We can’t help but to destroy our planet, even with the best intentions?

[00Sassy]

Just watched a video of someone explaining that in Australia they used to deliberately burn small areas of land to clear them so that if a wildfire started, it wouldn’t continue past those areas.
Yes, many animals died when these fires happened but nowadays the artificial burning of land isn’t allowed so now the fires can spread..and spread. Which means a vast amount of damage and loss of wildlife/human life in comparison.

Similarly, in the uk, landowners used to dredge rivers etc to keep them from bursting their banks, yes, some flooding would still occur but now that the dredging isn’t usually allowed, the flooding is out of control.

Are we well meaning in wanting to protect the environment but ignorant to what is necessary to actually achieve this?

Yes I think we are.

The dredging can often backfire though as it makes the water run faster, also it then just floods further downstream.

The fires are so horrific

@Omgilovedraving ahh I see, I’m certainly no expert so thanks for that.
I can’t help wondering if, in our efforts to help the environment, we’re missing something ‘simpler’ that previous generations did as a matter of course. Overthinking it, if you will?

I agree, the fires are awful

The trouble is there are so many more of us with much more complex demands than our simpler living ancestors even only going back 50 years. There are no easy answers sadly.

Yes, technology, for example, is forever changing and ‘improving’
We humans are doing brilliantly with technology (or are we??) but perhaps that’s at the expense of understanding something more fundamental, the simple bare bones of our precious planet 🌍

Plastic was supposed to help the planet. It was invented as a solution to the deforestation caused by using paper bags and packaging.
Look how that backfired.

@PlanDeRaccordement yes

So, as much as it is awful that some wildlife would die if the artificial fires were used, the impact would be much much lower than what we’re seeing now.
Amazing how it’s come to this in such a relatively short time.

It’s as if humans today think we are the most intelligent life form so far, but we’re really really not

I agree with the title of the thread but that isn't accurate information about the hazard reduction burning in Australia. The government has cut so much money from the National Parks and Wildlife service and the Rural Fire Service that they can no longer afford to carry out the services they once did. The national parks service has had to cut a third of their staff, most of the senior staff are gone so there is now a lack of seniority and knowledge in the organisation as well as a lack of manpower. In addition, it is so dry and hot all year round now that in many areas there is no safe time to conduct these burns.

The "back burning isn't allowed" thing is just an excuse by the government to try to cover up and blame others for their mismanagement of the bush.

@1300cakes gosh, really? Well that’s just even worse!

For example, 23 fire chiefs tried to meet with the prime minister back in April and again in May to warn him of this situation and ask for more money and equipment to try to head off this disaster. He ignored them and didn't even attend the meeting.

So these fires have not started because of "the best of intentions gone wrong", not at all.

What will happen to Australia if they can’t even safely carry out the artificial burns?! 😢

@1300cakes that’s just astonishing

@1300cakes if that’s correct (and I don’t doubt it actually) then it’s ‘the best intentions, ignored’ how fucking awful

Yes exactly 00Sassy, it's horrible. Here are some links but you can look up more if interested, many good news reports out there by The Guardian and the ABC (the public broadcaster in Australia).

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/12/is-there-really-a-green-conspiracy-to-stop-bushfire-hazard-reduction

www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-14/former-fire-chief-calls-out-pm-over-refusal-of-meeting/11705330

@1300cakes thank you

The elephants in the room is Global population size.
And reality bites.