After decades of poor housekeeping, Australia’s latest devastating bushfires were predictable. Politicians and serving officials want to leave post mortems until the fires are out. Their instincts are correct.
That hasn’t stopped green advocates and the gullible from immediately linking them to Australia’s “inaction on climate change.”
Climate experts as far afield as Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Swedish truant schoolgirl Greta Thunberg agree on the connection. […]
For five years the Victorian Country Fire Authority didn’t mention climate change. Its priorities were “fairness” and “inclusion”, which it mentions 56 times.
Well, may former fire chiefs blame climate change, but if they were so convinced of the connection between wildfires and global warming, why didn’t they publicly campaign for immediate, practical steps to reduce fuel loads in national parks?
Surely they could have pushed their rural colleagues, government ministers, and department heads harder?
Victoria publishes limited data, but a planned hazard reduction of 370 hectares in East Gippsland was reduced to nine after protesters claimed it was “killing baby birds alive”. Much of East Gippsland is now a wasteland.
These days, it’s commonplace for national park entries to be blocked by boulders or chains and padlocks. Many fire trails are so overgrown that a sign identifying them is all that distinguishes them from the rest of the forest. […]
As weather patterns slowly return to normal and the fires are extinguished, there will be yet another government inquiry.
More money will be demanded, along with calls for additional jet tankers, even though there are few airfields from which they can operate. Money is needed, but alone it is not the answer.
Much of it goes to the deskbound. For example, in the four years up to 2019, the NSW Rural Fire Service received a 78 percent boost in funding, yet it oversaw a decline in volunteers and fire trucks.
Of course for Hollywood and other propagandists, it is vital that inaction on climate change, not inaction on hazard reduction, be the focus. For them, this link is vital to their cause. […]
Like ancient Druids, the media left, Hollywood and the rest of the global warming cult won’t hear that Australia spends 11 times the global average on renewable power and invests in renewables at a rate per capita four to five times faster than China, the EU, Japan, and the US.
They give no credit to Australia for being on track to meet its Paris Agreement target for 2030, despite a 2.2 million jump in population since 2013.
To fanatics, facts don’t matter. That there has been no drying trend in 100 years of Australian data, and that science is yet to establish a causal link between climate change and drought is irrelevant.
While weather, droughts, and bushfires will, from time to time, continue to feature, population growth and encroachment on green spaces increase risks.
Indeed, 87 percent of bushfires are due to humans. Only 6 percent are naturally started. Arsonists, attracted by the ease of ignition, perhaps start more than half. To date, 183 arsonists have been arrested.
However, while those delegated to manage the environment and those charged with property protection share a close ideological relationship, little will change.
At some point, the government must take control. Communication and co-operation between the different jurisdictions, departments and agencies must be better co-ordinated.
Priorities must be set, audited and enforced. The insurance industry should be given a louder voice. It’s an important financial stakeholder and risk assessor. This crisis will lead to higher premiums, more uninsured properties, and serious moral dilemmas next time.
For now, courageous frontline firefighters are putting their lives on the line and fighting fires the scale of which owes much to green ideology and confused and fragmented leadership. It is hoped that an inquiry will establish clear priorities and directions that will be followed.
Read more at The Australian
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” ― Groucho Marx
The wildfires were mostly started by humans – accidentally, deliberately and in some cases maliciously (over 100 arrested) some by climate zealots trying to teach us a lesson – but the loonies believe they are CAUSED by global warming/climate change.
Dry Eucalyptus leaves burn like a fuel fire – very nasty – allowing this stuff to build up on the ground should be a criminal offence – instead removing it is a criminal offence – enforced by artificial intelligence and satellite photography – big brother really is watching you if you live in Australia.
Had Australia completely given up on fossil fuels (and totally destroyed their economy) it might have made 0.2% difference to global CO2 emissions – so how much more might the government have done to prevent the fires ?
Had they done so, what would power the fire trucks, water bombers and rescue efforts.
If you believe any amount of CO2 reduction by the Australian government would have made an erg of difference to the current fire storm – the you are living in green fantasy land.
The average schmuck is too dumb to apply logic.
Emotional insanity prevails.
All this Fragile Earth,Delicate Balance of Nature load of malarkey i have heard this for years they banned DDT and CFC’s because Junk Science and Politics now the Eco-Freaks want to control our lives and dictate how we live and demand we all go vegan all over this Global Warming/Climate Change lie