More often than not, a natural disaster brings people together.
The common thread of humanity and empathy that almost all of us have is expressed with the “there but for the grace of God, go I” sentiment prevailing most often.
None of us want to see fires, storms, floods or blizzards destroy our homes, communities or loved ones.
At least that was the way it used to be.
Last week’s incredible outbreak of more than 200 wildfires in Northwestern Ontario was still growing when lawmakers on both sides of the border were screaming about who was at fault.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles cited Premier Doug Ford’s cuts to firefighting as a contributing factor, while the premier countered with his own version of firefighting spending.
Enter the Americans politicians, eager to talk about anything other than Donald Trump’s war, ICE killings, graft or sex scandals.
They erupted in anger, telling Canada that it better get its act together and control the fires “or else.”
We’ve been forgiving Americans for their general ignorance about Canada for years, however, that ignorance has reached epic proportions.
The fires are mostly in the Canadian Boreal Forest, the largest intact ecosystem in the world. The forest comprises two million square miles, most of it inaccessible by roads. It is seven times larger than all U.S. national forests combined.
The idea that it can be “controlled’ is ludicrous.
It was fashionable in the 1800s to equate progress with “taming the wilderness.”
Most of us now realize that we aren’t the masters in this needless conflict with our planet. We need to coexist, recognize that the planet would be just fine without us, and figure out that using our resources wisely instead of depleting them is the way to go.
It seems ridiculous that we have to point out that we all breathe the same air, but here we are, choking and gasping our way to oblivion.
