A Future with more fires

[LolaB]

It is truly sad to read articles as this one, not only because of the amount of fires but the sheer ignorance and under education of general population. This happens in a country where everyone graduates, no matter what and everyone is a winner in any competitive sport. How is it possible that NO ONE teaches kids at middle school and high school levels more about the world and mother EARTH itself??

It is done by nature, not by human interaction that there is so called "global warming" - NONE of us can or could change it no matter what. It happened over the billions of years - there are ice ages and there are extreme heat times. Just one volcano erupting anywhere around the globe creates much more pollution than any of us could contribute driving all the vehicles at the same time. So please, study something useful and then make the statements at public levels.

It does not matter how many (useless) meeting the world will have about this issue - it will happen if you like it or not. But it would be much better if people would stop playing with the "matches" and think before going to our beautiful nature to set up any kind of fire or smoke pot or cigarettes. Smallest spark can lead to a humongous disaster as we had learned right here in Kelowna when the builder and contractor did not think twice to let the worker was working on the roof in a scorching heat with a TORCH - who does that???? Only in Kelowna?

Then Windfield fire - WHY did it happen? Plain stupidity of one or more people.

So maybe we need to start to educate the general population about the earth's cycles and about how to prevent disasters and protect ourselves at any given time. Let's not assure people with that pathetic idea that we actually can change the climate - HELLOOO are we using the brains we were equipped with since we were born? So much for "*bleep* sapiens"... no offence, but not so smart some times....

[WeatherWoman]

This happens in a country where everyone graduates

Not true...not everyone graduates.

Smallest spark can lead to a humongous disaster as we had learned right here in Kelowna when the builder and contractor did not think twice to let the worker was working on the roof in a scorching heat with a TORCH - who does that???? Only in Kelowna?

Probably happens all over the world. I don't work in this field but I am sure there is protocol as it would be bad business to burn down buildings.

So maybe we need to start to educate the general population about the earth's cycles and about how to prevent disasters and protect ourselves at any given time. Let's not assure people with that pathetic idea that we actually can change the climate - HELLOOO are we using the brains we were equipped with since we were born? So much for "*bleep* sapiens"... no offence, but not so smart some times....

Actually due to modern technologies as a whole society has seen a drop in our collective IQ. I think unfortunately we have bred a society that just doesn't care, doesn't care about others and only of themselves.

Some of the fires have been arson along with accidental ignition because of hot vehicles and not just stupid people throwing cigarettes and lighting campfires.

Fire is also a natural process of our forest renewal when started by mother nature. And we also take a risk when we build our homes in areas prone to fires.

[GordonH]

We also take a risk when we build our homes in areas prone to fires.

Those risks can be dropped big time by the homeowners.
1) by using products on outside of the house that are not flammable (may not be pretty, but stucco is non combustible), metal look alike roofing.
2) remove all flammable item from around outside of the house i.e pine needles.... so essential remove any & fuel from around the outside of the house (no fuel, no fire)
3) remove dead branches &/or any dead trees, again remove pine needles... dead grass etc.... etc

by removing all fuel sources few hundred feet around the house each spring, chances of wildfire burning the house down, drops right down.

[StraitTalk]

Actually due to modern technologies as a whole society has seen a drop in our collective IQ. I think unfortunately we have bred a society that just doesn't care, doesn't care about others and only of themselves.

Um.. no. It's been suggested in some studies that our potential is declining due to how we consume media and information in our technological day and age, but the collective intelligence and average intelligence of humans has been and continues to climb worldwide. The irony of your statement is you are living in one of the most, if not the most well educated country in the world - just depends by who's standards you're measuring. As far as post-secondary education is concerned though, we are on top.

Also, as a guy in his mid-twenties I take offence to your statement and frankly find it ironic and drole.

IQ is tricky admittedly and isn't so much about what you know but how you know (critical thinking and problem solving). The argument that as what used to just be calculators become AI software that does the thinking for us, critical thinking ability in many could be lacking.

[WeatherWoman]

The studies say different:
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/BRBAKER/

The larger the human population grows, the average human I. Q seems to drop. Now how is this possible? Studies show that since the nineteen fifties the average I. Q has dropped a total of three points. This is alarming and confusing at the same time. How with all of our medical and technological advancements is this occurring? Many charts that I have found showed that the average I. Q was at its peak in nineteen fifty that was sixty years ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... cline.html

Are we becoming more STUPID? IQ scores are decreasing - and some experts argue it's because humans have reached their intellectual peak
IQs have largely increased since the 1930s thanks to better living conditions and education - a trend known as the Flynn effect
But IQ test results suggest people in the UK, Denmark and Australia have become less intelligent in the past decade
Opinion is divided as to whether the downwards trend is long-term
Some studies have shown the average IQ of Westerners has plunged 10 points or more since Victorian times and others claim it will keep decreasing
But other experts argue that even if we are becoming more stupid, better healthcare and technology means the 'problem' will regulate itself

https://www.amren.com/news/2014/08/iq-s ... tual-peak/

Technology may be getting smarter, but humans are getting dumber, scientists have warned.

[StraitTalk]

We can agree to disagree. I am fairly confident there is nowhere near sufficient evidence to say what you're claiming. IQ is also subjective, and worse - tests for IQ have changed dramatically.

...but we're going way off-topic, so I guess really my point is I am just offended. I agree, people are selfish and self-indulgent but I wonder when this increase started in your opinion.

[youjustcomplain]

*removed*

[WeatherWoman]

but we're going way off-topic, so I guess really my point is I am just offended. I agree, people are selfish and self-indulgent but I wonder when this increase started in your opinion.

It was a generalization from many years of dealing with the public and I see a shift in society where we are seeing more people who just don't see beyond themselves. That doesn't mean everyone is like that...just more people are like that.

My point is the education isn't the issue, most people are aware that tossing a cigarette or starting a campfire can result in something bigger. It a complete disregard of the rules and laws and an entitlement that they don't apply to them.

[Glacier]

[Silverstarqueen]

It was a generalization from many years of dealing with the public and I see a shift in society where we are seeing more people who just don't see beyond themselves. That doesn't mean everyone is like that...just more people are like that.

My point is the education isn't the issue, most people are aware that tossing a cigarette or starting a campfire can result in something bigger. It a complete disregard of the rules and laws and an entitlement that they don't apply to them.

Yes, even a seven year old could understand that a cigarette could light a fire, which could spread and cause great harm.
Now that does not mean that every person is as smart as a seven year old, or that every person gives a damn what happens to the forests or anyone else. In their minds, their right to carry lit or flammable materials into the bush, or a spark generating rec vehicle trumps anyone else's desire not to have the whole place go up in flames.Everyone else should spend millions of dollars following behind to put out the flames that they cause.