Fire and Smoke Season. 9.12.2020

The Pacific Northwest is becoming less amenable to the old ways of the temperate, evergreen rainforest, and more inclined to be chaparral.   There is probably no sense in denying that, even if we mourn the lush, beautiful forests and humane climate.  Just as a person goes through stages of life, that can't be reversed, so is this region and much of the planet.  This change should not be news to anyone - as a species, in many cultures, continents, faiths, and economies, humanity has made this choice.  The information has been out there for a generation.  So we need to adapt to what we have created.

The fir trees, spruces, pines, can't survive this dry climate.  They turn into tinder, and burn explosively across the vast forests.  This is also not new, although it's much more extensive now and the effects and dangers are much greater.

I'm all for trying to stop the human contribution to climate change.  I re-purpose, up-cycle, repair, restore, reduce, and try to be thoughtful about my decisions.  I am also realistic regarding the futility of one caring person's effort, like a poppy seed in the cosmos.  I still do it, but I know - the corporations, the populists, the teeming developing mega-nations - they won't change. 

So we also have to thoughtfully adapt.  You really can't intelligently live in a forest fire zone, and have a house nestled among  towering fir trees, no matter how pretty and cozy it is. That will become a spreader event for wildfires.   You can't have evergreen "landscape cushions" up against the house.  Or directly under fir or pine trees (I have a couple like this.  They will be cut down soon).  When it comes time to plant new trees, it's important to look into whether they are potential torches, or possibly fire retardant.  It's also important to evaluate the water needs of what you plant.

There is no perfection.    One can only evolve, be thoughtful, and continue trying.

A list of fire resistant landscape plants.  

I think, in general, conifers are fire promoting.  Some eucalyptus are as will, but I'm not sure about others.  Deciduous trees are less so, although if they have died with leaves on the tree, or under the tree, yes, they will burn too.

A list of fire hazard plants.  This is from Marin, so a little different climate but with similarities to what we are becoming in the Pacific NW.  

A much longer list from Ashland.  Fire resistant plants.

I had the most likely to burn trees removed earlier this year, but I can't tell neighbors what to do.  Theirs are clearly a wildfire risk.  There are a few shrubs to remove if the current wildfires don't come and do it for us.

The view now.  I-phone does not pick up all of the yellow color.  Everything looks jaundiced.  The county health department says, stay inside.  Fortunately we have what we need.  I have a bug-out bag in the car, with emergency supplies, meds, and very few, small sentimental items.

Unseasonable warmth. 1.24.16

Peach buds swelling.  1.24.16

The temperatures have been 40s to 60s here in Southwest Washington State.  Combined effects, I imagine, of El Niño and climate change.

These are buds on the containerized "El Dorado" peach tree.  The in-ground, more standard peach trees also have swelling buds.  

Other trees with evidence of early awakening include the newly planted Maxie pear, and terminal tips of some apples.  The persimmon buds appear to be swelling, but not cracked open.  The pawpaw flower buds look larger but also still closed.  Same with fig buds.  Some lilac buds are open to the point where primordial flower buds can be seen.

Most of the fruit and other trees are in dormancy or have barely begun to break dormancy.  Now it's a waiting process.  If no hard freezes, we should be good.  If there are some hard freezes, nothing I can do about it.

Opuntia trial. 10.3.15

Opuntias for experiment.  10.4.15

These are the opuntias that I want to overwinter.  I hope they will produce fruits next year.

The larger one is from Raintree, sold as "Large fruit opuntia".  Image below links to their catalog URL.

Raintree Nursery Opuntia.

From Raintree catalog:  "(Opuntia engelmannii) Like the cycloides cactus, but with red/purple, flavorful fruit that is twice as large. Enjoy the pretty yellow flowers. It grows to 4' tall and has blonde colored spines.". 

Did I post the info on the smaller one?   That was from Shorty's nursery in Vancouver WA.  Just being local does not prove adapted to this area. I have seen lots of things that were not idea here.  But it was different, so there we are.  This one is "Baby Rita Prickly Pear".  There is a beautiful photo at this link.   On Dave's garden, the pads are purple.  On cactusjungle.com there is a beautiful photo of the pink flower, and this description:  "Prickly Pear season starts with Opuntia “Baby Rita”, a santa-rita hybrid with small and spiny pads. Small pads, will grow 3 feet tall. Very spiny pads turn purple in winter.  Hardy to 15F.  Monrovia - the brand for this plant, states this is Opuntia basilaris hybrid. "Exceptional dwarf hybrid with brilliant carmine colored flowers in a small padded, purple skinned prickly pear. Thrives from the coast to inland deserts, and even into high altitude mountain areas! Loaded with spring blooms, the purple foliage intensifies in winter, providing year-round interest." and gives hardiness range as 0 to 15F.

I was interested in opuntia in the past.   These photos were from my yard in 2007-2008.   I did not get ripe fruit from the opuntias, and they died after a hard freeze the next winter.  I enjoyed that the flowers changed color, so there were yellow and orange flowers on the same plants.  The freeze-kill might have been because I did not keep them sufficiently dry, or the variety might not have been as hardy as needed.

With summer 2015 hotter and drier than any on record, highly dry adapted plants like opuntias are worth another look for fruit, flowers, and vegetable - nopales.  Worth a try.

Opuntia in Bloom.  Vancouver WA 2008

Opuntia.  Vancouver WA 2007

Serious about climate change."Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty."

I can't figure out why so many people are so resistant to the idea that our climate is changing, or that it's because of human activity. Here is a quote regarding the recent summit:

"The solution to the problem is greatly retarded by the lack of scientific and technological awareness in certain societies, notably the U.S, where superstitions and political passions often trump sound reasoning," Emanuel said. "For example, we could make great strides toward energy independence and reduction of greenhouse emissions by undertaking a serious program of nuclear energy, which can easily supply our energy needs for 100 years. This, coupled with innovation in electric vehicles, would solve much of the problem."

But even if we were to stop emitting greenhouse gases all together, many of their effects would still emerge, say many scientists. And for that, adapting to such an environment is necessary. " Link here.

In a world with over 6 billion people, what can one person do? Well, in the US, were one individual contributes far more to climate change that an individual in a poorer country, what one person does is more significant. In addition, we contribute to climate change in other countries by buying goods that are imported here - our purchase of a Chinese good contributes to the Chinese CO2 emission.

I haven't been able to bike commute for quite some time, due to work demands. I continue to think about it, but I have to be realistic. I do drive a reasonably fuel efficent car, and quit driving the pickup to work. Being vegetarian significantly reduces the carbon load. We also grow significant amounts of food in the yard, reducing cost of transportation and commercial agriculture. We keep the thermostat at 55 night and 60 daytime, in the winter. That's too cold for me when doing homework, but now having a home office, I use a portable heater that just warms that room, when I'm in the room.

I'll have to work on other ways to reduce carbon footprint. I think we produce less than most equivalent-size households, but there remains a lot of room for improvement. To be honest, with individual and cultural ignorance, political opportunism, religious demagoguery, narcissim, "me first", "It's my right to have as many babies as I want" at play, I have doubt that we'll make a difference.

Then there is the other aspect - how to adapt to a warmer world? I think that means learning to experiment with what grows, and how to grow things differently. Naturally, that will mean much bigger issues with commercial agriculture than with the individual gardener and homeowner. As long as we remain flexible, know to mulch for better water retention in summer & cooler soil, keep organic matter high in the soil for the same reasons, experiment with varieties, we'll be doing the best that we can.