Event Title:

Organization:

  Literary

  San Francisco

Start Date:

  12/15/2024

End Date:

  12/15/2024

Start Time:

  2:00 PM

End Time:

  3:30 PM

Event Info: 

  There may be no greater representation of California's ecological crisis than its fires. In recent years, they have become larger and deadlier than ever before, forcing us to reckon with how we have failed the land and the incredible cost of that negligence. Obi Kaufmann's lushly illustrated new book, The State of Fire: Why California Burns, explores how we got here and how we may get out.

The story of California fires is surprising and ancient. Fire has always played a vital role in our ecosystem-it fertilizes the soil, creates easier hunting grounds for certain animals, and gives space for plants to root. In short: life flourishes after fires. But the fires of today are different. Centuries of logging, a lack of controlled burns, and the spread of invasive plant species has given rise to the gigafire and its corollary problems: massive smoke covers, erosion, mass death events in animal populations.

In this new book, Obi Kaufmann delves into the history, science, and future of fire ecology. With Kaufmann's signature artistry and deep research this book looks at some of the most devastating fires of modern history and also the many ways that our ecosystem benefits from fire. It's an ultimately hopeful book. One that points to the many ways that we may coexist with fire and responsibly steward California into a more balanced future.

"For every point of despair," Obi says, "I have a counterpoint of hope for the survival and restoration of the natural world. ... As long as there is time, there is hope."

https://sfpl.org/events/2024/12/15/author-obi-kaufmann-and-steve-wasserman-conversation

Location:

  San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Room:

Address:

  100 Larkin Street

Phone:

  415-557-4400

City:

  San Francisco

State/Province:

  CA