to have felt sick to my stomach seeing the Sydney fireworks...

[XXJingledNerves]

I wish so much they had cancelled.

But the Australian government could have made a stand over this - but they chose not to just like every goverments chooses not to notice the suffering of the people in their homeland

Actually, as has been said earlier in the thread, the decision to go ahead with the fireworks was made by the City of Sydney (a local government area covering the CBD and inner city suburbs) and had nothing to do with the Australian government.

Why have a birthday party when there are homeless?

Totally understand this argument. But imagine more this as a situation where you are standing in front of a homeless person looking in their eyes while doing a dance and slowly eating a huge slice of cake while laughing

I can understand the sentiment behind the concept of cancelling, however I think it could have caused massive further issues. 10000s of people in Sydney would still need the manpower to steward sheer volumes of people. No extra money made to help, just more spent.

twitter.com/brendanh_au

But the Australian government could have made a stand over this - but they chose not to just like every goverments chooses not to notice the suffering of the people in their homeland

How exactly would they do this when they have absolutely zilch to do with the fireworks. The Australian govnt does not organise fireworks, it’s not within the remit of governing the country. I think a lot of people on the thread don’t understand how this all works. The Sydney fireworks are organised by the City of Sydney which has a Council, which is not part of the Aust government as such.

For this to happen, the Australian Govnt would have to declare a state of emergency in Sydney and send in the military to take over Sydney (and stop the fireworks). That would be absolutely fucking absurd.

The thing is, Canberra did cancel their fireworks, didn't they?

My gut feeling is that cancelling would have been the respectful thing to do - when Sydney is surrounded by bushfires that are causing such devastation - to people and the wildlife/environment - as we speak. It's not about the the money spent - it's about how inappropriate it is to celebrate with fireworks while the countryside around you is burning.

I'm glad they raised some money for them, but still, I can't get the image of the PM partying while his county burns out of my mind.

Plus a lot of Australians have called for a state of emergency to be declared. Because they're on fire - not just normal seasonal fires - but unprecedented fires, destroying peoples lives, homes, over 500 million animals and forests that have existed since the dinosaurs roamed the earth... with smoke blowing over and darkening the skies of NZ now.

But Sydney is partying.

Sick to the stomach? Bit of an extreme reaction there

In what way?

Canberra did cancel their fireworks, didn't they?

Because they were not given an exemption to the total fire ban by the RFS (or CFA - not sure who is responsible in Canberra).

But Sydney is partying

Many Sydney-siders, like me, are not partying, we are at home trying to avoid the poor air quality that we've been dealing with over the last month. Some people went to the fireworks, there are always many touritsts there also. Some of us did not go; I did not speak to anyone in the last week, including hospitality workers who rely on working the NYE shift, who didn't acknowledge it was a difficult choice that was made.

Honestly, it's kind of upsetting to have people make these gross generalisations about my town. Ffs, I live in an area where the majority of people vote in left of centre representatives, we hand out for the Greens at local, state and Federal elections, and the city as a whole did not vote in the current climate denying f*ckwits.

Sydney as a whole - it's a big city that encompasses more than the CBD - had most fireworks cancelled.

People should tweet Clover (Lord Mayor of City of Sydney) if they want to express their disapproval, instead of implying all Sydneysiders are just callous climate deniers who don't give a f*ck.

www.clovermoore.com.au/

Ironically, you'll find levels of climate denial and voting in climate denialist parties far greater in the areas that, unlike the City of Sydney, are most at risk of fire.

I didn't mean to offend all Sydney dwellers, Janeskettle - just the decision makers who went ahead with the fireworks, and the PM & cronies who were partying.

To me, it would be like London going ahead with fireworks while the home counties, were on fire. And I wouldn't be in favour of that, and would criticise the govt.

My words "Sydney is partying" were v poorly chosen, and I apologise

Plus a lot of Australians have called for a state of emergency to be declared.

Yes, and in a state of emergency, one would hope that the Govnt would direct military to assist those directly in need, such as the naval ship currently picking up people who have been stranded, NOT taking over Sydney and stopping fireworks military rule style.

And I really am heartbroken at the news coming out of Australia at the moment - honestly I am. It's devastating - and my words came out of anger from that, not an attack on you. Honestly. Please accept my apologies.

The decision maker is one of the few politicians in the country who is effectively tackling climate issues in her remit.

reneweconomy.com.au/sydney-takes-global-climate-fight-to-the-next-level-61891/

Feel free to critique the PM - he's fair game so far as I'm concerned - but the PM is not 'Sydney'.

The political parties who are most responsible for climate denialism in AU are the Liberals and the Nationals. Sydney swung away from the Liberals in the last election, due to their climate denialism. The burning regions and bush ? Libs and Nats all the way.

That doesn't mean that they are not entitled to the best of care and support from the rest of us. They most definitely are, and I don't care how they voted. But the focus on what was an economic one-off decision for the CBD of Sydney as somehow a cause of harm ? Nope. It was tasteless, imo. But the issues of why AU hasn't done more to avoid this catastrophe is complex, and is not a matter of 'oh, those nasty Sydneysiders partying with the PM'.

Sorry if I sound harsh. But while it's fine to say you think from a PR or a respect perspective, the decision to go ahead was wrong (and I'd agree with this!), the simplistic version of 'nasty Sydney' ignoring the poor noble countrysiders as they burn, just so they can have a party....well....maybe that's the case for a few people, but it's not the case for the city as a whole.

Sydney is also the place of lock out laws so honestly there’s not much chance of actually getting in anywhere is the inner city to “party” it’s more of a watch fireworks then take 3 hours to get home for trip that takes 15 min at peak hours.

my words came out of anger from that

It's a situation that requires anger.
Just directed in the right direction, I guess.
The fireworks are pretty irrelevant in the scheme of things.

Finding out why a majority of people in areas which are most likely to burn do not want to vote for parties or reps who understand and wish to avoid (OK, in AU, ameliorate) the effects of climate change is way more important than a few fireworks.

Working out ways to adapt volunteering to the new conditions is more important.

An education campaign to get tourists (both domestic and international) to understand their responsibility to abide by travel instructions is important.

Working out what to do for people who can't afford to rebuild to new fire regs is important.

How to manage the mid and long term effects of exposure to smoke in the health system - important.

Raging at Morrison having a party on the Harbour feels good, but is ultimately of limited value. I can't tell you how much the fireworks going ahead or not going ahead simply don't matter in a land where climate change is here already, and wreaking havoc.

it’s more of a watch fireworks then take 3 hours to get home for trip that takes 15 min at peak hours

Haha! So true.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone goes, it's such a palaver, sitting about in the sun all day to 'keep your spot', 15 min of ash, loud bangs and spectacular color, and then, yeah, a long nightmare of waiting for public transport.

I've been twice in my life (as a kid) and it's definitely not worth the bother.

Or sit in the sun drinking then be too sick by the 9pm fireworks that you have to go home then wake up the next day with the worst sunstroke/hangover nightmare that the last day off is spend laying on the bathroom floor wishing to die in 40 degree heat.

Or was that just me? (that 1 time when I was young and exceptionally stupid and share flatting without aircon)

Or was that just me

Oh, I'm sure it's not just you! Hasn't happened to me, but I guarantee you are not the only person it has! Ah, youth...:)

Raging at Morrison having a party on the Harbour feels good

I don't know if it feels good, I'm not feeling good about world leaders being climate change deniers - including Trump and Boris - but it is something I'm raging about, that's for sure.

theflushedzebra

Of course, don't worry about it. I think I'm jaded; ScoMo having a party at Kirribilli felt just 'well of course, that's what you do when you're waiting for the Rapture I guess'. I've run out of righteous anger; right now I'm feeling lost about what exactly we do from this point on given that Morrison is in power for the next few years, and will not shift from his love of coal.

At least the Opposition Leader (I've been in his electorate and voted for him in the past - he's been a bit disappointing honestly, but has similar (not identical) issues to UK labour in trying to straddle inner city climate consciousness with coal miners in QLD) has just said this:

"Well, this is a national emergency.

And the tragedy of this is it’s precisely the sort of predictions that were made by scientists and, unfortunately, the science is proving itself to be correct, that Australia, as a dry continent, the nature of our climate, means we’re particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

We were told that the bushfire season would be longer and more intense, and that is what we’re seeing, and coming immediately after the drought, it just means that parts of tropical rainforest were burning for the first time just a couple of months ago.

And it’s continued to take place. This is certainly not business as usual."

So I guess I just keep living my lower-carbon life while trying to get it even lower, vote Greens/Labor, and keep donating money to the the RFS and to the families of the fireys killed, and to the Red Cross.

I'm right with you there, Janeskettle - I'm much the same in the UK, only without the prescient bushfires at present. I believe the UK has just voted in a govt without policies on climate change, and we're about to divorce ourselves from the EU green policies - what can I do? I'm doing much the same as you are doing.

Hope you're ok - and everyone affected by these fires is in my thoughts, for what it's worth...

what can I do? I'm doing much the same as you are doing

So much of the frustration comes from feeling helpless.
I actually believe it is going to get much worse here.
There are towns that have run out of water. Schools with no water.

We are incredibly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and I think this next decade holds some major demonstrations of that vulnerability.

My family and I are OK. I have to stay indoors a lot, because I have a lung condition, and can't risk smoke exposure, but that is almost nothing compared to what families are dealing with on the coast atm.