Here in New Mexico, hundreds of miles from the fires raging in Arizona, residents have been warned to stay indoors, turning OFF swamp coolers and closing windows, sports events have been cancelled and smoke obscures nearby mountains. You step outside and smell smoke. Eyes are watering. People are coughing. The sun has turned a frightening shade of red.
In Washington DC, reporters have been chasing around a tour bus carrying an insignificant, ignorant woman and engaging in talk about the size and shape of a Congressional penis.
What planet are they living on?
It is certainly not a planet paying attention to the very real and immediate costs of global warming. Fortunately, FishOutofWater has been diarying the link between warming, drought and fire.
Yesterday, Mother Mags posted a poignant diary about the Fierce Green Wallow Fire and the beautiful Arizona wilderness burned to the ground.
A few brief facts: as of today the Wallow fire has burned approximately 625 square miles and is zero percent contained. It has become Arizona's second largest fire. Eleven structures have been destroyed and many more are threatened. Many species of wildlife are threatened including the Mexican Grey Wolf.
Wildlife Especially Devastated by Wallow Fire: MyFoxPHOENIX.com
What can Progressives do?
A few days ago, while running around closing windows, I noticed a segment of The Last Word in which two journalists described their adventures chasing Sarah Palin's bus. They bravely veered off course when a tornado crossed their path, to briefly interview individuals in its course.
As progressives, we can stop chasing the bus. We can stop blathering about weenies. We can contact Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell and Ed Schultz to demand they draw attention to this very real American disaster. We can write letters to our paper. And we can LiveBlog.
Please post your ideas in the LiveBlog thread below.