The weekend of June 21st experienced a rare, almost unheard of, dry electric storm over much of Northern California. The storm unleashed over 8000 lightening strikes - this, coupled with record high temperatures throughout California, has resulted in (so far) 1,026 fires burning over 104,000 acres. Because of the high level of smoke, just about all of Northern California is now under a health advisory.

The air is thick (indoors and outdoors) with the smell of burning wood, and falling ash:

Short-term exposure can aggravate lung disease, increase the chance of respiratory infection and cause heart attacks in people with heart disease. Even healthy people may experience irritation of the nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.

Earth does not need saving, humans do. So, what is it that humans need to do to save humans?

President Evo Morales of Bolivia gave an excellent speech recently at the 7th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on the theme of “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges”.

Inhabitable Earth lists the ten main points of the speech:

1) Putting an end to the capitalist system
2) Renouncing wars
3) A world without imperialism or colonialism
4) Right to water
5) Development of clean energies
6) Respect for Mother Earth
7) Treat basic services as human rights
8 ) Fighting inequalities
9) Promoting diversity of cultures and economies
10) Living well, not living better at the expense of others

Unfortunately, the imperialist countries’ population have made recycling and earth days a sort of “religion” - in the worst sense of that word - a feel good, opium of the masses type. Meanwhile, only a tiny minority of the people of those countries are serious about ending wars, imperialism, and colonialism - and have little or no understanding of most of the other issues outlined by Morales.

You can watch/listen to the speech here (in Spanish) and here (in English) - Morales starts speaking at around 36:40.