VIEWPOINTS
Saturday, January 9, 2021
East Oregonian
A5
To buy or not to buy
J.D.
SMITH
FROM THE HEADWATERS
OF DRY CREEK
O
nce upon a time, way too long ago,
we Clifton/Smiths and a dog with
no surname loaded into a Subaru
with a hillock of sleeping bags, pads, books,
salami, generic kibble, two huckleberry
pies, and a change of clothing each. Under-
neath were a Dremel tool with a chewcan-
ful of router bits and a belt sander. We were
headed to Boise to attend the annual Power-
tool Pumpkin Carving Gala and Belt Sander
Drag Races.
America had more in store for us than
making merry. When we were a coffee
addict’s full bladder away from home, in
this case Baker City, we pulled off Interstate
84 into a clean junk food emporium where
I was blown away to discover, piled at the
entrance, a half-cord of punky lodgepole
firewood, plastic-bundled in armload quan-
tities, $5 each and clearly labeled “Made in
Canada.”
I almost choked on my corndog.
The local firewood gypsies, those inde-
pendents who herd rattletrap pickups with
5-foot racks over goat trails while hauling
two cords of red fir and tamarack, were
being strangled by international corporate
greed. Call me protectionist, reactionary,
communist, I don’t care. It just seems that
something is stinky wrong with the holy
economy when an American chain store gas
station is selling bad Canadian firewood five
minutes away from a national forest.
I was still mumbling in my mustache
about unbridled capitalism as we passed the
Ore-Ida Tater Tot factory in Ontario, blow-
ing greasy steamrings into the sky, then
crossed over the Snake River into Idaho. An
hour later, I was chillin’ on a couch in the
north end of Boise.
The party format was Idaho standard:
play hard, play safe, nobody hurt. Outside
the back door of a cozy home in the Boise
foothills were 20 pumpkins, two sets of large
construction flood lights, a large potting
shed table, a 50-gallon garbage bucket,
enough power tools to build a piano and the
sander drag strip, two lanes, 16 feet long.
Inside the house were a round oak table
filled with potluck fortunes including indi-
vidual cream puffs, a vat of home-brewed
chili, and a cabinet filled with hangovers
including three bottles of Russian vodka.
Standing there, I realized that there may be
a flaw in my political thinking because it
didn’t bother me that Russians peddle vodka
in a state best known for growing its prime
ingredient.
The pumpkin mangling was an exercise
in young people’s encounter with power
tools. Most mutilators had the same vision,
a Jack-o-Lantern with triangle eyes and
snaggletooth grin. But the lure of operating
the tool overcame the desire for a perfect
product. I watched a 6-year-old girl, with
a cordless drill and quarter-inch spade bit,
punch maybe 800 holes into Jack’s head,
giggling all the while. I roughed out a regu-
lar Halloween head with a jigsaw, then
tattooed it with a rotary tool.
The belt sander drags were rigged. I was
running a stock Sears 4x24 with 80 grit
paper. On my first trial of Ol’ Dusty, she
flipped sideways, her switch shorted, and
she went up in sparks with that electrical
odor. The trophy winner was owned by the
person who had constructed the track, an
aircraft mechanic, who modified a 3-inch
sander to include two side wheels that made
it run straight and true between the rails that
divided lanes. The winning elapsed time in
this year’s drags was just under one-thou-
sand-one, one-thousand-two, for 16 feet.
Don’t try this on you mother’s Persian
carpet.
The next morning my son had money
burning a hole in his pocket so we went
across Boise to a mega-electronics box store.
While he scratched his mop about letting
go of cash for this or that peripheral for his
gaming computer, I entered the Temple
of Refrigeration, where I encountered yet
another indicator that something’s fishy in
modern Consumerica.
There I viewed the Holy Grail of refrig-
erators. For a mere $4,200 one can purchase
a brushed aluminum, side-by-side refriger-
ator/freezer with ice water dispenser and, I
kid you not, built into the refrigerator door, a
24-inch flat panel television screen.
I stood in puzzled rapture. Some folks
have a small TV set in the kitchen, a replace-
ment for the countertop radios of old, meant
to deliver propaganda over one’s morning
cup or let one stay current with Don Knotts
while cooking the grits. But for whom was
this product designed? Is there someone out
there, with a kitchen big enough, who actu-
ally wants to stare at a whole herking refrig-
erator while investigating the effects of wave
action on swimwear during an episode of
“Baywatch”? I was too dumbfounded to get
the brand name on this beast, but if you have
a very large unfilled niche in your gadget
collection, you can get together with one of
these babies in several box stores.
Luckily, my space limitation in this paper
prohibits a full rant about what unbridled
consumerism is doing to our planet. Just one
small last example, though, in closing. On
that same afternoon, in the pet food aisle of a
store once heralded for its supply of natu-
ral bulk foods, I found on the top shelf, at
two bucks per 16-ounce bottle, three prod-
ucts labeled Chicken Flavored Water, Beef
Flavored Water, and Bacon Flavored Water.
———
J.D. Smith is an accomplished writer and
jack-of-all-trades. He lives in Athena.
We all have responsibilities to future generations
JEFF
BLACKWOOD
UNDERSTANDING OUR
CHANGING CLIMATE
A
s our climate continues to change, we
are all feeling the impacts ranging
from longer, drier summers to public
health issues. These impacts will affect us all
no matter our political persuasions or social
well-being.
A statewide poll published this fall in the
East Oregonian revealed a majority of Orego-
nians believe the climate is changing, although
what to do about it is still up for debate. While
the debate continues, research and experi-
ences are helping us understand and adapt to
our changing environment. By approaching
this with our eyes wide open, we can all do our
part while building a sustainable future.
Here locally, we are seeing longer,
drier summers extending well into the fall.
Although climate change is not the only
reason for recent large wildfires, it certainly
contributes to their intensities and length of
wildfire seasons.
Through interagency water monitoring, we
are seeing spring water runoff from snow-
melt in the mountains earlier than in the past.
Climate scientists predict more rain-on-snow
events in the future as we experienced in
February 2020, contributing to downstream
flooding. This also is disrupting fish spawning
cycles and other aquatic life.
Invasive plants, such as yellow star this-
tle, Russian thistle and knapweed, are ever
increasing, outstripping county, tribal, and
landowners’ abilities to sustain healthy range-
lands and wildlife habitat.
To many, climate change has become
a gloom and doom story, leading to anger,
Letter critiques points of BLM proposal
GEORGE
WUERTHNER
OTHER VIEWS
R
ecently, eight prominent scientists
sent a letter to the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) declaring that
the agency’s proposed Tri-State Fuel Break
(TSFB) for Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho is
flawed and will endanger sagebrush ecosys-
tems.
To quote the scientists: “If implemented
as proposed (and as already approved in the
Idaho-side Record of Decision), the project
will likely degrade the biological diversity
and ecosystem services provided by these
landscapes.”
The BLM’s proposes creating up to 1,539
miles of fuel breaks (enough to travel half-
way across the United States). Fuel breaks
by mowing, mowing and seeding, seeding
within the fuel treatment zone, and blad-
ing, hand cutting, or herbicide application
to remove vegetation within the existing
roadbed. Besides, the BLM plans to use
“targeted grazing” to reduce fuels further.
The scientists contend the BLM’s
proposal will likely fail to contain large
fires, and the collateral damage will result
in: “(1) fragment large areas of intact sage-
brush ecosystems; (2) facilitate the invasion
of exotics due to the disturbance created by
the breaks; (3) supplant native communities
with exotic dominants; and (4) destroy or
degrade biological soil crusts and any native
species in the sites.”
The other problem noted by the scien-
tists is the BLM’s failure to acknowledge
that climate/weather is the fundamental
force driving large blazes. Under extreme
fire conditions of high winds, high tempera-
tures, and low fuel moisture, fuel breaks are
ineffective.
The scientists noted the BLM failed to
consider the effect of livestock grazing in
the deterioration of the West’s sagebrush
ecosystems.
To quote from their letter: “The E.I.S.
does not address the ultimate and only
controllable cause of the degradation of
the biodiversity of the Sagebrush steppe —
livestock grazing.”
The letter goes on to critique four main
points of the BLM’s proposal.
The first is that there is little evidence
that fuel breaks can preclude the spread
of large fires under extreme fire weather
conditions. While fuel breaks are likely
ineffective for preventing fire spread, they
create edge effects and fragment sagebrush
To read the letter
The scientists’ letter can be found
here: https://onda.org/wp-content/
uploads/2020/12/Scientist-Let-
ter-Tri-State-Fuels-Project-12-18-20.pdf
habitat. They often serve as a vector for the
movement of exotic plants (cheatgrass) and
wildlife.
One consequential disruption caused
by fuel breaks construction is the destruc-
tion of biocrusts. Biocrusts cover the soil
surface between native bunchgrasses. They
not only add nitrogen to the soil, but they
also help to inhibit the establishment of
cheatgrass and other non-native species.
Ironically, one of the justifications for the
fuel break treatments and targeted grazing
is to save sage grouse habitat.
The scientists noted that “extreme soil
trampling and overuse of the native grasses
and forbs (occurs) before cattle would begin
to graze the less palatable exotic grasses
and shrubs. This overuse/overgrazing of the
native species would be deleterious to other
resource values such as Greater sage-grouse
habitat.”
The scientists also note that climate
change and the resulting extreme fire
weather are primarily responsible for
the larger blazes occurring in sagebrush
ecosystems. And they chastise the BLM for
its failure to do anything about livestock
grazing when GHG emissions from live-
stock are among the factors contributing to
climate warming.
The scientists also disparaged the BLM’s
happy talk about proper livestock manage-
ment. The FEIS repeatedly states that
grazing “is managed to meet” land health
standards, and improvements are predi-
cated on grazing to be conducted properly.
However, the scientists noted that in South-
east Oregon, as an example, over 75% of the
allotments currently do not meet standards.
While the BLM recognizes the spread of
cheatgrass is an ongoing threat to sagebrush
ecosystems, they do nothing to reduce the
leading cause of cheatgrass colonization —
livestock grazing.
The scientists conclude their letter and
analysis by arguing if the BLM is genuinely
interested in restoring sagebrush ecosys-
tems, then “passive restoration, achieved by
reducing cumulative cattle grazing impacts
is the most effective means of achieving
these goals.”
———
George Wuerthner is an ecologist who
specializes in fire ecology and livestock
issues.
despair and resignation. We can overcome this
by meeting the challenge head-on armed with
sound scientific knowledge and commitment.
COVID-19 has dominated our lives lately and
enormous investments in resources and sacri-
fices have been made. By applying the same
energy to climate change solutions, we can
survive this too.
Since the sources of greenhouse gases are
many, the solutions should be the same. There
is no silver bullet — no one correct answer.
We all have a stake in this, as well as responsi-
bilities to future generations.
Over the past several years, the Eastern
Oregon Climate Change Coalition has spon-
sored and facilitated a number of commu-
nity presentations and discussions regarding
our changing climate. EOC3 is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan organization open to anyone.
We are dedicated to providing science-
based information on climate change to our
communities. This knowledge will help
support informed decisions, policies, and
strategies as we move to the future. In addition
to periodic community forums and monthly
“climate conversations,” EOC3 plans to facil-
itate the submission of periodic articles to the
EO that may be of interest to our communities
from regional experts covering a wide variety
of climate change impacts as well as ideas for
addressing these.
EOC3 intends to share what we are seeing,
what we might expect, and ideas for adapta-
tion, mitigation, and solutions. It is all about
the future for our communities, region and
planet.
If interested in joining the EOC3 mailing
list for periodic references and notifications,
please contact eastoregonclimatechange@
gmail.com.
———
Jeff Blackwood spent his career with the
US Forest Service and is a member of Eastern
Oregon Climate Change Coalition.
A healthy start to the new year
This metabolic master switch determines
if our 50 trillion cells are busy “producing”
or busy “recovering.” A balance of both is
JOHN
important.
WINTERS
Digesting food takes work; too much
HEALTH ESSENTIALS
work leads to fatigue, diabetes, obesity and
many other chronic problems. Not eating
he new year is a good time to reeval- frees the cleaning crew to break down
uate our values and consider our
older, worn, less vital parts and recycle
priorities to improve our health and
them. Resting allows the cells to rejuve-
nate and repair, to remove the sludge, if
well-being. It is said you are doing well
you will. Imagine your car repairing and
if indeed, you actually make one or two
significant changes in a year. Losing weight rebuilding itself while sitting in the garage
overnight.
is a common, notoriously difficult chal-
lenge.
A 16-hour pause in eating trains your
While excess weight undoubtedly
body to dig deeper for energy. Dinner at
affects health in many
6 p.m. and breakfast at
ways, it is import-
10 a.m. the following
“INTERMITTENT
ant to realize that the
morning is one way to
reverse is also true.
do this. This short rest
EATING OFFERS
burns fat and improves
Your physical, mental
and emotional health
MANY OF FASTING’S your metabolic health
in myriad ways. The
all affect your weight.
BENEFITS IN A
resultant metabolic
Perhaps it would
changes improve blood
be wise to consider
KINDER, GENTLER levels of cholesterol,
taking the laser focus
sugar, triglycerides
off of “losing weight”
WAY.”
and insulin. Growth
and focus on “getting
hormone levels
healthier” instead?
Being skinny doesn’t necessarily mean you skyrocket, inflammation is reduced and the
are healthy. Let’s shine the light on increas- stress response, cognition, endurance and
ing vibrant health and let the weight take
hormone balance are all improved. Losing
care of itself. Here are a few ideas that may body fat is merely icing on the … um, broc-
coli. All these improvements help you look
help.
better, feel better and function better.
“Intermittent eating” improves health
The point is, when you eat can be
at the cellular level. Nutrition experts actu-
ally call this “intermittent fasting,” but I
as important as what you eat. Indiges-
tion, heartburn, and numerous digestive
would rather eat than fast! I admit, with
some chagrin, that in spite of my education ailments arise with ill-timed noshing. Eat
when you are relaxed, as this is when your
on the benefits of fasting, I only last a day
digestive system works best. Eating too
or two. Intermittent eating offers many of
early or too late in the day forces the gut to
fasting’s benefits in a kinder, gentler way.
work when it would rather be resting. Avoid
The easiest way to do this is to eat food
meals within two hours of going to bed. Eat
most days in an 8-hour window, leaving
a light or delayed breakfast.
16 hours for rest and recovery. I try not
The body has two modes of opera-
to eat late at night or early in the morning
tion: go/do/think, or rest/relax/recover.
anyway, because this is hard on the gut.
The former turns off the gut and the latter
So, dinner at 6 p.m. and a light breakfast at
turns it on. When you are stressed, blood
10 a.m. allows for a 16-hour “fast.” While
is sent to the muscles and brain. When
it might feel like cheating, you actually get
relaxed, blood goes to the gut to absorb
important benefits.
nutrients and aid digestion. A hurried meal
One in eight Americans is metaboli-
cally healthy. Few of us have ideal levels
consumed on the way to work isn’t opti-
mal, and may in fact cause more harm than
of blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol,
good. Make it a point to eat when you are
blood pressure or waist circumference —
relaxed and can enjoy your food.
without relying on pharmaceuticals. We
I hope these few suggestions are helpful
Americans are on average overfed and
as we move into a new year in a positive
undernourished. This leads to poor health
way, where anything is possible.
and poor quality of life. Taking a mini-
———
break from eating can correct these prob-
John Winters is a naturopathic physician,
lems. Our ancestors didn’t have unlimited
access to food as we do, so the human body who recently retired after operating a prac-
has a built in master switch for lean times.
tice in La Grande since 1992.
T