Setting The Stage For Disaster | American Forest Fires Clip | EarthX - video Dailymotion

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EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/    How the Gold Rush and westward expansion in the late 1800s destroyed the old growth forests of the American west.   About American Forest Fires:  Are government policies and bureaucracy the REAL fire starters in America? Are answers to a major crisis staring us in the face? Learn what brought us to this point, and the innovative solutions which could keep disaster from setting nature ablaze.    This clip comes from Season 1, Episode 1: "Burning Down the House"    EarthX  Love Our Planet.  The Official Network of Earth Day.    About Us:      At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us.     EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.      EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/    Follow Us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthxtv/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthxtv  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earthxtv    How to watch:   United States:   - Spectrum  - AT&T U-verse (1267)  - DIRECTV (267)  - Philo  - FuboTV  - Plex  - Fire TV       #EarthDay #Environment #Sustainability #Eco-friendly #Conservation #EarthxTV #EarthX

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00:00In the late 1800s, the gold rush would bring an enormous non-native population to the west

00:08and a desperate demand for lumber to build new towns and homes.

00:12The big old trees were the first to go.

00:15The forest began to change dramatically.

00:21They started logging trees and putting in sawmills from the very beginning to build

00:25homes and that type of thing.

00:29As American infrastructure grew, so did the demand for lumber.

00:33In the late 1800s, you had enormous forestry operations moving east to west.

00:40They settled the land using the same approach they knew from back east.

00:45Cut trees, plant more, and repeat the cycle.

00:49But in the dry and mountainous west, this type of land management was setting the stage

00:53for a disaster.

00:57In general, fires take out the small trees and leave behind the big trees.

01:05Logging does the opposite.

01:06It takes out the big trees and leaves all the little trees and all the dead limbs and

01:12needles and increases the wildfire potential and increases their severity.

01:18In the late 1800s, settlements, planting, and livestock grazing were quickly erasing

01:24the forests.

01:26By focusing on the most valuable lumber, they were also removing the most fire-resistant

01:31trees.

01:32The type of plants started changing, the forest started expanding, and most of the Indians

01:36were gone.

01:37And so what you saw is that what were fire-resilient forests that had larger trees, very little

01:44understory, that those were gone.

01:46Now over decades, fire could have helped to thin out that forest, thin out those weak

01:53trees, and restart a state of resilience.

01:56But forest fires were the last thing lumber companies wanted.

02:00And this would spark the central conflict between the U.S. government and fire during

02:04the push westward.

Setting The Stage For Disaster | American Forest Fires Clip | EarthX

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