Blowin’ in the Hot Wind: A Lament for Jasper

by Arden Henley

How many roads must we walk down
Before the smoke clears?
How many days must pass by
Before the blue sky is seen?
Smoky skies, no clean air to breathe

Yes, and how many times must the wildfires rage
Before fossil fuels are forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind


Yes, and how many years must heat domes exist
Before we stop using too much?
And how many years can some people exist
Without clean air to breathe?


Yes, and how many times can we turn our heads
And pretend that we just don’t see?
The answer, my friend, is all up to us
The answer is all up to us


Yes, and how many floods must we endure
Before we understand?
And how many moons overhead
Before we can hear people cry?


Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til we know
That too many creatures have died?
The answer, my friend, is all up to us
The answer is all up to us


Adapted from the Bob Dylan Song Blowin’ in the Wind


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Preparing for wildfires is an important task and is not one that many organizations think about doing. In March 2024, GTEC and the Federation of Community Social Services of B.C. produced a webinar called Preparing Your Organization for the 2024 Wildfire Season. Watch the webinar here.