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

[XXJingledNerves]

I wish so much they had cancelled.

Yep- I agree OP.
I agree that fireworks are surely only contributing to our planet’s environmental problems as well as not contributing to social ones. I’d much prefer to see fireworks consigned to the history books and take pleasure from the amazing natural wonders of our world.

And so sorry to see what you are going through

Totally agree.

Should have been cancelled.
Very bad taste to continue regardless, and to attribute it to sunk costs is bizarre.

Hope those on the beach are ok ☹️

I do think it was in bad taste to have the fireworks but I am not a fan of fireworks anyway.

Thankfully the loss of human life, at present, is low but what about the loss of animal life? That is terrible

BlackCat

I don’t think anyone is saying that this is ‘no big deal’ though.

I think there is a big difference though in how different people perceive these events and there always will be - because we are all human. And one person will believe it is disrespectful while another person will believe that it is also a good opportunity to raise funds and awareness.

I think it's in poor taste.
Some are huddled on a beach on in boats while their town burns, whilst the harbour is full of boats watching the fireworks, and all are breathing air that stinks of loss.

Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burned .. the government should have more sensitivity.

I think whiners are actually more harmful than those who are willing to celebrate life TBH. If you are the sort of snivelling idiot whose first response to any disaster (especially one miles away from you and fuck all to do with you) is to start telling other people to give up any kind of enjoyment because waa, waa, waaa, [some nonsense or other] then perhaps you should consider that you have every right to lock yourself indoors, grovelling to your imaginary friend or whatever, but that your opinion is completely unimportant.

I think it was inappropriate when people are losing their homes and lives. Also fireworks are a native contributor to air pollution, could do without that too.

I’m not discussing the “enjoyment factor”. I’m discussing the potential harm to the environment both short term using pyrotechnics in an incredibly hot, parched space and on a longer term.

For the pollution? Yes, they should cancel fireworks. All fireworks, probably, or at least massively scale them back. They used to be special: I am totally over them now.

I married into an large Aussie family - the family is horrified by the bush fires, are disgusted with Scott Morrison for his denials re: the link between the bush fires and climate change and, despite some members of the family, having previously defended their homes against bushfires, and there being firefighters in the family, they say have never seen or experienced anythingon this scale.

Their view is the fireworks should not have gone ahead out of respect for the lives that have been lost, for those who have lost their homes and communities, and especially for those terrified people who on NYE had to take refuge in the ocean under a blood red sky while their homes burned to the ground.

Scott Morrison (climate-change denying Prime Minister of Australia) is tonight hosting a New Year's Eve party at his official residence.

Sickening. Unprecedented heat, out of control bushfires, destroyed communities, toxic smoke, large drought stricken areas.... how he thinks it's acceptable to party is beyond me.

They wouldn’t be able to do right for doing wrong.

We’ve had situations where Edinburgh’s fireworks have been cancelled because of weather for safety reasons. The organisers are lambasted for cancelling and there was quite a bit of trouble on the streets. You have hundreds of thousands of people who have travelled to the area for the celebrations. Cancelling has consequences too.

Fireworks cause massive pollution, not just in the poisonous chemicals fired into the air but also in their original manufacture.
Big displays in the middle of cities are stupid when the air is already toxic.

'Waa, sunk costs is nonsense' - my arse. People who actually live there and know what they are talking about have pointed out that the firework display brings in a lot of money, which can go towards rebuilding and helping the survivors.
Again, spoiling other people's pleasures does more harm than good. It solves nothing - and can do harm (ie by costing the economy more than going ahead would bring in.)

Some are huddled on a beach on in boats while their town burns, whilst the harbour is full of boats watching the fireworks, and all are breathing air that stinks of loss.

Should everyone cancel theirs? Or is it just in poor taste for Australians to celebrate because Australians are suffering? There are some Brits there too. Should the U.K. cancel theirs?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every Country donated to a rescue fund and cancelled their fireworks display in respect

I think it's in poor taste.
Some are huddled on a beach on in boats while their town burns, whilst the harbour is full of boats watching the fireworks*

^ This, could not say it any better.

Yes, I haven't seen any reports of any help or aid offered by the UK so that would be a possible.

Oh and I believe the tourists huddling on the beach had been told for days to leave due to upcoming fires.

What have pyrotechnics got to do with bush fires? I don’t see the connection

Here in the U.S. a couple of years ago some kids were setting off fireworks in the forest and started one on the worse wildfires in the region. It was so bad it jumped the wide Columbia River.

"The 15-year-old boy who started a wildfire that torched 48,000 acres of one of the northwest’s most coveted scenic regions entered the courtroom stoically Friday"

"The wildfire he admitted to sparking along the Eagle Creek Trail — in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area — started Sept. 2 when he hurled a firecracker into a dry ravine as a group of friends filmed him with a cellphone. On that scorching-hot afternoon, the state was in the midst of a burn ban".

www.washingtonpost.com/national/teen-who-started-massive-oregon-wildfire-with-firecracker-apologizes-in-court/2018/02/16/e4d4ebb6-11b2-11e8-8ea1-c1d91fcec3fe_story.html

Many wildfires have been started by fireworks and even though firework displays are controlled (somewhat) the sight of fireworks is what you call 'triggering' for people who have lost homes, friends & family members, animals to fireworks.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every Country donated to a rescue fund and cancelled their fireworks display in respect

^^

Yup, it would.

— started Sept. 2 when he hurled a firecracker into a dry ravine as a group of friends filmed him with a cellphone.

^
Dispicable.

Another Darwin award of the century there.

It’s a tough call, by cancelling it no money will be saved. They can’t send the fireworks back, the staff will still need to be paid. Money will be made. Donations to the Red Cross, money to restaurants, cafes etc.

It is in slightly poor taste, but what would be achieved by cancelling?

Oh and I believe the tourists huddling on the beach had been told for days to leave due to upcoming fires.

@savethecat no, they hadn't. The only road out led into the path of the fire so the instructions were to stay put.