Sitting around a good wood fire, a toxic tradition? Recently we joined friends at a campsite. The next morning we woke up to the air smoky from the raging forest fires in the north. It was unpleasant.
What surprised me the most was to see people go about their business almost as if nothing had happened. We were on the eve of the National Day, a few groups of campers were making campfires even though it was forbidden, on the pretext that they had a spark arrester. Even the owners of the campsite made a modest “bonfire”! The singer who hosted the party sometimes found it difficult to sing because of the polluted air. A police car stopped near the square and observed the fire of Saint John then drove off without interrupting anything. The party took place and we danced and sang well.
The next morning it was even worse. Our eyes were itchy and we could hear people coughing. The smell lifted our hearts. I spent my afternoon locked in our RV. Despite everything, the children and campers continued their activities outside. After supper, I went to join our friends. To lessen the effect of the smoke, I put a double-folded scarf over my mouth to walk around outside. Everyone was looking at me like I was an alien! On entering the toilet block, two young people of about 8 and 10 years old were whispering to me and then I heard the older one say to the other: “It’s because the lady is sick! »
And do you know what, there were still campers burning logs and making even more smoke!
No, but where is the problem? Should you wait until you are sick to take care of yourself? It’s the same for the planet. Because we do not see the consequences of pollution, we continue to act “as if nothing had happened”. Before, making a fire with wood logs at the campsite was a festive activity. What could be more joyful than watching the flames dance and burn marshmallows with young children. Unfortunately, this last camping experience left me upset. I was and am completely discouraged by what I would call a lack of judgment or recklessness on the part of people who were making fires despite warnings of fire danger and despite the evidence of contributing to pollution ambient.
Smoke, come on, smoke! Camping fires have become too expensive a luxury to pay as a debt to ambient air quality. This tradition is a legacy that has become obsolete with all these efforts we make to have clean and healthy air to breathe. I know that making a fire is deeply rooted in the leisure activities of Quebecers. It will be difficult to change this habit. There are many gestures that we made and which are to be questioned now in the face of this climate catastrophe and loss of biodiversity. Will we be able to act before everything goes up in smoke?