The Weekend Wonk: Australia’s Brush Fire Crisis
February 9, 2020
Deutsche Welle documentary in English, 25 minutes, worth your time to at least scan through. In particular, toward the end, – young climate activists steering a popular movement to change course, inspiring images.
February 9, 2020 at 9:50 am
Fridays For Future is becoming bigger and gaining political influence here in Europe. The last hope are our kids. Let’s support them wherever we can.
February 9, 2020 at 10:03 am
Take action! Stop Adani’s Carmichael coal and rail project!
=> https://www.marketforces.org.au/info/key-issues/theadanilist/
February 10, 2020 at 9:04 am
GO JEAN!
Then there is slimebag expressing concern that young people might get DISTRESSED by their planet burning. Still beggars belief after all this time.
February 10, 2020 at 9:31 am
I know this is a fool’s errand, but I’m in a youtube argument with denialists about the Australian bushfires. They claim since the 1974-75 central Australian bushfire burned 10 times acreage than todays bushfire, the fires of today can’t possibly be anything but natural. I’ve posted a couple of articles explaining the differences, and a research paper that went into more detail about the bushfires of 20th century.
Can anyone point me to more research papers? I know these people will probably never read them, but it is a test.
Thanks
February 10, 2020 at 10:05 am
Can point out that nobody cares, or bothers to extinguish bushfires in the never never. Also the 10 times bit sounds false. BOL.
February 10, 2020 at 10:48 am
I thought it was a bit much too, but after about 30 minutes of researching that number kept coming up. I found one official NSW government bushfire report that said about 315000km2 or 31.5 million hectares but that was from 74-77:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228753387_Fire_and_its_management_in_central_Australia
Currently for 2019-2020 its 186000km2
So yes the 10 times figure is dubious. I’d tried to find more reports for 74-75 but could not.
February 10, 2020 at 9:50 pm
We all know that arguing with deniers is pushing diarrhea up hill so don’t sweat it. Can suggest pointing out the massive disparity in damage and significance of the relative fires. Will not work of course, best thought for a last word.
Latest Crock post i relevant.
February 11, 2020 at 10:38 am
This is an experiment. I’m trying, oh I’m trying, not to insult or degrade. Although I was accused of a gotcha reply because I pointed out the hypocrisy in their statement. So, I moved to requesting them to read the papers for themselves and then compare what they read to what they are being told. I its only a short term experiment. I definitely can’t keep doing this.
February 11, 2020 at 5:02 pm
I have tried the other tack as well. Instead of pushing MY information, asking them what it would take to convince them otherwise. What would THEY need to see happening to change their minds.
I ask for a list, 5 points, 500 points, doesn’t matter, give me what you want.
Never
Once
A
Reply
For most of them there is literally nothing that they can think of that will impinge on their denial. They will literally rather die than see things differently. In large measure I would not mind that, but they will take the rest of us with them.
February 12, 2020 at 4:45 am
What Earl said, have not tried that.
Getting stressed does not help, easier to say than do. Have decades of this with a hit rate of about 1%. Passion encourages them, offhand is better. As in :- ‘I believe, agree with, trust et al the CSIRO, NASA, before Barnaby Joyce. Long selection. Arguing, you will have noticed, is pointless. My response is ‘ that’s nice, tell it to “selected scientific authority”‘ BOL.
February 12, 2020 at 6:45 pm
There was a bit in the video where a traumatized horse breeder, upon surveying the remnants of her home and stable, said “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll rebuild again.” Twenty years ago, maybe, I might have been heartened by that example of the human spirit, but now I just see that attitude more often a hindrance to addressing the worsening reality before us.