Black Saturday

[john62]

This week, ten years ago, Black Saturday hit the state of Victoria. The result, 400 bushfires burning, over 450 000 hectares burnt ,
180 people died, over 5 500 building destroyed, it is thought that over 1 million animals killed. Temp. reached 45C with very strong north winds.

John

[denimini]

Yes, I watched the 10 year anniverary program on ABC TV. Unfortunately this sort of thing is becoming more common workdwide; US, Greece, even cold wet Tasmainia.

[dillon]

Yes, I watched the 10 year anniverary program on ABC TV. Unfortunately this sort of thing is becoming more common workdwide; US, Greece, even cold wet Tasmainia.

I keep wondering how there’s anything left to burn in California. And I know people love living beneath the pines and firs, but at some point I think some clear-cut buffers between forest and suburbs might be in order.

[john62]

Not in Australia due to the Greens. One friend built a house in a heavily treed suburb because they cut down trees the council ordered them to plant 1000, yes
1 000 plants on the property and even came out to cout them.

john

[denimini]

A person builds in bushland because of the natural beauty and then clears it to be safe from bushfires; the clearing adds to global warming which increases the risk of fires overall.
Perhaps best not to build in bushland and just visit it to appreciate it (as it will be still there). Sometimes it is better to let a natural area have a low intensity burn now and then rather than allow the fuel load to build up but this can not happen if there are houses there. When it does burn it is a fierce and hot fire-storm.

Sorry, I am not flaming.

[crfriend]

Sometimes it is better to let a natural area have a low intensity burn now and then rather than allow the fuel load to build up but this can not happen if there are houses there. When it does burn it is a fierce and hot fire-storm.

This is the typical ecosystem in southern California, and in fact there are species of conifers there which actually depend on fire to release their seeds. So, yes, the place pretty much requires the occasional low-intensity burn -- which isn't possible because of the human habitation, so when it does catch fire it really catches fire.

Humans can be pretty dumb sometimes. Look, for instance, at the architecture that was used by the early Spanish and Mexican settlers in the area -- stucco with tile roofs. Flame resistant structures. The modern folks then build structures out of wood that'd look at home in New England and wonder why they catch fire...

[Fred in Skirts]

Humans can be pretty dumb sometimes. Look, for instance, at the architecture that was used by the early Spanish and Mexican settlers in the area -- stucco with tile roofs. Flame resistant structures. The modern folks then build structures out of wood that'd look at home in New England and wonder why they catch fire...

Carl by the way the modern humans are going I say we will be back to the stone age in a few decades. Modern man will not learn from the past and thinks it has to be his way or the highway. I use to have a very old ( over 100 year old) Appliance that still worked like it was suppose to, still had the same electrical cord and all. I used it until the cord finally gave up the ghost and was not repairable and then I donated it to the local Museum and it was on display for about 2 years until it was stolen. Modern man thinks that if it isn't new it is no good so it has to be redesigned and made to look modern and be disposable too so that next year we have to buy a new one. What a terrible waste of resources and money.

[6ft3Aussie]

The fires in Eastern Victoria, I recall seeing the smoke from the air from a flight between Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne on the Monday afternoon following.
It was almost impossible to tell what was smoke and what was cloud, although in some areas it was obvious as the smoke was smooth looking from above, the cloud much more lumpy looking.

I recall as a kid growing up in New Zealand, seeing the brown smoke in the air, and sometimes smelling the smoke from Australian bush fires, about 2300 km away.

[denimini]

Well it is that time of year again in Australia.
I started the day at 6.30am at around 30C working on reconstructing a verandah on the house. I packed it in at 11.30am and my thermometer was close to 43C with a strong wind, now gusts of 63 kmh.
I am at present backing up my data in case I have to make a fast exit down the river bank. It is like being in a hair dryer outside and if there was some ignition it would be like a forge. We have had reasonable rain so there is a bit of ground cover - at least there is not as much dust.
Our Federal Government is still investing in and subsidising fossil fuel. They did well listening to scientists and expert advice regarding COVID but they ignore science about greenhouse gases, which is a problem that won't go away with a vaccine.

temp_28Nov2020.JPG

[moonshadow]

I had someone lecture me yesterday about the climate change "hoax" being a Democratic plot to kill the coal industry.

We live in a time when there seems no use in arguing with people. I can quote scientist that say there is a problem, and others can quote scientist that say there isn't. Neither myself nor the one I'm talking to can say with absolute certainty either way, because neither of us have actually studied the data, and we're just going off of sources we've read/heard about... it's like arguing a religion... a stale mate.

We live in some strange times. I've got people insisting certain matters to be fact, when we know them to be false, and there's no convincing them otherwise!

Religion man... everything has turned into a religion!

[crfriend]

Religion man... everything has turned into a religion!

This is what happens in societies when the populace can no longer think and puzzle things out rationally, know where to get information and to have a chance of knowing whether it's valid or not, and to be able to produce informed opinions. It turns to belief, and that's the foundation of most "religion" -- an irrational belief in the supernatural.

There has been a four decades long war on intellect being waged in the USA, and it's now bearing fruit. And a bitter, foul fruit it is to those who by dint of sheer will-power refused to give up their intellects for the comfort of "belief". Yet, for the believers, it's a sweet nourishing fruit that sustains them, safe in the knowledge that they'll never have to face the frightening reality of needing to think again.

[moonshadow]

Yep... we'll be watering crops with Gatorade before long....

Oh and let's not forget the big trash heaps we all get to live on top of...

[STEVIE]

Aye and don't you all know that the world is flat and dinosaur fossils were placed to test our faith in the God of your choice.
If you disagree you shall certainly suffer at the next rapture when the Space Aliens invade the planet,
Steve.

[moonshadow]

Aye and don't you all know that the world is flat and dinosaur fossils were placed to test our faith in the God of your choice.

Sad thing is, you're not that far off in what people here actually believe.

[crfriend]

Sad thing is, you're not that far off in what people here actually believe.

Now that was just plain uncalled for!!!