To ask you to pray for the thousands of people trapped on a beach by fires in Victoria?

[TheClaws]

There are 4000 people from the town of Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, that is currently being destroyed by fire. They most likely won’t have homes to return to. They all have life jackets on ready to take shelter in the water as embers rain down upon them. Fire personnel have just - as I post - told them to get in the water. Can you imagine how they must feel?

Australia at the moment is burning across 4 states. Where I am it is 45c and the smell of smoke is heavy. It is a terrible summer for us.

...the stupid and crass comments that were deleted

I was deleted on this thread because I implied some people had no empathy.

MN inferred a personal attack to ‘others’ on the thread.

Guess lacking empathy is better than being crass enough to point it out.

It just seems to get worse and worse... my prayers, thoughts, feelings, good vibes, whatever you want to call them go out to everyone and all the animals affected in any way. Arguing about the word 'prayers' is too stupid for words.

Thing is we are complex creatures.

Feeing empathy and anger together is something we humans can easily do- and one does not diminish the other.

My concern in focussing only on the prayers and empathic thoughts is that we are dismissing the energy that may provide some action into changing this awful mess.

Feeling empathy for others is a great thing, feeing angry and stirred into action is also a great thing.

Greta Thunberg seems capable of feeling these emotions too.

I have several close famly members in NSW right now. They are feeling very scared, helpless. But they are also feeling rage and anger.

If action for change can grow from this catastrophe them that must be a good thing. The good people of Corbago are devastated, no doubt upset, afraid, sad. But they are also angry , enrgaged. They voiced their feelings to Morrison despite their loss.

Their anger does not diminish their pain.
Our feelings can co-exist.

was niot talking about you Girls.

There were comments (on another thread which i mixed up with this one) that basically made abunch of sweeping generalisaitons about Australians and Australian culture which i can;t repeat because they were too offensive and which were totally out of place (and inaccurate).

What are the worries for the weekend? Is it expected location of the fires or increased temperatures?

In addition to how terrifying and awful it must be for the people there, I just saw an article that said an estimated half a billion animals had perished so far. It’s so tragic, there are no adequate words.

Gribbie It's increased temperatures and increased wind speeds that are North Easterly in direction. Or as my stranded brother described as a doozy. He can't leave Mollymook but there is a beach for refuge there.

I wouldn't want him in a car anyway.

Sister is doing well and is getting a lot of support.

Another lesser issue my sister pointed out is that it's forcing all the dangerous snakes and spiders out of their natural habitat, so extra caution needs to be taken to ensure people don't get bitten! X

By all accounts Pond they didn't do this. I wondered the same thing too.

spingly I am nearly 50 now but when I was a small child we used to camp at a place called Sperm Whale Head in Gippsland. (You are not able to do that now). I recall when I was about 8 there was a bushfire and everyone went to the sea... including the lcoal wildlife, the kangaroos, the koalas and the snakes. We have photos taken by my mother of people just sitting in the sea with animals all around.

I have spoken about this so many times to my DH and DCs. They thought I was exaggerating.

My parents are in Bairnsdale. They were evacuated but their home surived.

@speakout just start a different thread things can coexist on different threads .
People here want to wish well and do the best they can your debate about how wated their efforts are can probably be coped with elsewhere

i am praying for all of Oz.

And also that the current PM gets removed.

Australia has a tradition of wildfires - some trees and scrub depend on it for regeneraton. Building huge fire breaks doesn't work with exploding gum trees. The whole of Oz has had years of drought.

Why no one has done anything about it while encouraging water usage in the cities ...

Thanks placemats I hope your family is ok. Xx

I'm praying/thinking of you/sending best wishes to everyone in Australia affected by these awful fires.

In terms of keeping informed via Twitter are there any Australian journalists etc worth following? thanks

@MapleMuffins I'm so glad the home and your family are safe

Sorry birdsarecute45 my post wasn’t aimed at you It was aimed at the posters showing a lack of empathy on this ‘well wishes’ thread who want to soap box.

while encouraging water usage in the cities

We're on water restrictions, not sure how we've been encouraged to use up water.

any Australian journalists etc worth following

Laura Tingle is good on AU in general.

The Guardian AU live blog is best, imo, followed by the ABC live blog.

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/jan/03/australia-nsw-fires-live-news-victoria-bushfires-rfs-tourist-leave-zone-south-coast-cfa-traffic-near-roads-closed-sydney-melbourne-latest-updates

Virginia Tripoli is good. Hamish McDonald. Half the journalists are on holiday and caught up in the fires themselves.

I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be for the people and animals in Oz right now. Just watching the reports is so upsetting I’m struggling watch at all. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. Is there anything we in other parts of the world can do to help? I feel so helpless!

Entire species of flora and fauna have been wiped out. At least 18 people dead, lots still unaccounted for. Whole towns gone. Farmers are having to euthanize their livestock. More hellish conditions expected on Saturday. And where’s the PM? Hosting a garden party for The Australian cricket team.

Time for the GG to ask the Queen to step in I think.

Laura Tingle is on twitter as LATingle

I wonder if Scotty will be at the cricket today ? Surely even he knows, having been heckled everywhere he went yesterday, having firies refuse to shake his hand, that he'd better ease off on the 'let them eat cake!' routine...

Nodnol - just awful. Indescribably awful.

Yes this is so unbelievably awful. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be for those of you affected over there. I am praying for rain for you all.