Tα καμένα

Tα καμένα

In support of all those who don't want to see Athens' and the rest of Greece's forests remain burnt, but would rather see them taken care of and having trees replanted:

«Κυριακή 8 Ιουλίου και ώρα 7 το απόγευμα, όλοι έξω από τη Βουλή. Απαίτησε την αναδάσωση όλων των καμένων εκτάσεων. Απαίτησε τον σεβασμό στο περιβάλλον μας. Δείξε με την παρουσία σου ότι σε νοιάζει. Φτάσαμε στην ώρα μηδέν. Μακριά από πολιτικές σκοπιμότητες, απαίτησε δράση τώρα»

A few (at least 10) years ago, I was at a children's camp in Calamos Attikis, in Greece. Surrounding the camp there was what I found to be a huge fire-protection zone and then the forest laid beautiful with its green colors. One afternoon, the fire that had been burning in the area finally reached the camp. I remember that we were told to just take a sweater and some water and board the camp's shuttles, which indeed took us away from the camp and at a beach, where we would definitely be safe.
The camping staff and everyone was really nice to us. We ate at the beach, we washed our fruit in the sea and kids as we were we played with our torches and chatted. I don't remember us being particularly concerned or scared. In the pre-cell phone era, the panic attack of our parents could not reach us. We were relatively happy in our ignorance of the seriousness of the situation. I even think that we went back to the camp late that same night and that tired we crashed.
What I do remember very vividly, however, is how the next morning, curious to see how close the fire had gotten, we went to the football stadium from where the fire-protection zone could be seen best. And I swear, we could see the burnt trees. And later, the next couple of days, when we went to the sea for swimming, or when our parents finally came to pick us up, we would drive amidst the burnt forest.
Even though I am sure nature itself can do a good job, and new plants can start growing, I am a very fervent supporter of replanting trees. It is just really sad to see the dead trees being there years after the fire took place.

For the record, I don't understand those who burn forests to build. They are going to build next to the burnt trees. Even if they plant some trees in their own vicinity, they are going to be next to a deadly burnt forest. They are going to build at a place that has no formal electricity/water/waste management. And when they flood with the first October rains, they will call the city and the community to save them and protect their houses. Ridiculous.