During our lifetime we will encounter a variety of short to long-term disasters. The form the problem takes will vary depending on where we live, and how widespread the incident is that occurs. In late 2019 and throughout 2020, we’ve all been finding ways to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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More regular and localized are man-made and natural disasters. Though not a comprehensive list, arising from society, those problems may be a hazardous material spill, power disruption, nuclear radiation leak, chemical or biological threat, communication blackout, and civil unrest. While the natural cycles of the world, compounded by human decisions and climate change, include earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, extreme heat, winter storms, wildfires, and flooding.
As permaculture practitioners, understanding the nature of a given disaster we can prepare and plan for these disruptions so we can respond proactively based on emerging news or local conditions. From that information and our landscape and life designs, we can provide comfort for ourselves and mutual aid within our community.
In my own life, living in a rural location for more than a decade, I would often spend two or three weeks, spread across the year, cutoff from the world and supplies due to flooding or severe winter snowstorms. In those times my family learned to keep extra food
But, those problems arose from living in a wet, temperate area prone to flash floods, the impact of hurricanes, and long cold winters. Something I’m not familiar with, that many people around the world face, are wildfires. Whether from lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions, arson, or gender reveal parties, wildfires threaten tens of millions of acres of land and hundreds of millions of people worldwide each year. So today, I’m joined by Matt Fidler, one of the producers behind California Burning, a five-part National Public Radio series examining wildfires in California.
He joins me today to share what he learned through his interviews with land managers, architects, and others, to understand the ecological role of fire, how misguided land management practices make the problem worse, and the ways climate change will continue to create drier, more fire-prone areas across the globe. He then shares solutions we can take to mitigate these problems through personal action, better neighborhood and building design, and advocacy for improved resource regulations.
Find out more about wildfires and what Matt learned through his podcast, California Burning, at californiaburning.net.
For Patreon supporters, I’ve released a bonus episode with additional resources on wildfires, the ecology of fire, and land management. You can get that, the weekly updates, a discount on consultations and meanderings, and join in the monthly Ask Me Anything thread at Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast.
Also, through the end of the year, to anyone who donates $50 to the show, I’ll send you a USB drive with the first ten years of the show from October 2010 to October 2020.