Global Forest Change Map
- Thread starter Zingmo
- Start date
I saw this yesterday and agree, it is fascinating. Especially so for me, because when looking at Canada, I'm right in the middle of the red area to the west of Hudson Bay. This is caused by forest fires, which this province (Saskatchewan) doesn't bother to fight, unlike the rest of the country. Oh the almighty dollar....
Just a thought, but forest fires have been going on since time immemorial, and will regenerate quite happily on their own (as long as the land isn't subsequently built on or otherwise utilised - eg slash and burn). In fact many sources think that its actually advantageous overall to have this occurring. The main reason why they are fought nowadays tends to be to protect buildings etc built in the middle of them.......
What you say is very true, it is the natural way. I think my biggest complaint is with the hypocrisy of government. Without getting political, we hear about the environment, air pollution, tourism, wildlife habitat, etc etc all the time, yet vast areas are left to burn every year, unless it's in an area where the trees have commercial value. But the far north does not have such timber, and if it did would still be too remote to harvest. So it burns.
Those that make their living from the land cannot do so in a wasteland. I suppose that's one reason people were nomadic in the past.
Regardless of policies in affect, I certainly don't wish to see the rest of the country follow our example and let fires run wild. I prefer to see green on the map, rather than red, and in a country with as much forest as we have, it's a bit difficult to not be in the middle of it.
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