Untitled (Marshall Fire: Aftermath Ashes #6238) copyright 2022 Douglas Stockdale –
It was exactly two years ago to the day that the communities in Boulder County, Colorado, experienced an end of the year event in 2021 that is becoming eerily too common; severe drought coupled with hurricane-force winds and one spark too many.
What was the environmental lead-up to this catastrophic event? The Spring of 2023 was unusually wet, thus the wild grasses were a bummer crop year. This was followed by an extended drought, turning the wild grasses into a tinder-box. The prolonged drought also delayed the winter snow, thus on the last weekend of 2021, the ground was still laid bare. Then the hurricane-force winds came (gusts up to 115 miles per hour), which ignited some embers and the resulting wildfire went into Colorado’s history book as one of the most devastating urban fires. When the heavy snow actually started on New Year’s Eve, by the following morning, the fires were contained and under control. If the snow had arrived two days earlier, there would have been a non-event.
The above photo documents the total elimination of an entire neighborhood in Superior, resulting in a clear view to the background mountains.
Regretfully, all of these related weather patterns that led to this urban disaster can be traced back to global warming. And without making any changes to slow the pace of warming, we should expect that what occurred in Boulder is going to be a regular event. A similar firestorm in Maui, Hawaii occurred earlier this year in August. We can do our part; reduce, reuse, recycle and vote for those who advocate changes to reverse climate change. Every vote counts (yes, my New Year’s Resolution for 2024, which I also made in 2023 and kept.)
Make every day an Earth Day
Doug
Btw, take note of the update on my Book Workshop in January with SEC4P: only ONE spot left. This workshop sells out every time…just saying if you are interested in a developing a book as a part of your New Year’s resolution!
____
Book development workshop:
Update: Only one spot still available!: Developing a Creative Photo Book, on Zoom with SouthEast Center for Photography (SEC4P), January 20 & 21st and 27th, & 28th, 2024, from 10 AM – 1 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Book Making with Douglas Stockdale, on Zoom with Medium Photo, March 16-17 & 23-24th (4 sessions, two consecutive weekends), 2024, from 9am-12pm (Pacific Standard Time).
Artist book available:
The Flow of Light Brushes the Shadow, an artist book from Singular Images Press, 2022, $60.00 (CA sales tax for those residing in the USA) plus shipping expenses. Message me douglas.stockdale.artist@gmail.com
Singular Images 