The sky is orange in San Francisco. It is raining ash. The cars look like they are covered in a layer of orange snow. Apocalyptic, a friend who lives in that city of hills told me. Yes. It seems so. The photographs and the videos indeed look like a Science Fiction movie. This comes as Coronavirus still has us all in masks and being "sensible" means we cannot hug our friends.

But are these fires really necessary? Are they inevitable? There are forest management techniques that might prevent this kind of rampant onslaught, which is bringing loss and ruin to many, and destroying much more forest than would probably happen under more natural conditions. There has been heated debate in the past around these issues. It comes down to what are the entrenched interests? Who benefits from the status quo? Is it just fixed ideas and tradition?

We have already tampered with the natural systems. But humans are also natural to earth, and so we should be able to align this to the benefit of ourselves and the rest of nature. It is so important that we take care of our planet. We live here. "Safeguard and improve your environment.", L. Ron Hubbard. www.thewaytohappiness.org @waytohappinesstampa