Huntington Beach – Funnel Clouds spotted 10/12/2012 – [PHOTO CREDIT: A. MALOUF]
Today, 10/12/2012…two funnel clouds were spotted in Huntington Beach, California. The observer, A. Malouf has given us the pleasure of using the photo to the left as proof of the eye-witness account. You can click the image for an expanded view.
Although the funnel clouds were not reported to be tornadoes, they are nevertheless strange weather for the coastal community.
Regardless of whether or not global warming and/or man-made climate change is attributable the odd weather Southern California is experiencing, one thing is for certain: Autumn has come late, and now that it’s here, it doesn’t seem like any El Nino that we can remember. Hail Storms in Pasadena, Funnel Clouds in Huntington Beach and other freak weather have changed the minds of residents to expect the unexpected. Low morning clouds and slightly hazy sunshine just isn’t the norm anymore for our daily forecasts.
We are experiencing record heat waves, followed by drought and then intense, yet sporadic storms.
It may seem like the best way to deal with strange weather is to prepare for it by having emergency equipment, water back-ups, rations and redundant communication in case of a serious environmental catastrophe. And although these preparations are both excellent and practical…preparation alone is not the optimal way to handle freak weather.
Deserts, out of all the different types of ecosystems, seem to experience the greatest of extremes in weather. They get the hottest during the day, and at night they can get extremely cold. Since Southern California is primarily a desert, we have overcome much of the hardships of our climate by using aqueducts and irrigation for water distribution and air conditioning for indoor temperature control. But is there a better way to cope with challenging climates?
In a previous article, we discussed the potential for reforestation in the United States. Forests, rainforests and large jungles above all other ecosystems have the most predictable and survivable of climates. Even jungles which experience monsoon weather often experience this during timely and predictable periods, and the monsoons are key to the survival of the jungle itself.
Russia has dense, old-growth forest zones. These old-growth forests have typically warmer and more hospitable weather conditions than their tundra counterparts.
The reason why forests tend to have better weather and climates than deserts is because of one primary factor: Forest zones which are teeming with life actually adjust the weather in order to create a climate which is more amicable to the homeostasis needs of the life-forms within that very forest zone.
What’s the connection?
Well, contrary to popular belief, forests are actually simple if not the simplest of ecosystems to create. If one wishes to create a forest, the required parts are: surface area, rocks, water, dead organic material, plant material, fungal systems and of course…time.
New breakthroughs in the understanding of fungal systems and a more mature approach to how mushrooms are depicted in the media making rapid forest production more plausible.
In the video below, you will see a presentation by Jae Rhim Lee on the concept of mushroom burial suits. These suits are intended to help break-down the toxic chemicals within dead human bodies so that those very chemicals do not pollute the soil.
Although the video is both enlightening and interesting, Jae Rhim Lee is missing a monumental opportunity which dead mammal bodies represent. This opportunity is that dead humans and other mammals are rich with nutrients which could be directly used in the seeding of artificially created forest zones in the USA.
It doesn’t take a Necromancer to know that dead mammals do a lot of strange things after a few days. If you’ve taken a biology class recently, you’d know that human bodies are traditionally buried or burned after dead because the bacteria within the stomachs of corpses create gasses. These gasses build up until the dead body explodes, sending necrotic material forth in all directions.
The practice of burning and/or burying humans after death is excellent for creating a plague-free society, but the tradition wastes a renewable resource which could directly fuel the expansion of experimental Reforestation Zones within unused farms in the USA.
The major benefits of controlled, experimental forest zones include:
1. Climate Control and Stability – The more dense forests that exist in the USA, the more stable weather systems will become. Also, experimental forest zones will be able to exceed the density limits of naturally occurring forests. This is due to new research in fungal systems, botany, geology and biodiversity. Therefore, these experimental zones should be placed in or near the center of the United States in order to maximize radial expansion.
2. Pharmacological Research – Rainforests and other dense forest environments are the primary sources for research into life-saving drugs. By creating artificial forests, scientists will be able to eventually modify the parameters of specific segments the environment in order to maximize the germination of specific species of plants, fungi and other living creatures.
Of course there are definitely religious and societal implications to using human corpses to seed forests within our nation’s borders. Similarly to how a person can opt-in to having the “DONOR” sticker on one’s Driver’s License, one should also have the option of having their bodies donated to this project at the time of death. If one has a DONOR sticker and also a “REFORESTATION” sticker on one’s license, the authorities could extract any useful organs first and then donate the rest to the reforestation project.
Also, since other smaller mammals like cats and dogs are full of nutrients, euthanized pound/kennel creatures should be considered a source of corpses for this project. I know how strange this must sound, but put quite simply, cremation of cats and dogs is a complete waste of resources. Although this subject matter is morbid, once the uncomfortableness of facing mortality is overcome, significant societal opportunities can be appreciated.
Consensual subsystems are the key to the success of any major environmental project.
Before jumping straight into the construction of experimental reforestation zones, a few precautions need to put in place.
First and foremost, three perimeters need to be established around each zone. The innermost perimeter needs to be the containment perimeter. This circular or semi-circular perimeter will make sure no plants or animals exit the zone. Any plant life should be burned and any birds or animals seen exiting the inner perimeter need to be killed and their bodies redeposited into the zone. The reason for this is because animals which exist within the zone will have eaten human beings and therefore are contaminated.
Also, no humans which are not in protective bio-hazard gear should be allowed into the innermost zone. Preferably, drone trucks with simple, shallow grave burial tools should be the only outside units allowed into the primary zone. Although some human scientists will be required for occasional special projects and high-value resource extraction.
The secondary perimeter should be used as a buffer zone and for coordination purposes. Relay stations and towers should determine the proper comings and goings of the reforestation zone. Logistical support for trucks and information extracted from surveillance and sensing technology withing the primary zone will be data-mined, organized and disseminated from the relay stations within the secondary zone. Since forests require large rocks and irrigation to get them past the fetal stages of their development, the secondary perimeter and its logistical relay stations will be key to the success of each experiment.
Finally, the tertiary perimeter will be a large zone which makes sure the scent of the deteriorating material and organic decay does not transfer to populated regions. One can already predict how, Not In My BackYard (NIMBY’s) communities would rally to prevent such experimental reforestation zones from expanding near their homes. This situation could be avoided by securing enough acreage to diffuse the smell of the experimental reforestation zones.
All this work and planning may seem daunting at first, but a coordinated effort for changing our climate and investing in our biodiversity future will yield opportunities which far exceed any initial cost. In fact, the secondary zone discussed earlier could be rented out to communities of hunters as a sort of “Specialty Rare Game Hunting.” Some hunters are willing to pay enormous sums of money to legally hunt rare animals. And since the animals that exit the primary zone will need to be killed in order to maintain biohazard security, after a few years, hunters could be given rental licenses for hunting rare game which none could find anywhere else.
The concepts are suggestions discussed in this article are part of a method of thinking called, “Cybernetic Societies.” Although many of us think of the Terminator when the word, “Cybernetic” is used, the actual meaning of the term relates to using oftentimes complex and interconnected artificial and/or natural systems to achieve a desired result. We should not fear melding the technology of the information age with the recent advancements of biological research.
In order for humanity to exist comfortably within our changing environments, we should use the largest known lifeforms -forests- as human shields against harsh climatic changes and freak weather phenomenon.
-Tyler