Get Rich Off Global Warming: Plant Your Lawn in Fruit and Veggies

Very, very soon - months, not years from now - 90 percent of the produce in the grocery store is going to disappear because California has run out of water.

The little produce an equally parched Mexico manages to export is likely to cost 10 or 100 times what it costs now.

You wanna pay $50 for a tomato?  Or charge $50 for the ones you grow yourself?

Global Warming is likely to bring multiple F5 tornadoes to Kentucky in spring, along with tree-killing ice storms in February, heat waves in August and forest fires in fall, but we will remain much better off in food-growing than the deserts of the West.

Think Progress:

Almonds get a lot of the attention when it comes to California’s agriculture and water, but the state is responsible for a dizzying diversity of produce. Eaten a salad recently? Odds are the lettuce, carrots, and celery came from California. Have a soft spot for stone fruit? California produces 84 percent of the country’s fresh peaches and 94 percent of the country’s fresh plums. It produces 99 percent of the artichokes grown in the United States, and 94 percent of the broccoli. As spring begins to creep in, almost half of asparagus will come from California.

“California is running through its water supply because, for complicated historical and climatological reasons, it has taken on the burden of feeding the rest of the country,” Steven Johnson wrote in Medium, pointing out that California’s water problems are actually a national problem — for better or for worse, the trillions of gallons of water California agriculture uses annually is the price we all pay for supermarket produce aisles stocked with fruits and vegetables.

Up to this point, feats of engineering and underground aquifers have made the drought somewhat bearable for California’s farmers. But if dry conditions become the new normal, how much longer can — and should — California’s fields feed the country? And if they can no longer do so, what should the rest of the country do?

 Read the whole terrifying thing.

No Water for Anybody But Fossil Fuel Frackers

Kentucky's precipitation is up eight inches over the average for this point in the year, which means there will be plenty of nice, clean drinking water for the motherfrackers to poison and pour back into the water system for the rest of us to choke to death on.

Because nothing - not even a 10,000-year drought - is enough to stop water-destroying fracking.

Wonkette on Jerry Brown's counter-productive attempt to save California from dying of thirst:

The water shortage can’t be real anyway, since there seems to be plenty of water for agriculture, which uses 80 percent of California’s water but only accounts for 2 percent of the state’s GDP.

But even the thieving bastards of Big Ag are pikers compared to California's frackers.

KeninNY at Down with Tyranny:

What About Fracking, Governor Brown?

Fracking, like almond-growing, is also notoriously thirsty. Just one example:

“At the height of California oil production in 1985, oil companies in Kern County pumped 1.1 billion barrels of water underground to extract 256 million barrels of oil—a ratio of roughly four and a half barrels of water for every barrel of oil,” according to Miller. “In 2008, Kern producers injected nearly 1.3 billion barrels of water to extract 162 million barrels of oil—a ratio of nearly eight barrels of water for every barrel of oil produced.”

Again, by that measure, the ratio is eight to one — eight barrels of water produces one barrel of oil. Whom does fracking benefit? The owners of Big Oil:

Clean Water Action has the scoop on which companies have the biggest stakes in the Monterey [California] Shale [oil fields]:

Occidental Corporation (Oxy) is the largest holder of land/mineral rights in California, holding rights to drill over 1.6 million acres of land in the Monterey Shale. In a presentation to shareholders in 2010, Oxy officials stated that “in 10 years, California shale could become Oxy’s largest business unit.”

Venoco Inc. has one of the largest stakes in the Monterey Shale with rights to drill in over 300,000 acres. There are more than 10 billion barrels of oil available for extraction at its current sites. In its 2011 report to shareholders, the company stated that it continues to expand its onshore Monterey acreage lease holdings across three basins: Santa Maria, Salinas Valley, and San Joaquin (which includes the Sevier discovery). ...

And so on. Why does fracking, like big agriculture, get a pass? Maybe this is the reason:

The oil and gas industry gives millions of dollars to California’s elected officials to ensure their interests are served in Sacramento. Governor Brown is one of these recipients, having accepted at least $2,014,570.22 [$2 million] from fossil fuel interests since his race for Attorney General in 2006.

As the public awakens to the dangers of fracking in California, the fossil fuel industry is spending as much money as it takes to protect their dirty interests. Billions of barrels of untapped oil are sitting in the Monterey Shale and Big Oil is pushing to make sure it all stays on the table.

State campaign finance laws prohibit any company or individual from contributing more than $27,200 per candidate, per election — but many of these companies have found loopholes that let them flood the system with their petro-dollars, making sure our elected leaders, and Governor Brown in particular, protect their interests.

The fossil fuel corporations and associated industries at the top of the dirty money pile include: Chevron, Occidental Petroleum, Southern California Edison, Valero Energy, Tesoro Corp, Plains Exploration and Production, Venoco, Conoco Phillips, and Aera Energy (owned jointly by Shell and ExxonMobil). 

So the opening question comes back at the bottom: So what about fracking, Governor Brown? And what about agriculture as well? It's not just us asking, we in the nation waiting our turn. It's your own residents, on whom you're putting the squeeze so ... it has to be said this way ... wealth can be served. The tighter the squeeze, the more urgently the question will be asked. The Social Contract, the glue that holds a society cooperatively together, can be bent, but only so far. At some point it breaks.

Stop Drinking Bottled Water: It's Stupid

First, almost half of bottled water is municipal tap water. You're paying 100 times what it cost to get the same thing out of your home faucet.

Second, all that plastic is a fucking crime, even if you do recycle it.

Third, if you're buying the expensive stuff that really comes from underground springs, thanks, motherfucker!  You're contributing to the California drought that's going to kill American agriculture.

Erik Loomis at LGM:

More on America’s most ridiculous industry: bottled water. Where are the sources of that water?

Yeah, that’s sustainable.

But that only accounts for 55% of the bottled water. What about the rest?

The other 45 percent comes from the municipal water supply, meaning that companies, including Aquafina and Dasani, simply treat tap water—the same stuff that comes out of your faucet at home—and bottle it up. (Weird, right?)

Not weird at all. It shows that you can create a fake problem (there is something wrong with the tap water!), develop a consumer market around it, and then sell people the same water they would be drinking if they turned on their faucet. Now that’s a capitalist success story!

QOTD

Digby:

If you want a little preview of what climate change is going to look like in a wingnut hellhole, there you go. Morons with guns taking what they want.

And using "religious freedom" as their excuse.

85 Fucking Degrees 10 Days Before Last Frost Date: Get Used to It

Like I keep sayin': climate change/global warming does not mean always hotter weather, as we discovered this record-setting winter.  It means fucked-up weather.

Joe Romm at Think Progress:

The National Climate Assessment is the definitive statement of current and future impacts of carbon pollution on the United States. And the picture it paints is stark: Inaction will devastate much of the arable land of the nation’s breadbasket — and ruin a livable climate for most Americans.

“Americans face choices” explains the Congressionally-mandated report by 300 leading climate scientists and experts, which was reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. We’re already seeing serious climate impacts — such as more extreme heat waves, droughts, and deluges — and additional impacts are “now unavoidable.” But just how bad future climate change is “will still largely be determined by choices society makes about emissions.”

SNIP

One reason we can be confident in the report’s projections of the future is that the same scientists warned decades ago that we would start to see increases in heatwaves, droughts and deluges by now — and we have:

The global warming of the past 50 years is primarily due to human activities, predominantly the burning of fossil fuels….
Over the last 50 years, much of the United States has seen an increase in prolonged periods of excessively high temperatures, more heavy downpours, and in some regions, more severe droughts.

The study notes, “Evidence indicates that the human influence on climate has already roughly doubled the probability of extreme heat events such as the record-breaking summer heat experienced in 2011 in Texas and Oklahoma.” At the same time, “In some regions, prolonged periods of high temperatures associated with droughts contribute to conditions that lead to larger wildfires and longer fire seasons.”

Don't come crying to me when weeks of triple-digit temperatures, months-long drought and massive flooding kill your garden this summer and lettuce goes for $100 a bag; tell it to the assholes with the "Friend of Coal" license plates.

When lettuce is $50 a bag, THEN will we ban fossil fuels?

That's not in 100 years or 20 years or next year: It's going to happen this summer.

Emily Atkin at Think Progress:

If what the tree rings say is true, California hasn’t been this dry in more than 500 years. If what the leading climate scientists say is true, that dryness will only get worse in the coming years. And if what economics predict is true, grocery bills nationwide may be some of the first things to suffer.

When conditions are ripe, California’s $44.7 billion agricultural industry is “the supermarket of the world,” producing nearly half of all the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in America. The most abundant source of produce comes from Central Valley — deemed “The Land of A Billion Vegetables” by the New York Times — which produces 8 percent of America’s agricultural output by value.

But now, Central Valley is the biggest victim of the state’s three-year drought. And there are no sign that things will get any better in the coming years.

“[It’s becoming] increasingly clear the region won’t see relief from the devastating drought anytime soon,” Kevin Kerr, editor of CommodityConfidential.com, told MarketWatch. “Retail prices for many key agricultural commodities could jump.”

 Drought in California, monster tornadoes in the Midwest, freak storms in the East: it's the new normal.

But it's still 100 percent reversible, if we outlaw fossil fuels. Right now. Because there is currently enough clean renewable energy (not biomass or ethanol) capacity on the planet to more than replace all the oil, coal and natural gas we are currently committing suicide with.

Fossil fuels are a decomposing corpse we cling to as it poisons us to death.

The Next Luxury Only the RIch Can Afford is Water

Back in the 1980s, when there were tens of millions fewer people living in the Colorado River Basin, drought in the Midwest at the same time as high water levels in the Great Lakes got people talking about diverting water from the Great Lakes to the Midwest and Southwest.

At the time, Canada (which has equal rights to the Great Lakes) and the then-powerful Congress members of the Great Lakes states thundered "NO!" and that was it.

But today, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York have far less population and power than they did 30 years ago - and far, FAR less than the boom states of California, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

I seriously doubt a push from the Southwest to steal Great Lakes water could be stopped.

As for Canada, how about this for a deal? Canada grants its Great Lakes water rights to the Southwestern U.S. in return for the right to build a dozen Keystone Pipelines right through anyplace they want.

From Zandar:

The once mighty Colorado River is nothing more than a muddy stream these days as millions of folks in southwestern states depend on it for drinking water. But climate change and population growth have put a critical strain on the river, and water rights are turning into the next great battleground between the states.

The once broad and blue river has in many places dwindled to a murky brown trickle. Reservoirs have shrunk to less than half their capacities, the canyon walls around them ringed with white mineral deposits where water once lapped. Seeking to stretch their allotments of the river, regional water agencies are recycling sewage effluent, offering rebates to tear up grass lawns and subsidizing less thirsty appliances from dishwashers to shower heads.

But many experts believe the current drought is only the harbinger of a new, drier era in which the Colorado’s flow will be substantially and permanently diminished.

Faced with the shortage, federal authorities this year will for the first time decrease the amount of water that flows into Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, from Lake Powell 180 miles upstream. That will reduce even more the level of Lake Mead, a crucial source of water for cities from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and for millions of acres of farmland.

SNIP

The labyrinthine rules by which the seven Colorado states share the river’s water are rife with potential points of conflict. And while some states have made huge strides in conserving water — and even reducing the amount they consume — they have yet to chart a united path through shortages that could last years or even decades.

“There is no planning for a continuation of the drought we’ve had,” said one expert on the Colorado’s woes, who asked not to be identified to preserve his relationship with state officials. “There’s always been within the current planning an embedded hope that somehow, things would return to something more like normal.”

Massive drought fueled by climate change is the new "normal". Maybe when enough red states in the Mountain West and Midwest are suffering from crippling drought, the GOP legislatures that run them will do something, especially when food prices shoot up across the country as farmland bakes in the sun with no irrigation.

Nope. They'll just steamroll right over the Rust Belt, cut a tar sands deal with Canada and dust off those '80s plans to divert the largest freshwater source in the world to the desert.

Not that that will save them.

Mitch McConnell Takes $1.3 Million in Bribes to Let Corporations Poison Our Drinking Water

I've been saying it for more than 20 years, ever since I read Water, the Nature, Uses and Future of Our Most Precious and Abused Resource, by Fred Powledge: the wars of the next century are going to be over not oil, but water.

The news has finally caught up with Powledge.

Down with Tyranny:

If you were listening to NPR (last week), you may have heard their report about water rights in the U.S. "Oil was probably the fluid of last century where there was a lot of turmoil, and I think water is the fluid of this century," explained Michael Walsh, a major general with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    So often, we take water for granted. We turn on the faucet and there it is. We assume it's our right in America to have water. And yet, water is a resource. It's not always where we need it, or there when we need it.

    Rivers don't follow political boundaries-- they flow through states and over international borders. And there are endless demands for water: for agriculture, drinking, plumbing, manufacturing, to name just a few. And then there's the ecosystem that depends on water getting downstream.

    So what are our legal rights when it comes to water? And who decides?

The NPR report talks about the role of Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, municipalities, ranchers, fishermen and American Indian tribes. But they never got around to what trumps all of them: Corporate America, where the bottom line is... the bottom line. Greed and avarice trumps all, especially when you're talking about "the fluid of last century." Tom Kenworthy made the case over the weekend that fracking is already straining U.S. water supplies.

    As the level of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells in the United States has intensified in recent years, much of the mounting public concern has centered on fears that underground water supplies could be contaminated with the toxic chemicals used in the well-stimulation technique that cracks rock formations and releases trapped oil and gas. But in some parts of the country, worries are also growing about fracking’s effect on water supply, as the water-intensive process stirs competition for the resources already stretched thin by drought or other factors.

SNIP 

   ...As the Ceres report concludes:

        Shale energy development highlights the fact that our water resources were already vulnerable before additional demands were introduced. Regulators, water managers and ultimately all significant economic players who rely on abundant supplies of water must double-down their efforts to better manage this limited and most precious resource.

Worse news: because of the role of money in our politcal system-- i.e., systemic bribery-- those charged with protecting our clean drinking watre supplies (something that basic) have given a green light to Big Oil and Gas to ignore previous clean water regulations and frack away to their hearts' content. I thought this might be a good time to mention the dozen most corrupt Members of Congress in terms of Big Oil shillery. These are the Oil and Gas whores still in Congress who have made sure our watre would be poisoned-- with the amounts they have taken from Big Oil in blatant, legalistic bribes:

    • John McCain (R-AZ)- $3,043,404
    • John Cornyn (R-TX)- $1,990,350
    • Joe Barton (R-TX)- $1,734,255
    • Steve Pearce (R-NM)- $1,479,701
    • Jim Inhofe (R-OK)- $1,457,696
    • Miss McConnell (R-KY)- $1,348,311
    • Don Young (R-AK)- $1,193,613
    • David Vitter (R-LA)- $1,144,385
    • Mary Landrieu (D-LA)- $1,086,084
    • Mike Conaway (R-TX)- $942,118
    • Pete Sessions (R-TX)- $868,346
    • Lord Charles Boustany (R-LA)- $803,655  

You can live without fossil fuels. You can live with cars, without electricity, without even an IPad. You can even live without indoor plumbing.

You can't live without drinkable water.

And that's exactly where Mitch McConnell's good corporate buddies want you - unable to live without drinkable water, the last gallons of which they will own. 

What Disaster, Climate Deniers?

Really, morons? You want a disaster declaration for the consequences of a record-breaking drought that was itself the consequence of global warming caused by the reckless burning of fossil fuels especially coal?

Is that really the argument you want to make?

No, of course not.  The only argument repugs ever make is "me want. gimme now."

From the AP:

U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are urging (Kentucky) Gov. Steve Beshear to seek a federal disaster declaration because of the potential economic consequences of a drought that has led to low water levels on the Mississippi River.

Beshear said Friday he appreciates their concern and that he’s closely monitoring the situation.

Here's the ironic part:  water levels are far too low for barge traffic on the Mississippi in large part because natural gas frackers along the Missouri are demanding huge diversions of water to support their horrifically polluting operations.

And here's the hilarious part: Michie-poo and the Tribble-Toupeed One are caught in a bind: as good little repugs they have to support all fossil-fuel polluters, but natural gas fracking is a major competitor of Big Coal, which finances both of their re-election campaigns.

I'm going to say that this request to Beshear reveals that both McConnell and Paul have thrown in their lot with Big Coal - at least until Big Gas comes up with more campaign cash.

New Normal in Kentucky: Water Restrictions

It's so bad, Lexington banned fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday. And we're still two months away from peak dry season.

From the press release:

As a result of continuing high temperatures and limited rainfall, the Energy and Environment Cabinet today announced a water shortage watch for 27 counties in Kentucky. Citizens living in these areas should closely monitor local news sources for notification from water suppliers on reducing demands for water.

A Water Shortage Watch is issued when drought conditions have the potential to threaten the normal availability of drinking water supply sources. Officials at the Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) study rainfall amounts, reservoir levels, streamflows, the Palmer Drought Index and the Drought Monitor when determining drought status.

All Kentuckians should increase their awareness of the current drought situation and prepare to make adjustments to their water use.

The following counties, listed by Drought Management Area (DMA), meet the criteria to be included in the water watch:

Barren River DMA – Monroe, Simpson, Warren

Buffalo Trace DMA – Fleming, Robertson

Bluegrass DMA – Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Nicholas, Scott, Woodford

Cumberland Valley DMA – Whitley

Green River DMA – Webster

Kentucky River DMA – Lee, Owsley

Northern Kentucky DMA – Owen, Pendleton

Pennyrile DMA – Crittenden

High temperatures combined with precipitation deficits frequently create surges in the demand for water, often exceeding a water supplier’s ability to meet that demand. Many communities in the Water Shortage Watch areas have issued local water advisories in response to unusually high demands and reduced raw water supplies. Citizens in the Water Shortage Watch areas should be prepared to reduce water use upon request by their local water supplier.

In areas not included in this Water Shortage Watch, water supply sources remain at acceptable levels, but capacity issues associated with high temperatures and dry conditions have prompted local water advisories in several counties. Citizens across the Commonwealth should heed local water suppliers’ requests for water conservation when local advisories are issued.

In all areas of Kentucky, self-supplied individuals on wells or other small sources should avoid excessive water use and report losses of water supply to their county health department.

State climatologist Stuart Foster said “the combined impact of dry conditions and extremely hot temperatures at this time is causing a one-two punch.”

“An exceptionally dry June throughout the state coupled with some record-high temperatures over the past week have caused drought conditions to intensify and spread eastward to cover most of Kentucky,” said Foster. “The current situation is reminiscent of 1988, while there are some indications that persistence of the current hot and dry pattern that would trigger comparisons to droughts from the 1930s.”

Agriculture has been particularly hard hit in western Kentucky counties.

“The timing of the drought on corn has already and will continue to reduce yields significantly,” said University of Kentucky Agricultural Meteorologist Tom Priddy. “Doubled-cropped soybeans are having a difficult time with germination. Ponds are running low for irrigation purposes and watering of livestock. Western and central locations may be near the point where rain would provide little benefit for corn and soybean growth, development and yield.”

DOW Drought Coordinator Bill Caldwell said public water suppliers play a vital role in helping drought specialists monitor the drought’s progression.

“Water suppliers in the 27-county watch area and throughout the state should closely monitor their supply sources and notify the Division of Water if water shortages occur,” said Caldwell.

Visit the Division of Water website at http://water.ky.gov/wa/Pages/Drought.aspx for information about current drought conditions in Kentucky and water conservation measures. Visit this page to obtain information about how to contact your local health department:  http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/LinkstoLocalHealthDepartments.htm.

The Price of Denying Climate Change

Zandar has the headline of the month.

"All Hot, No Cattle."

Once again the inconvenient specter of climate change rears its ugly head deep in the heart of you-know-where as year number two of the Lone Star State's worst drought in a century is forcing cattle ranchers to drive their herds out of the state to find pasture in numbers that are redefining the country's entire cattle industry.

While some Texas ranchers hang on, selling off their stock at an unprecedented pace that has reduced America's cattle herd to the smallest in 60 years, many are carving new homesteads out of some of the richest grassland in North America, a bid for survival that falls somewhere between surrender and hope.

In cattle-car convoys that wind along routes cowboys used in the 1800s, this migration is also a stark illustration of the myriad threats facing the world's future food supply: intense competition for land; increasing demands on limited water resources; and the growing threat of volatile weather.

The size and speed of the shrinkage in the U.S. cattle herd has left the industry reeling. As the national cattle and calf inventory fell 2 percent from a year ago to its smallest since 1952, the herd in Texas dropped 11 percent or 1.4 million head, the biggest decline in nearly 150 years of recorded data.

But Nebraska's herd increased 4 percent or 250,000 head in the year to January 1, the most of any state, placing it ahead of Kansas as the country's second-largest cattle producer, according to the Department of Agriculture's bi-annual survey released on Friday.

Today, 7.1 percent of the country's cattle is in Nebraska - the state's largest share of the national herd since the federal government began collecting data in 1867. At 13 percent, Texas now has the smallest share since 1986.

And as climate change continues to play havoc with water systems, grassland expanses and just-in-time delivery to the supermarket shelf, this is only going to get more convoluted, more dangerous, and more expensive for Americans to consume. Big Ag has already hyper-automated the meat process in this country to ludicrous levels. With Mother Nature deciding not to play ball, all those plans are starting to come apart. What's going on in Texas is going to be repeated in places across the world as more extreme weather events and climate patterns change the entire planet.

Earth of course will survive. Whether or not we will is the question.

Quote of the Day

From Wonkette,commenter tessiee on the post "Obama and Boehner aruge the details of dismantling the U.S. government":

The late, great Molly Ivins wrote a piece about how, when you're hit by a tornado or similar catastrophe, it may be bad, but then it passes on and it's over with; but when you're in a drought, there's nothing you can do but watch it get worse day by day, and hope that it's going to get better eventually, and get your hopes crushed a little bit more every day that it doesn't.

Bush was a tornado (or eight years of repeated tornadoes, actually). Obama is a drought.

Fire Season Begins as Drought Expands

All of Western, Northern and Central Kentucky are now officially in drought, just as the fall wildfire season begins.

Wildfires have become a serious issue in areas experiencing drought conditions. The Division of Forestry reports a very large increase in wildfires during the month of September. The largest number of fires have been located in the Big Sandy, Pennyrile, Green River, Lincoln Trail and Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency drought management areas. The public is urged to take steps to prevent wildfires from starting.

The Fall Forest Fire Hazard Season begins today and a number of counties are already under burn bans. A list of counties currently under a burn ban can be found at http://forestry.ky.gov/wildlandfiremanagement/Pages/CountyBurnBans.aspx

This drought is bad, people. Established trees are dying, their leaves shriveling up as if flame already licked at them. Bluegrass so lush in the spring floods that we had to mow three times a week is now brown sawgrass that will slice your feet to shreds. The tiniest spark will set the whole state afire.

So don't be stupid.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) is preparing for an active wildfire season this year as low humidity, low fuel moisture and increased fuel loads could cause high to very high burning conditions.

“The division has been fighting wildfires consistently since drought conditions began in September,” said Leah MacSwords, director of the Division of Forestry. “Our firefighters face many risks and we’ve already suffered one serious injury this season; therefore, we’re urging everyone to take extra precautions this year. I also urge the public to be extra vigilant in protecting their homes from wildfires. Report any arsonist activity they see to local law enforcement. The life or home they save may be theirs or their neighbors.”

The fall forest fire hazard season runs through Dec. 15. During this time, it is illegal to burn anything within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland between the daylight hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The law is intended to prevent forest fires by allowing outdoor burning only after 6 p.m. when conditions are less likely to cause a wildfire to spread. Many counties have local burning bans in place making it illegal to burn outdoors at anytime while the ban is in place.

To help prevent wildfires, KDF recommends the following precautions:

·Be aware of all outdoor burning restrictions, including forest fire hazard seasons, air pollution regulations, restrictions imposed by local ordinances and county burn bans.

·Avoid burning debris during fire hazard seasons and during times of dry, windy conditions. Outdoor burning is illegal between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in or within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland during forest fire hazard seasons.

·Extinguish all campfires and debris piles completely. Never leave a fire unattended and always extinguish fires if conditions become too windy. The smallest spark can lead to a dangerous wildfire.

·Extinguish smoking materials properly. Put out cigarettes, cigars, or pipes only in cleared areas free of vegetation or debris. A carelessly discarded cigarette can start a wildfire that could blacken thousands of acres.

·Avoid parking cars, trucks, or recreational vehicles on dry vegetation. The exhaust system on a vehicle can reach a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees, which is hot enough to start a wildfire during our current dry season.

·Incorporate ‘Firewise’ practices around homes and communities in forested areas. Firewise practices range from creating a defensible space by removing leaves, debris and firewood to ensuring access for safety personnel and equipment in rural or isolated areas.

·Report suspicious acts of arson to the nearest Kentucky State Police post or call the Target Arson Hotline at 1-800-27-ARSON.

For more information about how you can prevent wildfires, contact the Kentucky Division of Forestry at 1-800-866-0555 or visit the division’s website at http://forestry.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Fire Season Starts Tomorrow

Welcome to October in Kentucky, when four months of no rain culminate in the state bursting into flame.

Do us all a favor and forego the campfires, take the trash to the dump, and keep the matches in your pocket.

Until Dec. 15, it's illegal to burn anything outdoors within 150 feet of the woods.

While it is not illegal to burn after 6 p.m., forestry officials say that now is not a good time to do any burning. “There is growing concern about the potential for fires this fall,” said Leah MacSwords, director of the Division of Forestry. “The dry weather and low humidity levels have increased the number of forest fires for this time of year.”

The increased fire activity has also prompted more than 30 counties to enact burn bans that prohibit all outdoor burning.

Debris burning, a leading cause of wildfires in Kentucky, is one of the biggest concerns right now. Sparks and embers from burning dead limbs, brush and leaves can quickly ignite nearby vegetation and spread out of control especially under warm, dry and windy conditions. Safety precautions, weather conditions, local ordinances and state laws should always be considered before conducting any outdoor burning.

For information regarding burn bans and local ordinances, call your county judge’s office or local fire department.

Even though deliberately setting fire to the forest is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment, most forest fires (more than 55 percent) in Kentucky are the result of arson. If you witness suspected arson, call the nearest Kentucky State Police post or the Target Arson Hotline at 1-800-27-ARSON.

For more information regarding fire hazard seasons, call the Kentucky Division Forestry at 1-800-866-0555 or visit the division’s Web site at http://www.forestry.ky.gov/programs/firemanage/. Get information regarding open burning regulations, allowable materials to burn, and legal disposal methods from the Division for Air Quality at 1-888-BURN-LAW and the Division of Waste Management at 1-888-NO-DUMPS.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.