Australia, on fire
- Thread starter Albedo
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I shudder each morning when the alarm wakes me up with news on the Oz fires. It's just so horrible. Please be careful, all y'all across the ditch!
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Has anyone seen or heard from the Prime Minister or the NSW Premier in the past two weeks? I do hope they haven't spontaneously combusted.
Who am I kidding? They're hiding. This is the start of this nation's terminal crisis and our leaders are hiding. Cowering in a bunker somewhere, cradling chunks of coal, telling the coal not to be scared, that it's going to be alright. While my city fucking chokes on ash, and the respiratory cases pile up in hospital and rainforests burn. I want the media to drag Morrison out of his hidey hole like the Americans did Saddam Hussein. Prop him up in front of cameras and force him to prime minister. They won't, though.
Who am I kidding? They're hiding. This is the start of this nation's terminal crisis and our leaders are hiding. Cowering in a bunker somewhere, cradling chunks of coal, telling the coal not to be scared, that it's going to be alright. While my city fucking chokes on ash, and the respiratory cases pile up in hospital and rainforests burn. I want the media to drag Morrison out of his hidey hole like the Americans did Saddam Hussein. Prop him up in front of cameras and force him to prime minister. They won't, though.
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Oh, the PM was on TV yesterday talking about how "Arts" is now part of "Transport" and under the control of an LNP lackey and of course Angus Taylor maintains his ministerial position because why wouldn't he? Fucking smirking dickhead.
My in-laws drove to Sydney yesterday for a wedding. They had to close the air vents 75km out of the city because the smoke was overwhelming and said they can't see a thing through the haze from their apartment. It sounds really dire up there.
My in-laws drove to Sydney yesterday for a wedding. They had to close the air vents 75km out of the city because the smoke was overwhelming and said they can't see a thing through the haze from their apartment. It sounds really dire up there.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12...y-of-drinking-water-and-aquatic-life/11774076
Yep, that big fire smothering Sydney is smack in the middle of the water catchment, as well. Going to be interesting times when the ash and mudslides choke Lake Burragorang. Fish dieoffs and algal blooms anyone?
Yep, that big fire smothering Sydney is smack in the middle of the water catchment, as well. Going to be interesting times when the ash and mudslides choke Lake Burragorang. Fish dieoffs and algal blooms anyone?
Angus Taylor reminds me of that episode of the Simpsons where Mr Burns can't die because all his diseases clog each other up and none of them can kill him, except with scandals. How many are we up to now? four or five distinct concurrent scandals? He's great friends with the fucko who poisoned 300 wedge tailed eagles in Victoria as well, apparently, so you can imagine my opinion of him is not the highest.
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- Joined
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Not to derail the thread (I should probably go rant in the Aussie politics one), but Angus Taylor is an exemplary specimen of a mediocre utterly incompetent white man failing upwards.
Ofc, so is the current PM, so ... yeah.
Ugh.
Ofc, so is the current PM, so ... yeah.
Ugh.
It’s such a glorious day outside today, warm and light breezes and the sky is blue. But the air tastes like dust and is gritty in your mouth 
this drought is a shocker. The animals I used to see by the river are moving up into the village for water. The hard-headed farmer behind me said he’s not netting his fruit trees this season, because the birds are so hungry. I fell a little bit in love with him on the spot.
this drought is a shocker. The animals I used to see by the river are moving up into the village for water. The hard-headed farmer behind me said he’s not netting his fruit trees this season, because the birds are so hungry. I fell a little bit in love with him on the spot.
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Gunna be 46 degrees Celsius here on Saturday (115 F). Strong westerly wind. The fire complexes surrounding the mountains have almost linked up. On Sunday the RFS accidentally lit a blaze that destroyed 12 houses, trying to backburn against the encroaching megafire from the north. That one's twice the size of the Sydney urbanised area already. The one to the south is about as big as Sydney. Scott Morrison's gone to Hawaii for a holiday.
80,000 people live in the chain of towns in the Blue Mountains National Park, in the closing vise. In 2013, a fallen powerline on a deadly day like next Saturday smouldered, set fire to scrub, and the fire jumped a main road and a ridge to burn out several valleys and several hundred houses. Noone died, because it was the middle of the day and not many people were home. Scott Morrison's gone to Hawaii for a holiday.
80,000 people live in the chain of towns in the Blue Mountains National Park, in the closing vise. In 2013, a fallen powerline on a deadly day like next Saturday smouldered, set fire to scrub, and the fire jumped a main road and a ridge to burn out several valleys and several hundred houses. Noone died, because it was the middle of the day and not many people were home. Scott Morrison's gone to Hawaii for a holiday.
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These fires aren't going to stop until heavy rain arrives. It's a disaster. And the bunch of sociopaths in charge couldn't give a fuck.
I can’t link to it (stupid ipad!) but could someone link to the podcast from Guardian Australia about remote communities trying to live in continuous 45+ degree temperatures in central Australia? Without air con? It must be so awful
In my patch, we got an alert this morning to stay inside if possible - all week. Again. Argh!!! And the air is so thick.
In my patch, we got an alert this morning to stay inside if possible - all week. Again. Argh!!! And the air is so thick.
I can’t link to it (stupid ipad!) but could someone link to the podcast from Guardian Australia about remote communities trying to live in continuous 45+ degree temperatures in central Australia? Without air con? It must be so awful
In my patch, we got an alert this morning to stay inside if possible - all week. Again. Argh!!! And the air is so thick.
I found this:
Too hot for humans? First Nations people fear becoming Australia's first climate refugees
Most people think of flooding and drought as global warming effects that will displace whole populations. Now there are parts of Australia and other parts of the world where these temperatures are growing too hot to be compatible with life. I've been in Australia when it was 44C. We had to keep driving with the windows open for relief, stopping only to buy cans of soda.*
It's worse than miserable.
*I know I'm repeating myself. Sorry.
It's worse than miserable.
*I know I'm repeating myself. Sorry.
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I was reading an article in Science yesterday about how the soil caught fire in swamps that had dried up. Absolutely horrifying.
The expansion of fire seasons in both hemispheres also makes it harder to share firefighting crews and planes, so the cost of fighting these early-and-late-season fires will go up.
This is very sobering. I read that parts of the Middle East and Africa could be having temperatures that are essentially unlivable--making outdoor activity impossible for much of the year--by mid century. I suppose there's irony there, since the oil-producing gulf states have been pretty dismissive of climate change (their economic incentives for this are obvious). Of course, poorer people will suffer first and hardest.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opini...-make-much-middle-east-north-africa-unlivable
Regardless, where will the climate refugees go? Europe and North America think there are too many refugees to deal with now...
The expansion of fire seasons in both hemispheres also makes it harder to share firefighting crews and planes, so the cost of fighting these early-and-late-season fires will go up.
This is very sobering. I read that parts of the Middle East and Africa could be having temperatures that are essentially unlivable--making outdoor activity impossible for much of the year--by mid century. I suppose there's irony there, since the oil-producing gulf states have been pretty dismissive of climate change (their economic incentives for this are obvious). Of course, poorer people will suffer first and hardest.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opini...-make-much-middle-east-north-africa-unlivable
Regardless, where will the climate refugees go? Europe and North America think there are too many refugees to deal with now...
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Is anyone else getting multiple multiple alerts for the Green Wattle Creek Fire? Like - every ten minutes? I’m just wondering what’s going on up there...
ETA: Sorted. It’s just moved into my watch zone. The texts were ahead of the upgrade. Must be fierce up there !
ETA: Sorted. It’s just moved into my watch zone. The texts were ahead of the upgrade. Must be fierce up there !
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Very! Don't underestimate it.
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=6267
Too late to leave? Damn, that's scary. How do you shelter in place?
The rest of the warnings are 'be prepared'. That's just awful!
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=6267
Too late to leave? Damn, that's scary. How do you shelter in place?
The rest of the warnings are 'be prepared'. That's just awful!
The spare family I often talk about just got out of their house at Yanderra and are watching and hoping. I didn’t realise it was that close to them - it’s travelling fast. 38 degrees here. They have six kids, chickens, dog, rabbits, quail etc - husband unwell and it’s the mum’s birthday today. Universe, we do not want their house damaged in any way!