I'm sure most of you are aware of the violent storms that struck California and neighboring states east over the past week. Interestingly enough, that line of storms initially was headed our direction, but atmospheric conditions pushed them to the south. It's really too bad that this shift occurred because, had the storms struck here, there would have been no headlines and no devastation.
Unlike the shallow basins that make up most of southern California, the ecosystems on the Oregon and Washington coasts are more like a sponge. We normally receive anywhere from 70 - 120 inches of precipitation per year and, except in the most extreme cases, we experience little flooding. The reason for this is that our landscape is dotted with rivers, creeks, marshes, sloughs and wetlands. Few or not enough of these same features are found around the Los Angeles area.
If one year Southern California was treated to a typical climate year of the southwest Washington coast, Los Angeles would be underwater for most of the year. Conversely, if we had to suffer through a typical Southern California climate year, we would be in serious trouble. Since we do need an irrigation system, none exist. So, all the area farms might well go bankrupt.
All this goes to show is that different areas have different essential natures. What is considered good or beneficial in one locale may be considered horrid or terrible in another. This is why Taoists point to nature as a way to understand human society. In many ways, we mimic the natural world around us and we can learn much about ourselves by observing climate and the seasons.
Unlike the shallow basins that make up most of southern California, the ecosystems on the Oregon and Washington coasts are more like a sponge. We normally receive anywhere from 70 - 120 inches of precipitation per year and, except in the most extreme cases, we experience little flooding. The reason for this is that our landscape is dotted with rivers, creeks, marshes, sloughs and wetlands. Few or not enough of these same features are found around the Los Angeles area.
If one year Southern California was treated to a typical climate year of the southwest Washington coast, Los Angeles would be underwater for most of the year. Conversely, if we had to suffer through a typical Southern California climate year, we would be in serious trouble. Since we do need an irrigation system, none exist. So, all the area farms might well go bankrupt.
All this goes to show is that different areas have different essential natures. What is considered good or beneficial in one locale may be considered horrid or terrible in another. This is why Taoists point to nature as a way to understand human society. In many ways, we mimic the natural world around us and we can learn much about ourselves by observing climate and the seasons.
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