guest post by legendary blues guitarist/playwright/naturalist Brian Ehler
Dear Prudence,
when it comes to intelligence, it is clear that we humans are at the low end of the totem pole.. look at the CIA and the humans who write for the NewsPRess...to prove my point, let me introduce some jackass named Ed Keller, a geology professor at UCSB, who also has a column in the News-Press...I love eucalyptus trees and hate..I SAY HATE people who try to demonize and spread propaganda about these beautiful trees. Myths about the euc are constantly being debunked by real scientists, so the last few morons who try to tell me eucs are bad will catch some grief....
Keller argues that the oak trees helped stop the Jesusita fire, but the euc caused it to spread ..what evidence does he cite: he spoke with a fireman who saw water vapor being released from the oaks. Keller claims the euc bark and euc oil burn hotter and faster than other trees...how can you tell in a wind whipped fire in 100 plus degree temps?? You can't...the fact is things burn..if there's no brush to burn, then the embers will fly to a house or tree..you can't cut down all the trees in the back country due to fire fear. Clearing brush close to a house is the latest fire control fad....but if I live in a fire hazard area, I want the fire to burn trees and brush before it gets to my house..that gives me extra time to get out...clearing brush and chopping trees may have unintended consequences..ie, the fire will get to you faster! Control burns are needed to created a healthier forest system..they used to do it in the 1970s and should start the program up again....that means less fires started by accident.. and no need to cut down all the trees!
Field Test:
I went out to gather items for a little experiment..on the way I ran into a couple of ducks and a nice big turtle with no name..meeting these cool creatures is nature's way of saying I'm right and Keller is wrong..I gathered bark from a eucalyptus tree and a pine tree..both big beautiful specimens....Keller claims that because eucs have barkier bark, they burn faster...so when I got back home I lit both barks and this is what happened: the pine tree bark burned longer and created more smoke! It smoked like a stick of incense! It smelled good and now I have an endless supply of free incense! THANKS NEWSPRESS! The euc bark didn't burn well at all..so Keller's theory is a bunch of bullshit!!
from the web:
Blaming the eucalyptus was labeled by some as "hysterical." Alexander Kerr, a El Centro writer who spent seven years in Australia in wildfire control, called the assertions exaggerations. He and others passionately explained that the spread of the fire was not caused by trees but by dry grass, unkempt lots, and exploding wooden houses. He explained that litter and dead grass must be removed continuously to avoid such a thing from happening again. To logoff all of the trees, as has been suggested, would invite terrible soil erosion and the destruction of wildlife. Blaming the eucalyptus continued though. The eucalyptus trees were called "weeds" and "trash trees," "immigrants," and "mongrelizations of the species." One year after the fire, the garden editor of Sunset Magazine and an eucalyptus supporter, wrote: "With this tree, it seems you either love it or fear and hate it. And I've noticed that those who fear the tree seem almost irrational about it . . . A few messy types of eucalyptus need to have their debris cleaned every year or two, but scores of other kinds are as orderly and as safe as any other broadleafed evergreen."
Keller argues that the oak trees helped stop the Jesusita fire, but the euc caused it to spread ..what evidence does he cite: he spoke with a fireman who saw water vapor being released from the oaks. Keller claims the euc bark and euc oil burn hotter and faster than other trees...how can you tell in a wind whipped fire in 100 plus degree temps?? You can't...the fact is things burn..if there's no brush to burn, then the embers will fly to a house or tree..you can't cut down all the trees in the back country due to fire fear. Clearing brush close to a house is the latest fire control fad....but if I live in a fire hazard area, I want the fire to burn trees and brush before it gets to my house..that gives me extra time to get out...clearing brush and chopping trees may have unintended consequences..ie, the fire will get to you faster! Control burns are needed to created a healthier forest system..they used to do it in the 1970s and should start the program up again....that means less fires started by accident.. and no need to cut down all the trees!Field Test:
I went out to gather items for a little experiment..on the way I ran into a couple of ducks and a nice big turtle with no name..meeting these cool creatures is nature's way of saying I'm right and Keller is wrong..I gathered bark from a eucalyptus tree and a pine tree..both big beautiful specimens....Keller claims that because eucs have barkier bark, they burn faster...so when I got back home I lit both barks and this is what happened: the pine tree bark burned longer and created more smoke! It smoked like a stick of incense! It smelled good and now I have an endless supply of free incense! THANKS NEWSPRESS! The euc bark didn't burn well at all..so Keller's theory is a bunch of bullshit!!from the web:
Blaming the eucalyptus was labeled by some as "hysterical." Alexander Kerr, a El Centro writer who spent seven years in Australia in wildfire control, called the assertions exaggerations. He and others passionately explained that the spread of the fire was not caused by trees but by dry grass, unkempt lots, and exploding wooden houses. He explained that litter and dead grass must be removed continuously to avoid such a thing from happening again. To logoff all of the trees, as has been suggested, would invite terrible soil erosion and the destruction of wildlife. Blaming the eucalyptus continued though. The eucalyptus trees were called "weeds" and "trash trees," "immigrants," and "mongrelizations of the species." One year after the fire, the garden editor of Sunset Magazine and an eucalyptus supporter, wrote: "With this tree, it seems you either love it or fear and hate it. And I've noticed that those who fear the tree seem almost irrational about it . . . A few messy types of eucalyptus need to have their debris cleaned every year or two, but scores of other kinds are as orderly and as safe as any other broadleafed evergreen."
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