Australian Bush Fires

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[Andrew EvansParticipant @andrewevans67134]

no idea why my post was deleted – I didn't quote anyone and made no political point – unlike a previous poster.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Andrew suggesting that someone provides evidence to justify their comments about the Greens is discussing a political party/movement and encouraging others to do so.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

A disapppointing new item this morning:

"Since November, authorities in NSW have charged or cautioned 183 people for some 200 bushfire-related offences – malicious and otherwise.

Of those, 24 people have been charged with deliberately lighting bushfires.

Another 53 were charged or cautioned for failing to comply with a total fire ban and another 47 with discarding a lit cigarette."

That number is in one state alone. Similar numbers have been charged in several other states such as Queensland and Victoria.

Unbelievable. I think we will see harsher penalties coming in for arson. They should be held accountable for any deaths and injuries that result from their firebuggery.

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

My apologies to the forum members , i was unwise to mention a political party or parties and I didn’t think it would cause such a storm ! Please feel free to edit the names out or delete the post entirely, i was just saying it as i see it and i get a little angry when anyone tries to generalise or dump our problems into one basket .

We currently have: ( without going into detail or boring you with the many smaller issues )

Bushfire crisis

Drought crisis

Water crisis

Energy crisis

Now if anyone on the planet can come up with some way of solving these issues right now i’m sure all Australians would be appreciative!

None of these are easy to fix and all are intertwined with each other along with climate change or global warming if you like the old saying .

Hopper,

One thing that disgusted me is the looters – there surely must be a special place in Hell for that lot It is just un Australian !

I must say i am astonished by the generosity of people around the world who have donated to the bushfire crisis and have also sent firefighters in to to help .

I thank them Sincerely for their help !

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Thanks for keeping order, Jason!

Keep safe, folks.

Neil

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I see Lewis Hamilton has just donated a large amount of money to help with the problems the bush fires are causing.

Good for him!

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Anyone know how it's going over the pond as I never watch the news.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

My relative an hour north of Melbourne has had some rain on his farm. The roos were so elated they got pissed last night and nicked a traffic cone.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Dose wascally woos.

Fires are still going on today. And will do for several months to come. Our bushfire season usually starts about now and lasts all through February, the driest, hottest month.

I agree with SOD several posts above. It should not be a political issue, but sadly we live in a world where increasingly belief and ideology have supplanted reason and science.

At least three of Australia's state fire chiefs have now come out and said pre-emptive controlled burning, or lack there-of, is not a major cause of the current fires. An exacerbating factor in some places yes, but major cause, no. And in other places that had been control burned earlier in the year, the bushfires still went through with devastating effect, the fire chiefs say.

Now it has been found that "web bots" have been posting countless opinions to the contrary , supported by bogus "facts", all over social media, which holds more sway over popular consciousness than a firetruck load of bona fide experts with a lifetime of scientific training and experience in the field.

AI is taking over our world. Sci Fi come true.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

It is well documwented that Australian Flora needs fire for it to propagate, seed pods and other seed dispersion. There are now pics. on the Media of new shoots coming from burnt trees and no doubt seeds will germinate when rains come.

What is a tragedy is the wildlife, Koals and Kangaroos a bit singed and now having no source of food or water. Nor a nice tree to sit in and eat the leaves.

Pics. of Koalas begging water from passing humans is tragic. Birds can move away from damaged areas but mammals are stuck in the areas they live in. I wonder if any Cane Toads were caught in the fires?

[JAParticipant @ja]

Posted by Clive Hartland on 11/01/2020 07:47:53:

It is well documwented that Australian Flora needs fire for it to propagate, seed pods and other seed dispersion.

Not only Australian Flora – the Lodgepole Pine cones are opened by fire allowing its seeds to spread. The tree is native to the west coast and mountains of America.

JA

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

 

 

Edited By XD 351 on 11/01/2020 11:02:11

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Clive Hartland on 11/01/2020 07:47:53:

What is a tragedy is the wildlife, Koals and Kangaroos a bit singed and now having no source of food or water. Nor a nice tree to sit in and eat the leaves.

It's a bit more than that mate. A billion animals have died in the current fires, by latest scientific estimates. Yes, thats one billion animals. Over an area of more than 10 million acres that have burnt. No confirmation yet, but it is feared some rare species will be extinct when the ash settles.

And no, it is not widely documented that Australian flora need fire to propagate. SOME species need SOME fire to propagate. But these fires are so intense they are doing more harm than good. Again, in some regions whole species of plants are wiped out, to be replaced by the limited number of fire-resistant species that grow back.

It's a complex situation with no simple answers.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Latest news update: Thousands of kilograms of sweet potatoes and carrots are being dropped from aircraft to feed threatened species of rock wallabies (small kangaroo things) in fire-ravaged habitat.

 

Edited By Hopper on 11/01/2020 11:49:04

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Two Rock Wallabies having a conversation:

"Poor Bruce, he survived the drought, escaped the fire then a hundredweight of carrots fell out of the sky and crushed the poor b***r"

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I would rather we had been permitted to discuss the eco-political issues, Neil.

MichaelG.

[KEITH BEAUMONTParticipant @keithbeaumont45476]

Neil,

That reminds me of a similar action that I took part in. In1953/54 the winter in Scotland was pretty severe and people got worried about sheep starving in the deep snow. I was in the R A F doing National Service, stationed at Thorney Island on the south coast.. We had Vickers Varsity planes and It was decided to send three of these to RAF Kinloss, where they were packed with 1/2 ton of straw bales. The door having been taken off. Two of us "erks" were then told to push the bales out whe ordered by the pilot. He was flying at 50ft and really enjoying himself, looking for any herds of sheep. We found several lots over the 3 days and emptied the plane on each flight.

It was only after the thaw that they told us we had killed more sheep by dropping the straw on them than had died of starvation!

Keith

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 11/01/2020 14:29:24:

Two Rock Wallabies having a conversation:

"Poor Bruce, he survived the drought, escaped the fire then a hundredweight of carrots fell out of the sky and crushed the poor b***r"

Neil

I am surprised at you Neil, with you a chartered environmentalist and qualified ecologist I think the above is in bad taste and not funny at all if that is what its meant to be.

Ron

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Ron Laden on 11/01/2020 16:38:32:

I think the above is in bad taste and not funny at all if that is what its meant to be.

-1

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well I'm sorry if I've offended anyone.

I certainly don't want to make light of human or animal suffering, but I thought a touch of humour about what's really a good news story amidst all the gloom might lighten things up a bit.

Neil

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Go Neil. I saw it for what it was. We don't want to start taking anti depressants. The Australia thing is an absolute tragedy but i'm sure you meant well.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 11/01/2020 17:05:10:

Well I'm sorry if I've offended anyone.

I certainly don't want to make light of human or animal suffering, but I thought a touch of humour about what's really a good news story amidst all the gloom might lighten things up a bit.

Absolutely. Some people deal with this kind of tragedy by weeping, wailing and hand-wringing alone. Others lighten the load with a little humour. Either way may be valid depending on the person concerned. Neither way is "wrong".

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

If people get upset over a little fun then We better not delve into any really serious issues.The above humor was a little break from the bleakness of the day. This is a very well run forum, a bright spot to look forward to each day.

[Author]

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