildfires get out of control, they are a threat to my safety and the safety of loved ones and strangers. Large wildfires destroy homes and communities, and bad air quality can make us sick. Large scale fires are also a threat to biodiversity and agriculture, and a huge source of GHGs.
Vision
In my vision, low and moderate intensity fires are allowed to happen naturally and occasionally. Controlled burns and Indigenous fire practices are administered where necessary. Fire intensity is low enough that many large trees are preserved, and habitat is not completely destroyed. Because of the fires, deadfall is cleared away, seeds from species are released, and space is made in the forest for new plants to grow. Because fuel does not build up in the system, large fires are prevented.
Intervention
Controlled burns and Indigenous fire stewardship should be incorporated into all forest management practices. Fire should be seen as a natural part of the ecosystem, and used in an informed way to promote forest health and prevent high intensity fires. When destructive fires do occur, the media should remind the public that these fires are exacerbated by hot and dry conditions caused by climate change, as well as the northern spread of pine beetles due to warmer winters, and the decades of fire suppression in our forests. Fire is a scary topic that affects a lot of otherwise privileged people directly. This fear, and the personal nature of this issue could be leveraged to create larger systems change.
Collins, R. D. (2012). Forest fire management in Portugal: developing system insights through models of social and physical dynamics (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).