The ominous veil of wildfire smoke looms as a significant threat to years of hard-fought progress in air quality. A newly released study featured in Nature has illuminated a disheartening revelation: in the continental United States, the gains in air quality have suffered a perilous setback. According to the study, the smoke emanating from wildfires has, since 2016, unraveled a quarter of the air quality enhancements painstakingly attained since the year 2000.
Sep 26, 2023·edited Sep 26, 2023Liked by Alexander Verbeek 🌍
Az is tapping into Indigenous Peoples knowledge of wildfires. Their cultural practices can help curb these deadly blazes. Tribes like The Apache have their own agencies that work in tandem with State and Federal agencies using a wholistic approach like cultural burning practices, carbon farming & planting native vegetation like berries and Manzanita shrubs. We can learn a lot from these ancient customs.
"We must protect the forests for our children and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those that cannot speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees." Wise words. Wise article. Thank you. We should be listening.
Beautiful photos, Alex. I love the golden hour where everything is magical.
Random question: have you ever experienced the midnight sun? I found it very confusing in terms of finding the right time to take pictures. It was in the middle of the night of course.
Gorgeous pictures. Morning golden hour has become a favorite of mine. On my walks I try to get places as close to sunrise as I can.
Did not see the wildfires in Yellowknife on the news here. Everybody was talking about the northern lights that were visible. Not a “normal” phenomenon around here. I haven’t read up on why this happened right now, but I have a sneaking feeling that it’s all connected somehow.
Those tiny particles are scary and those numbers staggering. In German we call it “Feinstaub” (literally "fine dust”) and I take that to mean that there is not much you can do about it. Please stay as safe as you can.
The contrast of golden hues due to changing seasons and revolutions and rotations of our planet juxtiposed against the Canadian fires illustrates all that hangs in the balance. What a nice touch to accentuate your points with the dramatic flair of Tosca too! A doro Pavarotti, certo, ma Tosca con Maria Callas... :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLR3lSrqlww
In seriousness, for all the years that I lived in California, Washington, DC—especially under Trump—had little concern for the many days that our particulate matter measured in the hundreds. We were wearing N95 masks well before COVID-19. "Thanks" to the Canadian fires, DC is finally getting a glimpse of what living through fires and toxic air quality is really like. Will that glimpse be enough for them to enact real change, or will the fossil fuel corps continue to rule the day?
The two beautiful half hours of each day, the wildfires and poor air quality, links to your summer photos and Pavoratti singing Tosca at the Met in 1978. How I wish I had been there in that moment! Thank you for these! 😘
Sad reality 😢 There can be no life without hope 🙏 not for us as humans or the very fragile species effected by our irresponsible behavior.. we must do better. Thanks again Alexander for your shares. Pavarotti, oh how beautiful.
Yes we must do so much better, and we have so many opportunities to do so. The planet is not a lost case, we just need to prioritize it and take responsibility for our actions.
I can only imagine those golden heue hours early 🌄 mornings and an a short period before the sun sets...for me the world stops.. I bath in it and breathe in and exhale all the bad. Then I pray. Then I enjoy that silence and am overwhelmed by peace.
Az is tapping into Indigenous Peoples knowledge of wildfires. Their cultural practices can help curb these deadly blazes. Tribes like The Apache have their own agencies that work in tandem with State and Federal agencies using a wholistic approach like cultural burning practices, carbon farming & planting native vegetation like berries and Manzanita shrubs. We can learn a lot from these ancient customs.
"We must protect the forests for our children and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those that cannot speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees." Wise words. Wise article. Thank you. We should be listening.
Beautiful photos, Alex. I love the golden hour where everything is magical.
What a great approach by AZ! It makes so much sense to listen to indigenous peoples and adopt their ancient practices. Thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to your golden hour desert pictures.
Thanks so much Evelyne!
Achingly, devastatingly painful. And beautiful. Within the harsh contrasts, there must be hope.
The beauty and the heartbreak.
“. . . I find myself akin to a troubadour of the 21st century, unearthing joy amidst sorrow and beauty amidst destruction.”
If given a choice, I would have to forego the beauty sad as it would be.
I read about the terrible fires and images in Yellowknife. It sears the soul.
A wonderful if painful writing. The photos are gorgeous. And Pavarotti! 🙏
Random question: have you ever experienced the midnight sun? I found it very confusing in terms of finding the right time to take pictures. It was in the middle of the night of course.
Gorgeous pictures. Morning golden hour has become a favorite of mine. On my walks I try to get places as close to sunrise as I can.
Did not see the wildfires in Yellowknife on the news here. Everybody was talking about the northern lights that were visible. Not a “normal” phenomenon around here. I haven’t read up on why this happened right now, but I have a sneaking feeling that it’s all connected somehow.
Those tiny particles are scary and those numbers staggering. In German we call it “Feinstaub” (literally "fine dust”) and I take that to mean that there is not much you can do about it. Please stay as safe as you can.
The contrast of golden hues due to changing seasons and revolutions and rotations of our planet juxtiposed against the Canadian fires illustrates all that hangs in the balance. What a nice touch to accentuate your points with the dramatic flair of Tosca too! A doro Pavarotti, certo, ma Tosca con Maria Callas... :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLR3lSrqlww
In seriousness, for all the years that I lived in California, Washington, DC—especially under Trump—had little concern for the many days that our particulate matter measured in the hundreds. We were wearing N95 masks well before COVID-19. "Thanks" to the Canadian fires, DC is finally getting a glimpse of what living through fires and toxic air quality is really like. Will that glimpse be enough for them to enact real change, or will the fossil fuel corps continue to rule the day?
The two beautiful half hours of each day, the wildfires and poor air quality, links to your summer photos and Pavoratti singing Tosca at the Met in 1978. How I wish I had been there in that moment! Thank you for these! 😘
Sad reality 😢 There can be no life without hope 🙏 not for us as humans or the very fragile species effected by our irresponsible behavior.. we must do better. Thanks again Alexander for your shares. Pavarotti, oh how beautiful.
Yes we must do so much better, and we have so many opportunities to do so. The planet is not a lost case, we just need to prioritize it and take responsibility for our actions.
I can only imagine those golden heue hours early 🌄 mornings and an a short period before the sun sets...for me the world stops.. I bath in it and breathe in and exhale all the bad. Then I pray. Then I enjoy that silence and am overwhelmed by peace.