The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it!
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon!
Today’s question:
QUESTION: What worries you more? Breathing smoke from the fires or catching COVID-19?
Talk about it….
Hakuna Matata
🙂
Virus media and political hot air are far more toxic to breath then covid or wildfire smoke. (which don”t worry me at all)
Smoke from the fires is of more concern. At least masking is effective at keeping particles out of lungs.
A better protection from fires would be replacement of politicians and unelected bureaucrats perpetually thumbing their nose at federal attempts to manage forest and wildland FIRE FUEL LOAD with endless lawsuits.
How about sending lawyers, judges, bureaucrats and liberal politicians to fight forest fires next season ? ? ? ?
Might help them to prioritize more efficiently and protect people of CA rather than endangering them and their property.
@OG
That is such a stupid talking point. Obviously the logging industry sees an opening to make this argument, because they want to increase old growth logging.
Have you ever been out there and seen the land that is burning, for the logging industry there is no commercial value in these areas, you really think they are going to spend money to reduce fuel load.
@JWB
Weren’t you just hammering someone in the politics thread for “conspiracies” and “lies” around COVID? You sure do rally around leftist talking points and actual conspiracy theories. I gave you the benefit of doubt that you weren’t just a shill spamming message boards with leftist drivel. Clearly you are here with an agenda. Good luck with that 401k my non thinking friend.
@Mike
Are you for real? California DOES NOT play by government rules. The horrible, horrible folks running California (into the ground) make up their own rules.
@JWB
I’m a logger’s daughter, born and raised in Humboldt County, and it’s quite obvious that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Your very first sentence proves it.
it’s sad that Sam doesn’t know the difference between an opinion and a conspiracy theory.
@Sam
Said the kettle to the pot.
My agenda is clear to everyone in every post I make. This guy try’s to sneak in the back door and act like he’s a commoner and happens to argue every single leftist point. We have a couple of them here. I can usually see them with my eyes closed but I got him now. Your so called opinion is made up entirely of speculating what some industries interest is. Very similar to your attacking HP and myself in the politics thread about remdesivir. I guess your mutual fund invested you in Solar City instead of timber stocks. That’s tough. 🤡 Tell me do you share an ip address with RTC?
JWB, … Try reading just the black letters.
Never mentioned logging industry, … “manage forest and wildland FIRE FUEL LOAD… ”
Am NOT responsible after you read them black letters.
mike, … “What is preventing the federal government from managing their land?” An excellent question, an one pelosi should answer since she’s very aware of CA’s fire problem.
https://patch.com/california/napavalley/house-leader-nancy-pelosi-tours-wildfire-ravaged-ca
“Lawsuits from environmental groups are snagging badly needed efforts to log forests in California’s fire-prone Sierra Nevada mountains, lawmakers and witnesses told a House of Representatives subcommittee …” Article written in 2015.
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article24784531.html
A question pelosi should answer, why is it she represents CA and is Speaker of the US House of Representatives she hasn’t gotten a Federal law passed to enable FEDs to effectively manage lands without threat of lawsuit ? ?
OR would fewer smaller fires effect liberal’s climate change rhetoric?
On msnbc pelosi mentioned CA fires saying they are being made worse by human induced climate change.
@ Mike… I don’t recall the precise numbers, but in 2018 the Feds treated 235,000 acres (clearing brush & dead wood ) of Federal lands in CA. & the State of CA. treated 30,000 acres…. approximately.
The problem is there is around 33 million acres of forest in this state and as much as 20 million acres of federal, state, or private land across California needs fuel reduction treatment to reduce the risk of wildfire,and a bunch of EPA regulations to abide by too and now, after wasting billions of dollars on trains to nowhere, tunnels to drain the Delta and PPE from China that was never delivered and loss of tax revenue because of keeping the state largely closed down for political reasons…. Newsom says we don’t have any money left to clear the deadwood, brush & fuel to reduce the risk of fire.
We should listen to jwb, he’s the foremost authotity. Really knows lots of stuff. I did too when I was an adolescent.
@ OG
Now where did is say you mentioned the logging industry? All I said is that you’re regurgitating a logging industry talking point. I did post a link to an American Thinker article here which for some reason did not get posted but the quote out of this article was:
“Meanwhile, the strong environmental lobby has prevented clear cutting. There are restrictions on harvesting old growth.”
Which tells you that it is all about clear cutting and no restriction on harvesting old growth.
@Sam
Wow you’re a hotshot investor indeed. You cannot even figure out that the interest of an industry is to maximize profits? Of course this industry would want to go clear brush and rake wild land.
@JWB
Thank you. Not a hotshot, I just do the best I can. So what is your problem with strategic removal of trees to minimize fires? Who the hell cares if someone gets paid to do it and our state’s economy gets a much needed boost? Why is your idea better? Not that you have stated any actual idea. You just want to argue.
@Sam
Okay now how often would you have to do this to prevent wildfires? Annually? More? Less? What is the cost? How will it compare to the cost of fighting the fires? If it is cost effective and can be done why not?
Government overreach is what worries me the most.
Hear hear
Equal odds as I have asthma. But if I stay away from strangers I am hoping that I do not catch Covid-19.
Breathing the smoke. Buildings are burning, and spewing toxic smoke into the air we breathe. Toxic building materials can include, asbestos, formaldehyde, fiberglass, PCV, arsenic, and flame retardants. It may not affect a person today, but in five, ten, or twenty years from now, some people will be coming down with respiratory problems and/or cancers.
As for COVID-19, I don’t believe everything the fake news is telling us. The death numbers are WAY too inflated. There are reports of people dying from an accident, and because they were infected with the virus at the time of death, the coroner listed the cause of death as COVID-19. In my opinion it isn’t much worse than the flu. Some will get it and a few will die, but most people that get it will recover. My 98 year old mother got the virus, was sick with flu like symptoms, and made a full recovery. She also had a pre existing condition and the doctors gave her 2-3 days to live.
You mean PVC?
Thanks Dr. Jellyfinger, I did mean PVC.
Smoke.
No problem with Covid, I can control my exposure.
As for smoke, when the particle count reaches 3 digits I don’t go outside, except for short periods with either a N95 mask or my 3M respirator. I have 2 chronic lung conditions, smoke hurts.
The topic here is bugs and smoke. Why are people trying to throw politics into it?
Politics injected itself into fires due to fuel load available to fires not being mitigated. Instead lawsuits are filed and bureaucrats levy needless red tape. As fire season began this year CA had 160 Million dead trees. Authorities have know of the problem for well over five years.
California wildfires so far this year have burned in excess of 4 million acres or 6,250 square miles and 31 people have died. more than twice 2018 record of 1.67 million acres burned.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-wildfires/2017/07/12/biggest-wildfire-arizona-history-couldnt-burn-fort-apache-reservation/437892001/
http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2011/12/experts-decades-of-logging-treatments-helped-stop-wallow-fire-at-reservation/
Right now, the COVID. Long term, breathing the smoke air.
AGR, I agree they should be labeled as terrorist.
The particulates in the fire……not just from burning wood or grass.
Not scared of novid as Former Pfizer Scientist Dr Andrew Yeadon says it’s Over, done and there’s no scientific evidence to support a “2nd wave”.
The toxic virus of mainstream media is what people need to be Quarantining from until MSM is eradicated.
Gavin Newsom!
I BBQ on a regular basis and use a smoker box, and lived in LA in the 60’s when you could slice the air with a knife, so no worries there.
Xi Corona Virus doesn’t worry me as much as elected officials embracing “emergency powers” for +7 months. I remember, and had mumps, measles and chicken pox… and remember but never had German Measles, so I’m kinda past the the whole corona-mania, cower-in-place thing.
I’m infinitely more concerned with avoiding death by COVID. At this time I am succumbing to death by particulates. I have been for years, but that won’t happen for many more good years if I play my cards right. For me A COVID diagnosis would be a possible harbinger of a much shortened life span.
Assuming you’re over 70 and have at least two pre-existing co-morbidities, that possibility is at most about 4-5%. Younger and healthier than that? The possibility is significantly reduced.
I was also thinking about the possible collection of residual permanent and long term conditions many have been left with that I’d prefer not to take on along with everything else I’m dealing with.
I am more concerned about the long term effects of wearing masks day in and day out on our already taxed respiratory systems.
plus the daily gas and dirt and toxins blown in our neighborhoods by obnoxious leaf blowing, when there are barely and leaves and the air is already poisonous.
Babs, you mention leaf blowing all the time. I get it, I HATE loud noises, I hate loud neighbors, I wish I could strike every dog within earshot of my home completely mute. Leafblowers are almost like music to me compared to dogs.
Sunvalley mall is the place to go if you want to get sick almost never gets cleaned with disinfectants
neither one worry me.. I’m well over 70 and I just use common sense. I do believe the amount of fear is doing its number on people.which is more harmful than one would imagine. The more stressed you are, the lower your immune system becomes. I think the constant attention the media is giving is shameful. The big thing that has a concern is how we are losing our freedoms.. my dad who fought in ww2 paid the price for those freedoms.. He always wanted me to read the book 1984 by Geo Orwell. Its hard to believe how close we are. Take your vote and prayer seriously!!!
@Mayflower
Real good post.
Very well said; mayflower! I’m over 70 also, and the air quality doesn’t bother me. Hey, I put away 1 to 2 packs of cigarettes a day from age 16 to 32 so my (now clear) lungs are in pretty good shape after 40 years off the damn things!! I ride my bicycle and motorcycle with no problems breathing. …. lucky me, I guess. Too many whiners out there about too many things.
Ma’am? Ma’am. If you are over 70 you need to have a proper respirator. That is not a joke or a suggestion, it is something I beg of you. You need to find a real 95 rated or better mask that really fits you well (passes a fit / smell test).
Really everyone who is healthy and under 50ish should be living lives relatively as normal but with face masks, all those over 50ish or with less than great health should be separating themselves from society as much as possible to protect their health.
I was going to say catching Covid-19, but after this inspiring tweet…
“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
NOW I’d say breathing the smoke from the fires.
I am concerned about the Newsom Virus, as its extremely taxing and restricts your mobility.
If everyone gets busy and signs the RecalGavin2020 petition, we can have a vaccine by November 17.
Eventually there will be vaccines for COVID. You can’t vaccinate against smoke.
Pick one – smoke from statewide fires or covid19
It’s a bad question that is at risk of aging like milk.
It’s not that crazy. You can’t even take off your mask for outdoor, lonely recreation anymore (walk, biking, hiking, etc) because the air is poisonous due to the smoke. It’s like you can only take off your mask now when you’re all alone in a climate controlled, air-filtered environment. Great.
I had the virus it messed me up bad. But the smoke from all these DEW’s burning our state is one of the most awful things I have ever experienced. Covid was way worse though.
COVID is worse then Directed Energy Weapons burning our state?? Donald Trump a 74 year old “morbidly obese cheeto“ just kicked the crap out of COVID in 3 days..I think it a giant microwave beaming down fire and torching our state would be a little worse but that’s just me. COVID ain’t even a blip on my radar if it’s going down like that
@ sam
Look man I’m voting not democrat but he didn’t really kick to curb and he was given oxygen, remdemsevir (sp?) and an experimental antibody dosage, 2x iirc. He’s probably still contagious.
If I were him I would march back into office ASAP as a show of strength too, but I would absolutely be wearing a respirator to protect those around me to complete a reasonably effective 14 day overall quarantine.
Hunh. I thought DEW stood for “damned electrical weather.” Today I learned 😉
So the difference between a respirator and a mask is significant. I think you may have things confused. The respirator is fitted to your face with different particulate filters and an exhaust valve for exhaling. They come in full face or half face and are great for smoke. The COVID mask is anything you can find to cover your mouth and nose as a symbol of your submission. You can use a paper towel and rubber band or an old tee shirt as long as you signal to the world that you submit to the hoax you are good. Remember the COVID-19 virus is so small there are no masks that can stop it. In fact it may be so small that it doesn’t even exist. The state of California imposed penalties on businesses to push fear to blame Trump and win an election. Masks are a recommendation in public but do absolutely nothing.
CDCs COVID survival rate by age:
0-19 99.997%
20-49 99.98%
50-69 99.5%
70 + 94.6%
Survival rate after breathing smoke in CCC from fires 100%
The smoke, because Covid is at worst a tiny bit worst than the common flu and at best a hoax or maybe the other way around.
Ive only felt “bad” on days where the smoke is terrible, clears up the next day, or comes back after a clear day and that’s due to my allergies.
Death rate may honestly be 10x or more higher than flu; still overblown as far as our closures are concerned, imho. Deaths greatly concentrated in the 70+ age group, most with many comorbidities.
Here, here
Fires bum me out more since any kind of outdoor exercise or just existing outdoors during the hotter weather means you’re sweating, which you don’t want to be doing in your precious respirator. Not to mention exerting yourself in a respirator sucks, period.
Anything less than a real 95-rated or better respirator will not meaningfully help you against the particulate from the fires.
Once again I reiterate, use common sense. When its bad air quality stay inside as much as possible. I do. I understand smoke isn,t good for your lungs..so keep out of it as much as possible. I have CS…common sense.And the covid thing….how many people do you know have it ? I wear a mask in the store because I have to, but I’m not afraid of it. Who was it that said…we only have to fear is fear itself. So many are using fear to control…Wake up..put your head on straight and see what’s happening.!
what worries me even more than these 2 is the incompetence of our ‘leaders’