3 ms·

Beware; the news outlets peddling the twin lines of "it's arson" and "greenies stopped us clearing land", or their slightly diluted variants, are the same that

Beware; the news outlets peddling the twin lines of "it's arson" and "greenies stopped us clearing land", or their slightly diluted variants, are the same that wheel out coal lobbyists to make dark pronouncements on how climate action threatens jobs. There has indeed been a lack of controlled burning, but that's because the planned clearance was itself inhibited by hotter, drier conditions earlier in the year. The causes of ignition are statistically very poorly understood. What is known, however, is that convictions for arson have been in steady decline, and 2019 had the lowest levels of intentionally causing a bushfire for at least a decade. Not only that, but despite the proximity to human habitation, the current fires have been (so far, touch wood) less fatal than the catastrophic bushfires of 2009. The Royal Commission into those fires found a lack of preparation and poor advice. Since then, policy and awareness of risk has changed dramatically for the better - including a reduction in the sources of inadvertent/accidental human causes of ignition. To sum up, both suggestions fail to support the conclusion "this is how it always was". Hopefully, you're also reading articles from less gaslit publications.

mytailorisrich 7y ago
I'm from southern Europe. Fires are a common occurrence. Most of the time they have a human origin. Not necessarily arson, though it is not uncommon (but it's difficult to catch perpetrators), but human activities make accidents happen (cigarettes, BBQ, cars, electric circuits, controlled fire gone awry, etc). I never said or suggested that that current situation in Australia was mostly arson or that it is how it always has been. But equally I do not subscribe to the current hysteria. I think that Australian bushfires before humans arrived must have been quite a thing. A problem we have is that it is difficult to have a measured discussion on these topics these days as illustrated by how my previous comment is downvoted and your ridiculous suggestion about the sources of my readings.

mytailorisrich 7y ago

I'm from southern Europe. Fires are a common occurrence. Most of the time they have a human origin. Not necessarily arson, though it is not uncommon (but it's difficult to catch perpetrators), but human activities make accidents happen (cigarettes, BBQ, cars, electric circuits, controlled fire gone awry, etc). I never said or suggested that that current situation in Australia was mostly arson or that it is how it always has been. But equally I do not subscribe to the current hysteria. I think that Australian bushfires before humans arrived must have been quite a thing. A problem we have is that it is difficult to have a measured discussion on these topics these days as illustrated by how my previous comment is downvoted and your ridiculous suggestion about the sources of my readings.