We've had severe drought, high heat, and smoke for over two years in Northern California. Water in rivers and lakes is stagnant, favors the growth of deadly cyanobacteria, which then becomes more concentrated and potentially more deadly. These bacteria secrete toxins that can cause immediate multi-organ failure and can even be absorbed through skin.
Am from San Francisco and grew up hiking and camping all over N. CA. and ended up studying biology and chemistry in college. Until a decade or more ago, I'd never heard of cyanobacteria being a problem inland when I read an article about a family whose dog went swimming in a lake. soon after, it had seizures and died. The article's author was trying to raise awareness about where to not let your dog go swimming. I gave up backpacking and camping because there seemed to be more and more poison oak, mosquitoes, stinging "yellow-jackets." less water everywhere, and more rednecks with guns. I was taught to never drink stagnant water but never knew why, except that it just looked gross. Parasites like Giardia were of concern then.
When backpacking -- carrying water for a few days is too heavy. We would carry these little water purifier pump gizmos that could filter out bacteria and parasites, and had some type of metal or something that could kill viruses. Or -- we'd put iodine tables to treat the water that we got from little streams or lakes. Tasted disgusting! Another method was to boil the water with our little backpacking stoves, but that was only good for morning instant coffee.
It occurs to me now that most toxins -- such as those secreted by bacteria -- are small molecules (like cyanide) that are not filtered out or killed by any of these methods. Sorry, am thinking aloud. Unlikely that this family and their dog drank anything other than the water they brought for just a day hike. They all apparently died suddenly. Contaminated water signs were posted in the area. Maybe they were unaware. On a hot, windless day, I wonder if the bacteria secrete toxic gases that could have bubbled up and formed a cloud near the trail? This was probably more like Auschwitz than Jonestown.
Used to volunteer at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where we'd intake scores of "stranded" (the lost their ability to navigate) sea lions with neurotoxin damage due to blue-green algae = cyanobacteria blooms caused by increased ocean water temperature. Every year we'd see more strandings.
There have been some stupid comments about interracial marriages, finances, and hiking with babies. But this is Datalounge, so no surprise. In the Bay Area, Asian-Caucasian marriages are very common (Look no further than Mark Zuckerburg and Priscilla Chan), as is taking infants everywhere, including on long hikes. I work with these people! Also, working for Google or Snapchat, etc. means big bucks. Since COVID, young people are buying up real estate in beautiful areas outside of the Bay Area.
They look like such a wonderful family.
The exponential consequences of overpopulation and climate change are happening far sooner than I ever expected than when I started studying biology in the late 1970s.
Tragically, I think this family died, indirectly due to climate change. Autopsy and toxicology data will show that. There's no other probable explanation.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3TmqOorZ6csm%2BvzqZmraCimq6le5FyaG9vYGeCbrLApqClsV2ks260yKScq6tdosa0wMSroKito6HGbrLOrqWdZZSarqV5zqdknJmcnrOwvs2imGaen6eytMCMramaoZw%3D