You can help prevent forest fires. Yes, really.

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     June 8, 2023 Yesterday, I [asked Mother Jones readers]( how they were handling the wildfire smoke that has blanketed the East Coast. Several readers mentioned that they had moved away from the West in recent years to escape the problem, only for poor air quality to visit them again in places like Virginia and Wisconsin. But what most stood out to me were some readers’ suggestions for channeling environmental anguish into action. One reader correctly pointed out that forest fires are not strictly caused by climate change. A century of misguided fire suppression tactics has paradoxically made our forests more susceptible to flames, [as we reported in 2019](. But we have personal agency, too. While dry conditions allow forest fires to grow, many are started by human carelessness—from leaving campfires unattended to target shooting without regard for flying sparks. Today, a [New York Times opinion piece]( by Clare Frank, California’s former chief of fire protection, suggested that we use harsher penalties against those who start fires and that we increase our public awareness of the dangers of recklessness in the woods. While I chafe at the notion of solving wildfires through prosecution in a broken criminal justice system, I appreciate the suggestion that we should approach wildfire prevention as we do “seatbelts, tornado shelters, safe sex, tobacco reduction and helmets.” Just as it’s important not to become [complacent about mass shootings](, it’s vital that we don’t take forest fires and the resulting smoke as a given—and I thank the reader who pointed this out to me. To that end, several readers mentioned community involvement as an antidote to despair. “It is infuriating that more greedy mismanagement of the planet has led to more suffering, health deterioration and mobility restrictions,” wrote Donna Robin Lippman, who said that she spent the afternoon phone banking to remind voters of upcoming special elections. “I felt an urgent need to do something proactive to counter this horror.” One reader who preferred to remain anonymous wrote: 2020 was a wake up call to me with how important it is to get involved with local community and setting up networks of aid and care. From community gardening, to learning first aid and continuing to work with with my local mutual aid group. I would urge anyone who’s scared or concerned to translate that worry into action, friendships and stronger communities. Amen to that! And in the meantime, if you’re looking for the best way to purify the air in your home, [we’ve got you covered](. —Abigail Weinberg Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [George Santos’ Lawyer Was Part of the January 6 Mob]( Joseph Murray and an associate, currently listed as a Santos staffer, were in the crowd that surrounded the Capitol. BY JACQUELINE SWEET AND DAVID CORN SPONSORED CONTENT BY COLUMBIA INSIGHT   Award-winning environmental journalism from the Pacific Northwest Columbia Insight is the leading news outlet devoted exclusively to environmental reporting in the Pacific Northwest and Columbia River Basin, which includes parts of seven states and British Columbia, and contributes more than 40% of the total hydroelectric generation in the United States. [A free subscription](to [Columbia Insight]( keeps you in touch weekly with stories covering wildlife, salmon, forests, water, recreation, energy and resource extraction in one of North America’s most vital watersheds. [Trending] [Eric Adams is bringing the GOP’s anti-immigrant crusade to New York]( BY ISABELA DIAS   [Virginia moves forward with plan to exit carbon-cutting coalition as state is blanketed by smoke]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL   [How to get away with murder]( BY TIM MURPHY   [What if a "state of emergency" isn't enough?]( BY KYUBIN KIM Advertisement [House Store Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Today’s Giant Supreme Court Surprise Ruling Is a Rare Win for Democracy]( In Allen v. Milligan, the court upheld one of the last remaining pieces of the Voting Rights Act. BY ARI BERMAN [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755