California….
In regard to the recent outbreak of numerous wildfires across several parts of California which took place from the earlier part of January 2025 and continued almost to the end of the month, attempts to put the wildfires out were for the most part, hampered by a number of additional dynamics such as dry conditions and the Santa Ana strong winds.
Along the natural beauty of coastal locations such as the Pacific Palisades, the Santa Ana winds reached up to 80 mph, sweeping through areas of dry brush, and burning through 23,448 acres of land.
As emergency evacuation plans were put into action; from wildfire warnings to evacuation shelters for people, along with pets, bottled water, food and blankets, the need for a wider variety of communication methods other than land-line and cell phone reception was definitely an issue in terms of evacuation for some, -which has in several cases, proven to be a hugely agonising and heart-wrenching struggle for less mobile people; including various people with disabilities, (and also including some of the elderly), along with, (in certain cases); -people’s pets: some of whom also have a degree of debilitation and/ or some kind of disability.
In regard to the California wildfires, at least two questions still remain: (A). Could more have been done, and (B). Were the right individuals listened to behind the scenes amidst the ongoing havoc and destruction of wildfires?
SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON: THE ISSUE OF DECLINING FRESHWATER LEVELS FROM INDUSTRIAL DIVERSION IN REGARD TO THE OVER UTILISATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. NATURE CONSERVATION AND THE DELTA SMELT…
The San Joaquin Delta in Sacramento, Northern California is home to various local people which also include Native Peoples such as the Yakut and Miwok Native Americans of Stockton who have been Indigenous to the San Joaquin Delta area for Millenia.
There is currently only one tributary left that does not have a dam in the location of the San Joaquin Delta; with San Joaquin River Delta also being part of an ongoing and vital River Conservation Program under the San Joaquin Restoration Settlement Act 2009, along with Chinook Salmon under the Endangered Species Act.
Some have long speculated that technically, there is enough fresh water to go around for everyone. With that being said, and if that is the case; then where is a large volume of the freshwater going?
Well, there are great concerns in regard to a Major and vital Conservation issue that is still prevalent today; in that more than 500 miles of the San Joaquin River Delta have been dry for well over 50 years and is directly attributed to the Industrial encroachment and diversion of San Joaquin Delta’s freshwater.
Over 50% (i.e fifty percent) of the freshwater from the San Joaquin Delta is used by various Industries -(including Oil and gas), with an additional 40% (i.e forty percent) of the freshwater from the San Joaquin delta being used by Agriculture: thus leaving only 10% (i.e ten percent) of the freshwater from the San Joaquin Delta;- for the sustainability of life, (i.e drinking water, etc), -through usage by the local population which also includes the Native American communities and their small scale sustainability way of life along with freshwater fish conservation, and therefore locking off and diverting freshwater from the one estuary that is allowed to flow through to the Indigenous Peoples, other Local residents and the freshwater fish; would have made little difference in putting out the wildfires, in regard to the 90% (I.e 90%) of the San Joaquin Delta water that is already diverted.*
Therefore, Industrial freshwater diversion and over-utilisation which is already taking away 90% (ninety percent) of what would otherwise be the natural flow of freshwater levels, which in turn would naturally increase the water pressure in many areas if not for the A. Industrial over-utilisation and B. Large Scale Agricultural excessive freshwater diversion and industrial over-utilisation; with (A) Industrial over utilisation of freshwater through freshwater diversion (along with the over utilisation of groundwater) being a major problem).
It must also be pointed out that the San Joaquin Delta’s Eco-System in terms of natural biodiversity survival rates in regard to various freshwater fish was actually not a problem; until large scale mono-culture Industrial encroachment on the freshwater level of the San Joaquin Delta happened on the scale and to the volume that it did in the first instance.
Alongside of Climate Change occurrences such as longer, drier periods over the summer, in the cold months that occur; the majority of snow melt across Northern areas of California,(including the above average snowpack fresh water availability in the Northern Sierra Mountains), is captured by several Dams; which in itself, highlights the Industrial over-utilisation of natural fresh water melt by way of diversion; a scenario that is increasingly attributed to Natural Eco-System encroachment in the growing number of dams across many areas, which in many cases, also creates a water pressure problem of what would otherwise be natural fresh water flow as opposed to the Industrial diversion and hoarding of fresh water; over utilisation, which also results in large volumes of Industrial fresh water wastage along with environmental pollution.
Such excessive levels of Industrial freshwater diversion and over-utilisation, as well as excessive rates of Industrial by-product pollutants, in what would otherwise be and remain the freshwater of a Natural Eco-system,- is of course overall bad management in regard to the availability of Earth’s own Natural resources in terms of freshwater conservation along with the anticipation of drought conditions and wildfires, which in the majority of cases are attributed to Climatic Change.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND FRESHWATER UTILISATION FROM RAIN WATER….
In addition, California currently flushes 95% of its freshwater from any rainfall occurring over the the San Joaquin Delta area,- into the ocean via the San Fransisco Bay (the latter location, -being an area that is already known to be one of the naturally saltiest /i.e brackish Basins).
MAUI: Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s….
1. ENCROACHMENT ON SUSTAINABILITY IN THE PACIFIC ISLAND WAY OF LIFE…and
2. COOKING THE BOOKS…WHILST HIDING THE HUNGRY…
Maui, which is still undergoing phases of major recovery on many different levels from the vast environmental damage that occurred in regard to the widespread wildfires that took place on August 8th 2024; along with other factors such as displacement and local small business recovery, is also faced with a rise in respiratory problems from things that include the smoke inhalation of toxic air pollutants. It has also been reported that for many of the survivors, (a small number of whom have been put up in local hotel accommodation, but who at the same time are still technically displaced) including children, -have seen a drastic reduction in the level of nutritional sustenance that they as survivors,- and given the scale of the Maui wildfires, should be receiving; in regard to the various legal stipulations/ conditions which have been put into place via the Contractual undertakings
of various organisations.
SUSTENANCE, SUSTAINABILITY AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT… Across many beautiful areas of the world; where tourist prices usually have a punitive/ knock-on-effect on the majority of locals who live and work in and around such tourist areas, and amidst the added dynamic of Climate Change; the rates of decline in nutrition among the local population (including that of Indigenous Communities), are increasingly becoming more of an issue; due to things such as large scale Industrial pollution, along with additional issues of Environmental concern with regard to the gross mismanagement of toxic pollutants from Industrial over-utilisation, and encroachment through urbanisation where bad planning is /has been involved throughout green spaces of the world; given that certain areas should be and in many cases should continue to remain Naturally Green Areas Of Biodiversity in regard to the Natural Environment along with small scale farming areas for sustainable living.
BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND ICE STORMS…..
January alone of 2025 has seen an International Climatic pendulum of weather contrasts;-ranging from below freezing temperatures across areas of Europe, including the U.K, Ireland and Scotland -(with parts of Scotland reaching temperatures of up to minus 15 degrees Celsius).
Tearing across areas with wind speeds going up to 100 mph; Storm Eowyn has had additional environmental impacts across areas of Scotland, leaving at least twenty thousand homes without power. The Storm has also affected Northern Ireland, where over 700,00 homes have been left without power.
SPAIN…
From the end of October and throughout November of 2024, several parts of Spain encountered the Climatic Pendulum Effect; going from high heatwave temperatures and drought conditions -to high levels of rain and intense flooding...
A cold drop; often refereed in Spain as the DANA effect; whereby cold air breaks off from the Polar Jet stream above Greenland, and meets warm air accumulation over Spain: thus resulting in excessively high rainfall levels along with strong winds which are made stronger by warmer sea temperatures, -are usual for the month of November; whereas now there are more anomalies in such a climatic occurrence taking place; -given the increased convergence of cold air from the polar jet stream currently meeting more frequently with warmer air mass that is being pushed into areas from warmer sea temperatures -such as across the Atlantic Ocean.
GREENLAND…
The area of Greenland, (which is also known as Kalaallit Nunaat in the Inuit language), is largely inhabited by Greenlanders who are predominantly a mixed blend of both Inuit and Scandinavian, along with other various Scandinavian people; and whilst Greenland is rich in minerals and other natural resources; the country continues to lose over 200 billion tonnes of ice per year; including across wetland areas of snow melt whereby large amounts of what was previously trapped methane pollution under Greenlands ice sheet is already being released into the atmosphere.
The release of Methane capture from wetland soil under the glacial melt of ice sheets that is currently going into the atmosphere, contributes up to 30% of all methane emissions; along with dams, gas coal and oil extraction which all contribute to an additional 30% of worldwide methane emissions; is far greater than that of agriculture along with cattle and which equates to approximately 20% of all methane emissions. Another 20% of earths methane emissions comes from permafrost, wildfires, biomass burning and the oceans.
Therefore, an increase of methane related wildfires (via methane emissions through a country’s glacial and ice sheet melt as an invisible, volatile/highly flammable gas, would likely increase the environmental risk of spreading into nearby forested areas across various parts of the world: areas that in some cases already happen to be some of the worlds biggest contributors of methane emissions which result in 50% of the worlds methane emissions, which in turn read at over 80% more atmospheric pollution than carbon.
It must be remembered that Norway is one of the countries who have backed Green Conservation Initiatives in terms of Climate Change and the natural biodiversity of forest restoration across several areas of the world.
In general, and from an ethical point of view, whilst any type of exploitation is by no means justified; -it must be pointed out that where some seek to educate themselves in regard to the bad side of History -(pertaining to a majority of countries from around the world); it is becoming increasingly apparent that more people need to focus on educating themselves in regard to exploitation in terms of things such as illegal land encroachment, as well as the long term effects of Environmental Damage attributed to Climate Change; along with other dynamics that only serve to cause more destabilisation and Industrial over utilisation,-all of which are extremely damaging to the International Community in terms of Green Conservation and International Climate Change Objectives…
Artwork: Copyright of L.D.K
Peace and Love to everyone….L.D.K
Article: Written by L.D.K. Copyright of L.D.K
Artwork: Copyright of L.D.K
N.B
More to come….
Update: 24th of February 2025
Ukraine: Climate Change, Environmental damage and Food Sovereignty…
As the mining of methane, minerals and oil threatens food security all over many areas of the world, the Wetlands of countries such as the Ukraine would in many ways suffer from the impacts of further environmental damage to the natural eco-system.
In 2023 alone, the Ukraine, -which is already experiencing the ongoing amplification problem of heating up at a rate of three times faster than expected due to Climate Change, -suffered environmental damage from over 8,000 forest fires. Last year in 2024, the Ukraine had the highest number of forest fires in Europe to date, which caused further large scale damage to the Natural Eco-System: over 906,860 hectares of green forested land was damaged; burnt due to the spread of Wildfires.
Many areas of Wetland are in either 1. close/neighbouring proximity to or 2. overlap onto land that is used for agriculture; and this makes the mining/hydro-fracking of shale methane gas more of an environmental disaster-risk to the neighbouring areas of farmland where Ukraine’s breadbasket grain is produced, along with the natural surrounding and immediate forest areas.
The Conservation of Biodiversity relies on the Conservation, Preservation, and ongoing Regeneration of Natural Biodiverse Green Areas along with their Wildlife habitats; and this also includes the Conservation of Wetland Areas and their Biodiversity.
It is already generally known that “non-traditional” I.e the newer methods of shale gas I.e the hydro-fracking of Methane gas as a volatile and environmental pollutant, increases the spread of wildfires.
Therefore, the Conservation of Wetland Areas along with Biodiverse farming areas all over the World; should remain as International Areas of Eco-Conservation and Sustainability.
Climate Change, along with other various dynamics which cause ongoing damage to the Natural Environment, not only impacts various crops in terms of causing complete crop loss and/reduced crop output to an immediate area; but also has the additional knock-on-effect of putting more strain upon the natural resources in other parts of the world with regard to food supply, exports, and high energy costs, along with rising inflation and an increase in food insecurity; all of which adds up to a burden that is usually taken on by those less able to readily counter/cope with the full extent of such impacts.
N.B (Written by L.D.K, Copyright of L.D.K)
Peace and Love to everyone….more to come….