Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

We're having a heat wave, but not a tropical one.  It's dry and the woods and forests are like tinder.  There was an article in the paper this morning about losing many of the giant Sequoia trees.  Every time I hear a siren I hope it isn't a fire.  There are more helicopters circling, searching for brush fires.  September and October are our most beautiful months here, but with the beauty comes the fear.  Earthquakes, fires, this is the season.  I'm lucky that my house is surrounded by trees, big trees.  And though I complain about the lack of sunlight, our place is an oasis in the heat.  But today, I probably won't sit on the back patio, not unless it is near dusk.  I am fortunate.  I read another article that noted that high temperatures affect the poor disproportionately, and part of that is not air conditioners and fans, it is that poor neighborhoods have less trees.  The wealthier the area, the more trees, more shade, cooler temperatures, better air.  If we could insist that development includes trees, and actively plant trees in neighborhoods without them, we could help rectify this injustice.  Yes, low income housing should be in every neighborhood, and it's the moral choice, but in the meantime, we could all plant trees.