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--></style><title>Fire: We've made sure more is coming: Deal with
it</title></head><body>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Crucial interaction between fire
and mankind explored in new research</font><br>
</div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">UNIVERSITY OF EXETER</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">PUBLIC
RELEASE: 22-MAY-2016</font></div>
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<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">"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."</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana"
size="-1"
> http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/interaction-fir<span
></span>e-and-mankind</font></div>
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></span>-------------------</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">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.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
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.</font></div>
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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.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
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.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
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<i> Philosophical Transactions of the
Royal Society B</i> on Monday, May 23.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
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.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
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.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
"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.</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
"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."</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
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".</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">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."</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">###</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1">The full issue can be found after
publication at:
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/interaction-fire-and-m<span
></span>ankind</font></div>
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color="#000000"> </font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
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<div><font face="Geneva" color="#000000">"The recognition that
things that are not sustainable will eventually come to an
end</font></div>
<div><font face="Geneva" color="#000000">does not give us much of a
guide to whether the transition will be calm or exciting."<br>
<br>
Timothy Geithner</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="-5"
color="#005519">quoteaddicts.com/130710</font></div>
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