Australia's burning
#301
Re: Australia's burning
Every time I see an Australian political leader in the news they seem to be dealing with one disaster or another. Tony Abbott out fighting fires as a volunteer firefighter, Anthony Albanese handing out sandwiches to firefighters, Kevin Rudd wading through knee deep floodwater with a suitcase on his head, Bill Shorten coordinating the Beaconsfield mine rescue…
…Scott Morrison trying to recover from a holiday.
Given the prolonged drought in Australia it can’t be that much of a surprise this has been a particularly vicious fire season (another contributor mentioned the ’74-75 fire season which also preceded by drought.) Obviously it’ll take years for people to rebuild homes, to restore native habitat and for firefighting capability to be improved. Luckily there has rarely been a time when people could so readily be informed of imminent danger, what with everyone walking around with a cellphone in their pocket.
…Scott Morrison trying to recover from a holiday.
Given the prolonged drought in Australia it can’t be that much of a surprise this has been a particularly vicious fire season (another contributor mentioned the ’74-75 fire season which also preceded by drought.) Obviously it’ll take years for people to rebuild homes, to restore native habitat and for firefighting capability to be improved. Luckily there has rarely been a time when people could so readily be informed of imminent danger, what with everyone walking around with a cellphone in their pocket.
#304
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Australia's burning
There are 20 more wind farms lined up for construction this year.
12 coal powered plants closed between 2012-2017.
Lets not let the facts get in the way of a good story.
#305
Re: Australia's burning
Snowy Hydro 2 maybe a Government backed initiative........the others are commercial decisions by the likes of AGL who are trying to make decisions on the back of lack of policy from the Federal side.
#306
Re: Australia's burning
There's another couple hundred thousand dead birds a year but ho hum
Of all the renewable technology that could be deployed, I can't believe we're carrying on with that useless, inefficient, destructive shite
Of all the renewable technology that could be deployed, I can't believe we're carrying on with that useless, inefficient, destructive shite
#307
Re: Australia's burning
You know what......I walked around a wind farm a in WA a couple of years ago. Didn't see one dead bird. Not saying it doesn't happen, just some actual context rather than conjecture.
Hows many birds died as result of the bushfires?
Last edited by Tom Sawyer; Jan 12th 2020 at 4:48 am.
#308
Re: Australia's burning
Shitloads - millions probably
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational...-farms/4668750
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/wind-tur...dangered-birds
It's been a huge problem in the US where many thousand of larger birds (several billion smaller birds are killed there annually by domestic cats) - mainly apex predators - have been executed. Even that idiot, Bob Brown says that windmills can be a big bird killer in certain locations. Let's go renewable by all means - but not windmills. It's shit, inefficient technology that only gets built because it's heavily subsidised by the mugs/cash cows (aka taxpayers)
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational...-farms/4668750
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/wind-tur...dangered-birds
It's been a huge problem in the US where many thousand of larger birds (several billion smaller birds are killed there annually by domestic cats) - mainly apex predators - have been executed. Even that idiot, Bob Brown says that windmills can be a big bird killer in certain locations. Let's go renewable by all means - but not windmills. It's shit, inefficient technology that only gets built because it's heavily subsidised by the mugs/cash cows (aka taxpayers)
#309
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Australia's burning
Last edited by Beoz; Jan 12th 2020 at 7:36 am.
#310
Re: Australia's burning
An interesting read on the BBC's web site. I wonder how long it will be before someone (who can change anything) listens?
I remember seeing a long time ago a documentary on the BBC about the starting of "controlled burns" by dropping fire pellets out of a light aircraft, so as to start multiple fires to burn off underbrush in the forest. I don't remember where it was, though I don't think it was Australia, but if, as I guess, it was in the US, the practice was stopped long ago, and which is one of the reasons why parts of the US get horrific wildfires, notably in California, but also in places as far apart as Colorado and Tennessee in recent years. There were wildfires in North Carolina too a few years ago, and all fueled, literally, by excessive underbrush.
I remember seeing a long time ago a documentary on the BBC about the starting of "controlled burns" by dropping fire pellets out of a light aircraft, so as to start multiple fires to burn off underbrush in the forest. I don't remember where it was, though I don't think it was Australia, but if, as I guess, it was in the US, the practice was stopped long ago, and which is one of the reasons why parts of the US get horrific wildfires, notably in California, but also in places as far apart as Colorado and Tennessee in recent years. There were wildfires in North Carolina too a few years ago, and all fueled, literally, by excessive underbrush.
#311
Re: Australia's burning
Worst smoke haze we've had this morning. Not seen it this bad, not even back in 83. Although we haven't got the ash with it this time around. Plus we can drive out of Melbourne unlike back then.
Hopefully, this lot of rain coming does and finishes the job for this season. It potentially will.
Hopefully, this lot of rain coming does and finishes the job for this season. It potentially will.
#312
Account Closed
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 0
Re: Australia's burning
Worst smoke haze we've had this morning. Not seen it this bad, not even back in 83. Although we haven't got the ash with it this time around. Plus we can drive out of Melbourne unlike back then.
Hopefully, this lot of rain coming does and finishes the job for this season. It potentially will.
Hopefully, this lot of rain coming does and finishes the job for this season. It potentially will.
#313
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: Australia's burning
Worst smoke haze we've had this morning. Not seen it this bad, not even back in 83. Although we haven't got the ash with it this time around. Plus we can drive out of Melbourne unlike back then.
Hopefully, this lot of rain coming does and finishes the job for this season. It potentially will.
Hopefully, this lot of rain coming does and finishes the job for this season. It potentially will.
#314
Re: Australia's burning
As you know,I came through Melbourne Airport yesterday. Shocking visibility through all the descent, and the runway only visible right at the last minute.Like flying in really bad fog. And the air quality was shocking in most of the airport - the Lounge was OK, but the rest was terrible. Now in southern Tassie and its bad here today - nowhere near as bad as Melbourne but there is a smoke haze and for the first time ever I am using an inhaler in Tassie.
It's starting to get 'orribly humid though and that bothers me more than anything.
#315
Re: Australia's burning
Tried to put a cartoon on here (not a funny one, but cartoon used in the meaning of a story in a drawing), it showed a huge crowd of animals reaching the pearly gates, and there to meet them was Steve Irwin, saying come in, your all welcome, and we'll look after you. It's here for you to see, just couldn't separate the picture when I tried. The picture has gone viral on places like twitter which is where I found it.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/enter...the-world.html
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/enter...the-world.html