Fake News Reporting Thread

[Aeson]

To explain... as leaf or needle mulch lays on the ground, soil microbes and worms start to digest it, and oxidation, UV exposure, and other chemical processes decay it. There can’t be unlimited mulch because it’s always decaying and the leaf or needle fall is not unlimited... it’s a relatively consistent rate over time.

A healthy forest relies on this layer to return nutrients to the soil, provide increased protection from UV rays, keep the soil moist, reduce underbrush growth, and minimize erosion. Without such a layer, forests become more prone to fires, not less.

[Aeson]

But even if you wanted to rake it all up for some dunderheaded reason, the sheer manpower required to do so over tens of millions of acres (in CA it’s 30+ million) of rugged terrain is just absurd.

[Kidlicious]

Leaves are not the problem, having a good leaf (or needle) layer is important for the forest health. Without them the trees would dry out much faster, erosion would increase, soil fertility would decrease, and even short dry spells would be prone to disaster.

In any case you’re still missing the ridiculousness of keeping millions of acres of forsts, often in difficult terrain, raked.

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Firefighters Warn about Fall Leaf Hazard

[IMG]http://media.graytvinc.com/images/810*455/RakeTry1001.jpg[/IMG]rake and gloves

By Laura Mock |
Posted: Fri 7:25 PM, Nov 07, 2014

HARRISONBURG, Va (WHSV) -- Trees are passing their peak color and the once-admired leaves are starting to fall. Leslie Ney loves to watch the trees in her yard change color.

"They're awfully pretty, and I enjoy them," said Ney. "I hate to see the leaves fall off."

Ney and her husband have been raking their leaves to the curb for as long as they have lived in Harrisonburg.

"It's a nice service that the city offers and makes it a little easier to dispose of the many leaves we obviously have in these big trees," said Ney.

Ney worked as an emergency room nurse for 36 years, so safety is very important to her. She never considered that raking her front yard helped protect her family.

Harrisonburg Deputy Fire Marshall, Mike Armstrong, says to take advantage of the leaf collection service.

"It's an opportunity for folks to go ahead and get something that can pile up and not only be a nuisance from the standpoint of it just being in the yard, but it can remove an item that is flammable, combustible, and a hazard," said Armstrong.

Tell Fireman Armstrong that leaves aren't a problem.

[Kidlicious]

In a deep enough drought the entire forest becomes combustible. What are they supposed to do? Clear cut all the forests? The grass fires that would result would happen more often.

Climate change, specifically the way the jet steam has been affected, is definitely increasing the duration of extreme weather (droughts included) events.

In any case, raking the forests is a stupid idea.

The point that you don't get is that when you have TOO MUCH combustible material it makes the fire worse. No one is worried about small fires.

[Kidlicious]

To explain... as leaf or needle mulch lays on the ground, soil microbes and worms start to digest it, and oxidation, UV exposure, and other chemical processes decay it. There can’t be unlimited mulch because it’s always decaying and the leaf or needle fall is not unlimited... it’s a relatively consistent rate over time.

A healthy forest relies on this layer to return nutrients to the soil, provide increased protection from UV rays, keep the soil moist, reduce underbrush growth, and minimize erosion. Without such a layer, forests become more prone to fires, not less.

You're being ridiculous. He isn't saying to constantly remove every leaf. You are the one with the absurd argument that raking doesn't remove hazard.

[Aeson]

Tell Fireman Armstrong that leaves aren't a problem.

He doesn’t seem to be here.

Also, yards are not generally forests. And he didn’t say it would cause forest fires.

[Aeson]

The point that you don't get is that when you have TOO MUCH combustible material it makes the fire worse. No one is worried about small fires.

Small fires are ok, even benefitial at times. Leaves make small quick fires that generally don’t threaten established trees. Fires in kindle dry forests are a danger of becoming massive firestorms from a single lightning strike or ember alighting in the canopy. Removing mulch dries out the forest and reduces availability of nutrients. It also allows more brush to spring up. Even if you wanted to do it for some idiotic reason the sheer manpower required to do so would be absurd.

Its the larger brush and deadwood that threatens fires hot enough to ignite the canopy and/or houses in more normal conditions. You don’t use a rake to deal with that material.

You and Trump are suggesting something that isn’t feasible and would be detrimental to most forests most of the time.

[Kidlicious]

He doesn’t seem to be here.

Also, yards are not generally forests. And he didn’t say it would cause forest fires.

Maybe you aren't familiar with VA. It's pretty much all forest.

[Aeson]

I should also point out the fires near my parents house in Utah were terrible this year too, as they are prone to be in dry spells. Utah is one of the most conservative states. Fires aren’t caused by political persuasion.

[Aeson]

Maybe you aren't familiar with VA. It's pretty much all forest.

Having trees in your yard doesn’t make it a forest. He was saying to rake leaves up in their yard ... not across the forests in the state.

Im beginning to think you’ve never seen a forest and like Trump are thinking of some trees in a manicured, fertilized, and irrigated yard or park.

[Kidlicious]

Small fires are ok, even benefitial at times. Leaves make small quick fires that generally don’t threaten established trees. Fires in kindle dry forests are a danger of becoming massive firestorms from a single lightning strike or ember alighting in the canopy. Removing mulch dries out the forest and reduces availability of nutrients. It also allows more brush to spring up. Even if you wanted to do it for some idiotic reason the sheer manpower required to do so would be absurd.

Its the larger brush and deadwood that threatens fires hot enough to ignite the canopy and/or houses in more normal conditions. You don’t use a rake to deal with that material.

You and Trump are suggesting something that isn’t feasible and would be detrimental to most forests most of the time.

I don't think you are familiar with the California landscape. It's very rocky. You can remove the needles from the rocks without drying out anything.

[Kidlicious]

Having trees in your yard doesn’t make it a forest. He was saying to rake leaves up in their yard ... not across the forests in the state.

Im beginning to think you’ve never seen a forest and like Trump are thinking of some trees in a manicured, fertilized, and irrigated yard or park.

Ha ha. Some people's yards are the forest.

[Aeson]

I don't think you are familiar with the California landscape. It's very rocky. You can remove the needles from the rocks without drying out anything.

I’ve lived in SoCal for a few years, often visiting cousins who lived in other parts of the state. Other places I’ve lived have similar rocky mountains. Sime of the mountains were even in the Rocky Mountains.

Raking and removing organic matter in such areas is an even stupider idea. The organic matter is even more important when it’s scarce, and rakes just don’t work well in rocky areas.

[Aeson]

Ha ha. Some people's yards are the forest.

Very few homes fit such a description. Here’s a view of Harrisonburg VA ... most homes seem to not have forests.

[Aeson]

That fireman should probably be fired for not telling the residents to go rake the mountains in the background where the forests are