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Australian bushfires

219 replies

Theknacktoflying · 29/12/2019 18:34

Is anyone else absolutely floored by the info coming from Sydney that almost 480 million animals, birds and reptiles have died.

The loss of human life, the loss of homes and habitat is quite something.

What a way to begin 2020

OP posts:
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Downunderduchess · 30/12/2019 02:11

This is at my place recently at 3:30pm (summer afternoon). Very smokey/hazy. Couldn’t see the mountains as I usually can from home. I live in relative suburbia, this is actually how it is. It has been consistently like this for well over a month. I can only imagine how terrible it is closer to the fires.

Australian bushfires
managedmis · 30/12/2019 02:12

Yes, I was thinking the same.

I think you'll soon see mass emigration from Australia soon.

Downunderduchess · 30/12/2019 02:13

Sorry try again

Australian bushfires
managedmis · 30/12/2019 02:14

Wtaf for the weather, typical nerd

AuntyElle · 30/12/2019 02:15

Absolutely heartbreaking. And a failure of government.

coatlessinspokane · 30/12/2019 02:16

What is the general consensus amongst the media/people there? Is it a result of climate change, or just an unusually hot summer? Or is no one talking about that aspect of it?

1300cakes · 30/12/2019 02:26

I'm from Sydney, the general consensus is that it is climate change and that we are all in big trouble. The only person denying the climate change link is pm Scott Morrison. Angry

1300cakes · 30/12/2019 02:29

It's obvious. Yes, bushfire have always happened but not like this. Some of the bush currently burning, eg, in Queensland, was rainforest and constantly wet just a decade ago. You couldn't have burned it if you tried. Now it's completely dried out and practically just looking at a tree the wrong way will start an inferno.

Ozgirl75 · 30/12/2019 03:01

I don’t think you’ll see mass emigration but I do think we might see a change from people living in the country to more populated areas, and fewer people farming. It’s like a country of two halves at the moment (or probably more like 80/20) where people in the cities are basically unaffected by drought and fires but people in the country bare the brunt of both.

Ozgirl75 · 30/12/2019 03:02

Thing is, it isn’t a particularly hot summer, it’s just that it’s been dry for a long time, we’re in drought so there’s lots of fuel for the fires.

Degustibusnonestdisputandem1 · 30/12/2019 03:07

We're in rural western Victoria and keeping a close eye on things. It is dryer these days, yes - but it's always been a fact of life in summer here.

Percivalthebabyspider · 30/12/2019 03:17

It's hit 43 degrees here and so windy. A close relative just lost their house but thankfully they are ok. It's all so awful.

LahLahsBigBand · 30/12/2019 03:20

People in the cities ARE affected by drought, but differently. Water restrictions, certain goods unavailable (a strawberry shortage before Christmas due to fires), holiday plans being disrupted, being forced to stay indoors for days at a time due to outrageously high smoke pollution. These are the immediate things in play right now and while they may seem trivial, point to the broader impact of drought beyond the obvious and appalling situation those in the bush have been facing for months and months and months. Australians are increasingly despairing about a climate crisis denying, coal-industry-captured government that is unwilling to even talk about water management and a carbon free energy future. Is it a wonder that the whole country is desperate for any evidence of leadership to face this, our new reality, with concrete and lasting strategies? They are more interested in an us versus them propaganda war about ‘real’ Australians (‘quiet’ Australians versus inner city lefties/ city vs bush/ religious versus non religious/ the tedious list goes on and on) to distract the public for their own incompetence and capture by mining and big business mates, and their disgraceful performance in trying to nobble international efforts such as Angus Taylor’s latest appearance at the UN). Iwon’t be party to that garbage: this is a crisis for the whole country and the sooner all the bullshit tribalism is overcome so we can all work together for a solution, the better

Ozgirl75 · 30/12/2019 03:32

My point though is that in Sydney we haven’t had any food restrictions that I’ve noticed, we haven’t had to stay inside for days at a time (we have had two days so far where it was hot and smokey and we just went to the cinema), and yes we have water restrictions but I lived in the UK in the 1990s and clearly remember hose pipe bans over there.

In no way am I saying it’s not bad - more that all the doom mongering and panic about mass evacuations and Australia being wiped out and walls of fire are just not the reality of life for most of us living here in cities.

Ozgirl75 · 30/12/2019 03:34

But saying all that, I definitely 100% agree that we should pull together as a country and find solutions.

Ozgirl75 · 30/12/2019 03:36

Even if the solutions are things like better management of bush regions (more hazard reduction burns etc), solar power on all new buildings and better grants for retrospective solar power, water tanks mandatory for all new buildings and grants for putting in new ones (we have a 14k litre tank underground in our garden that is still almost full although we have been using it loads), etc etc

Ishotmrburns · 30/12/2019 03:42

ScoMo is the only one who isn't saying that it's climate change. I hope he had a nice time in Hawaii.

LahLahsBigBand · 30/12/2019 03:46

There were food supply issues here, a major city. The scientists are telling us what most of us who’ve lived here forever know in our guts: this is different. Very, very different. And I’ve lived through fires, floods and droughts my whole life in Australia. So our response can not be business as usual. Because usual has changed.

mysmidgey · 30/12/2019 04:00

I think you'll soon see mass emigration from Australia soon

No we won't.

Have lived in the countryside a long time. People forget times like Ash Wednesday. Last summer was very mild compared to this December. We only had a few weeks of higher temps and it felt like summer didn't really start.

Flipswhitefudge · 30/12/2019 04:13

I'm in the beautiful Shoalhaven and we have been surrounded by fires, the one closest to us has now been contained thanks to the wonderful RFS, water bombers/helicopters and defence force who were recalled from their annual leave.

There are still major fire dangers for many people and tourists have been asked to stay away to help keep the roads clear but because we live on on a beautiful beach/coastline the tourist are still coming in droves.

Ozgirl75 · 30/12/2019 04:21

Yes and 10 years ago we had 2 or 3 really wet summers when we were under La Niña. These periods of drought and then wet are the norm for Australia.

What’s different is that we have more people living in bush fire and drought prone areas, poor resource management and a press determined to tell us that the end is nigh.

bettybattenburg · 30/12/2019 04:28

My family there were in tears about it on the phone the other day. Here we've had very dramatic sunsets because of it, it's awful how badly it's affecting life in Australia, we've had a lot of tourists here who exclaim about the lovely sunset until we explain why.

bettybattenburg · 30/12/2019 04:31

it's good to see PM Scott Morrison acknowledge the efforts being put in.

When he can be bothered to stay in the country....

EmmaGrundyForPM · 30/12/2019 04:35

My sister lives in Melbourne and they havent been badly affected in the city. However some of Victoria has seen large fires. My sister was planning to visit friends in the countryside for New Year but they are on an evacuation warning so she's not going there.

I remember the dreadful Ash Wednesday fires several years ago where lots of people died so it doesn't seem to be to be new phenomenon.

maxbabi · 30/12/2019 06:12

Growing up in oz we never had such extreme weather. Yes Ash wed happened but it was rare. We didn't have hose pipe restrictions etc they do now!! It's very very different and we always had rain. Now it can be months between them. Lakes dried up etc. My sister in lobethal is in a suburban area not bushland. It's shocked her as they thought they were immune. It's very different this time.