Comments on: Buenos Aires Is Burning: Smoke Is Everywhere

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:18:52 +0000

Hi !!! Your friend from Argentina again.
Too bad I saw this so late. I still want to make this clear to all of you: This was a problem that happened not because of the farmers. (who actually are the ones that keep this country up)
There was actually kind of a mini-war going on at that moment between the gov and the farmers (there still is a rivalry) and, what the disgusting gov we had did, was to burn the fields and accuse the farmers, so that they had no support.
In time, most of the population in Argentina noticed this aberrant act, and the gov lost all of its support. Now, we can’t wait for them to leave. There’s just too much time left. We are desperate !
Too bad you came here at that horrible moment !!!!
Im glad you still had a wonderful time, for what I can see ! Hope to have more of you

By: J&S

J&S — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:06:12 +0000

Carrie and Jonathan – Please keep posting updates about the fires in Buenos Aires. We are scheduled to arive in BA on Thursday and you have the most helpful on the ground updates.
Thanks!

By: Quickroute

Quickroute — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:30:42 +0000

Cough!…Sneeze!..splut!..wheeze!..anybody got an oxygen kit for sale or hire? I’ll pay good money!

By: ss - Sharon

ss - Sharon — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:06:12 +0000

Carrie – You are the best – I love it and laughed out loud – Keep having fun.

By: Cherie

Cherie — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:36:05 +0000

Saludos Carrie y Jonathan,
From what I understand this is a part of the farmers’ strike which left us with no meat and little produce in the supermarkets: they burned fields of wheat and corn since the Presidenta temporarily stopped the boycott of the highways.
Whatever you call it, it’s hell for those of us allergic to smoke.
But all best wishes that you two are NOT allergic, and that you have a fantastic time in Buenos Aires!

By: Carrie

Carrie — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:35:42 +0000

The aires in Buenos Aires is currently not so buenos.

By: Sue Zamora

Sue Zamora — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:59:09 +0000

Anything decided and dictated to the farmers from the top down (eg an expert, then enforcement approach) will not solve this problem. Neither will any form of punitive “motivation” (eg fines,etc) In my experience people (maybe esp. poor people) only change their behavior w/ economic motiation. If they think they will make more money, even in the short term, by burning last years field or creating “new land” by slashing and burning forest, they will do so. There has to be other economic motivation to survive and succeed besides subsitance farming.
Anyway, I kind of agree that the smoke is one of the smaller side effect problems of the overall huge problem going on in this part of the world (especially as we’re thinking about Earth Day this week)
Sue Z

By: Renee Fields

Renee Fields — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:29:29 +0000

Ready for another of my opinions
This is common ALL OVER SOUTH AMERICA & many countries where the farmers are TOO LAZY to do the work that REALLY SHOULD BE DONE. It’s a common practice for farmers to burn off the old dead crops each year (like dead corn, cotton, etc.)INSTEAD OF PULLING THEM UP like they SHOULD DO!! That requires too much effort, & time, so it’s EASIER to just BURN UP THE DEAD CROPS.
The BIG PROBLEM IS–in using this method THEY ARE DESTROYING THE GOOD SOIL, & over time the soil will have NO NUTRIENTS FOR THE CROPS, so the crops won’t grow well. It’s A REALLY STUPID THING FOR THEM TO DO, but no matter HOW MANY GOVERNMENTS TRY TO EXPLAIN THIS TO THEM, THEY WILL NOT LISTEN. The governments need to impose HUGE FINES ON THEM AND THEN THEY WOULD STOP THIS PRACTICE!! (not to mention all the old people they kill, & children put in the hospitals from the
smoke!)

By: Bob Holmstrom

Bob Holmstrom — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:08:41 +0000

See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/18/argentina
Take a DEEEEEEEEEEP BREATH, Jon! It’s the smell of progress!!!