Smokey the Bear

Summer is in full swing and so are the wildfires. Currently there are 47 wildfires blazing in the US, with the concentration of them in the west, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

The National Geopraphic reports on average, more than 100,000 wildfires, also called wildland fires or forest fires, clear 4 million to 5 million acres (1.6 million to 2 million hectares) of land in the U.S. every year. In recent years, wildfires have burned up to 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares) of land. A wildfire moves at speeds of up to 14 miles an hour (23 kilometers an hour), consuming everything—trees, brush, homes, even humans—in its path.

 Although four out of five wildfires are started by people, nature is usually more than happy to help fan the flames. Dry weather and drought convert green vegetation into bone-dry, flammable fuel; strong winds spread fire quickly over land; and warm temperatures encourage combustion. When these factors come together all that's needed is a spark—in the form of lightning, arson, a downed power line, or a burning campfire or cigarette—to ignite a blaze that could last for weeks and consume tens of thousands of acres.

 The health and economic cost of these fires can be enormous. Appraisal of resources damaged by wildfire is not always straightforward. Human lives and adverse health effects are usually not considered in terms of dollar losses at all, and tallies of wildlife fatalities are rarely done. Habitat, scenery, ecosystem services, and other non-commodities are difficult to value, although there has been considerable study and published efforts in that regard. Rarely has there been any attempt to quantify the long-term consequences of a damaged renewable resource base to provide for the needs of an ever increasing present and future human society.

Unfortunetly, wildfires destruction overshadows some of the benefits, rightfully so. But after a burn there is a positive.  Fires aid in nutrient cycling, volatilize nutrients, thin forests, prepare seedbeds for regeneration, and topkill plants so they can resprout. They provide a large number of fundamental ecosystem services. 

Less than 3% of wildfires are natural. Most fires start from carelessness. While your out enjoying the great outdoors this summer, take caution when building and extinguishing fires. As the famous Smokey the Bear says - Only YOU can prevent forest fires.

For the Love of Pets

I have a great dog, a black lab, that has the disposition of a lake on a windless morning....calm. Loyalty second to none and affection that never dwindles. This is the very reason that pet popularity has grown over the last couple decades to record levels.

They say that pets enhance our lives, and I couldn't agree more. Research shows that owning a pet helps one to relax. Another study shows owning a dog increases your motivation to exercise by 43%. Several studies show a similar fact - pet owners are health conscious, like to look their best, like to exercise with their pet, are happy and maintain a well organized home.

Check out these numbers from APPMA's survey;

Pet ownership is currently at its highest level, with 63 percent of all U.S. households owning a pet which equates to more than 69 million households. That's up from 64 million in 2002 and 51 million in 1988 when APPMA's tracking began. 

About 78.2 million dogs and about 86.4 million cats are owned in the United States.
 
Twenty-six percent of dogs are purchased from breeders, 20 to 30 percent of cats and dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues, and 2 to 10 percent are purchased from pet shops. The majority of pets are obtained from acquaintances and family members.

A couple cool facts;

A dog’s nose has about 4 times as many scent cells as a cat’s and 14 times more than a human’s.
  A cat will almost never meow at another cat. Cats use this sound for humans.



Pets are great. If you have the time and love to give, adopt a pet, it'll enhance your life!