[MCN] Fire: We've made sure more is coming: Deal with it
Lance Olsen
lance at wildrockies.org
Mon May 23 11:27:18 EDT 2016
Crucial interaction between fire and mankind explored in new research
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
PUBLIC RELEASE: 22-MAY-2016
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"Imagining that we could live without fire is
both folly and impossible. Importantly, our
combustion habits - both fossil fuels combustion
and landscape burning - ensure that we are
building new dynamism into our social-ecological
relationship with fire through climate change. We
must learn to live with fire as it will this will
become an increasing problem that needs a fuller
discussion among all affected: stakeholders,
policy-makers and scientists."
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/interaction-fire-and-mankind
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A pioneering team of international researchers
have devised a 'manifesto for fire science' to
explore the pivotal relationship that exists
between mankind and fire, on a global stage.
The team, brought together by Dr Claire Belcher
from the University of Exeter's wildFIRE Lab and
colleagues, delves into the complex relationship
that fire has had with our planet and humans over
millennia, from the first fires through to its
role in the industrial revolutions worldwide.
In their synthesis the experts deliberate the
intricate role that fire has made on the natural
environment, and the tension it can create with
human inhabitants as populations have expanded.
Crucially, the researchers suggest that a
combination of factors, including the problem of
invasive plants, landscape change, climate
change, population growth, human health and
economic, social and cultural attitude make a
re-evaluation of the relationship between fire
and man necessary.
The innovative research paper was produced
following a Royal Society discussion meeting,
held in September, and is published as part of
volume exploring both the natural and human face
of fire in the respected scientific journal
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
on Monday, May 23.
Dr Belcher, who is an Earth scientist
specialising in the study of natural fires in the
Earth system, said the research would help
policymakers "reassess their attitudes" towards
how to deal with fire in the natural world.
Dr Belcher said: "It is imperative that we
consider this complex interaction between fire
and humankind on a global scale, and not just
imagine it is a localised, or of far away,
concern.
"What we have shown is that understanding fire is
a broader and more complex issue than it is
perhaps treated now - it encompasses physical,
biological and social sciences as well as
engineering, and the humanities - and it needs to
be seen as such by policymakers, both home and
abroad.
"In the UK we may imagine that fire is only an
issue in hot, dry areas of the world, such as the
US or Australia, but even in the UK a wildfire
can have a massive impact - The SE faces
particular threat from wildfire via the proximity
of at risk forests and heathlands to core
infrastructure for example if a wildfire were to
cause a part closure of the M25 even for an hour
in peak time the cost to the UK economy would be
close to £1million."
Dr Belcher highlighted: "In order for mankind to
consider a more sustainable coexistence with fire
into our future researchers and policy makers
need to come together to explore fire's
relationship with man and our planet across
timescales and across political boundaries".
The experts conclude that: "Imagining that we
could live without fire is both folly and
impossible. Importantly, our combustion habits -
both fossil fuels combustion and landscape
burning - ensure that we are building new
dynamism into our social-ecological relationship
with fire through climate change. We must learn
to live with fire as it will this will become an
increasing problem that needs a fuller discussion
among all affected: stakeholders, policy-makers
and scientists."
###
The full issue can be found after publication at:
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/interaction-fire-and-mankind
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"The recognition that things that are not
sustainable will eventually come to an end
does not give us much of a guide to whether the
transition will be calm or exciting."
Timothy Geithner
quoteaddicts.com/130710
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