“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”  ~ Unknown

What do hurricanes and wildfires have in common? Well, they are two powerful forces of nature currently devastating many parts of North America. But there is another connection. As hurricanes and wildfires are consistently increasing in strength, duration and destructive capabilities, the vast majority of scientists agree that this is a result of our climate changing. 

The denial of climate change and the avoidance of mounting scientific evidence that supports it, has become a divisive political issue. However, we here at TORRAIN choose to err on the side of science and caution, and embrace the unfortunate conclusion that climate change is real, it is here, and it will affect all of us.

The Earth’s atmosphere is in fact warming. This warming is directly linked to the emission of carbon into our atmosphere, which has been greatly exacerbated by human activity and modern industry. This atmospheric warming is causing the ice caps to melt, the ocean levels to rise and warm, and the hot, dry seasons to increase in both temperature and duration.

One can’t help but correlate the changing climate and warming oceans with the unprecedented strength and size of Hurricane Irma. It is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the history of the Atlantic Ocean, and is currently barreling straight toward Florida. Perhaps we are also seeing evidence of our changing climate via the 87 separate wildfires currently burning through California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho.

It’s easy to reason that we have pushed Mother Nature too far. 

The good news is ~ we can all do our part to help combat it.

There are millions of people all around the world right now battling the environmental consequences of extreme weather. Here in Oregon, we had a particularly traumatic week ourselves, as the Eagle Creek Fire set ablaze to the majestic old growth forests and waterfall-filled trails of the Columbia River Gorge. It has been difficult coming to terms with such a devastating loss. For so many of us, The Gorge has served as our sanctuary, our place of worship, and our escape from a turbulent world.

Here at TORRAIN, our motto is Defend Your Turf – and in light of this tragedy we plan to put our motto and our core values of respect, environmental consciousness, sustainability, and community into action.

We will be donating 5% of our sales from September and October to the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, a non-profit organization that will be instrumental in the restoration of the Columbia River Gorge, including the replanting of trees and rebuilding of trails. The TORRAIN team also pledges a commitment to help in the replanting process this spring. We will keep you posted, and invite you to join.

It’s easy to feel helpless when tragedies like this happen. As millions of global citizens currently face the task of rebounding and rebuilding in the aftermath of extreme weather ~ we at TORRAIN stand with you.

With Love, Intention and Hope

-The TORRAIN Team