Should global warming be a hush topic when there are severe bushfires?

[donnashuggy]

I don't think so, what do others think?

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@colic2bullsgirlore wrote:

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

On the 6th of February 1851, 5 million hectares, were burnt during a bush fire in Victoria.   Anyone heard of a larger bush fire in Australia.?

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In 1851 ...How did they measure the 5 million hectares??? From the air???? by satellite?????... large chain and two horses???

or

wait for it... ANOTHER THOUGHT..........they took a guess?

Well I guess the Kooris in the 1000's of years they inhabitated Australia before european records were kept

.... that they got a bigger barby going than your quoted 1851 12 million acre fire GUESS.... That's my guess


http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Ecosystem-Sciences/BushfireInAustralia.aspx

Since European settlement, the total amount of fire in the landscape has declined.

The bushland areas and particularly those around Sydney, New South Wales, have thickened and accumulated more fuel.

As a result, the infrequent fires that now occur under extreme weather burn much more intensely and have a significant impact on

the built environment.

He says the pictorial and written records make it clear that the landscape Europeans discovered was not a natural one, but instead it was a landscape that had been made by Aboriginal people systematically burning forest in order to create grassland, and then using fire to maintain and refresh that grassland.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2012/05/28/3512963.htm

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You can guess, however, the fire of 1851 has been historically recorded.  One million sheep and thousands of cattle were also killed.

what starts a fire is relevant........

[cherry*135]

discussing if man made climate change has made a difference should be able to be discussed any time. 

Yes, it should, just like it was here yesterday, today and any day. This thread title is very general. Just because posters want to make posts on this thread ( discussing in general bushfires and and whether they think there is an increase in them which is related to climate change) does not mean they don't care about recent losses to life and property in NSW bushfires in the last few days, or appreciate the firies who fight these fires.

[colic2bullsgirlore]

I believe it was a group of fires that happened over weeks ( or possibly months) which finally conjoined at points on a particularly

windy hot day

http://home.iprimus.com.au/foo7/fire1851.html


DAY OF TERROR.

From the dense timber of the Black Forest the flames swept the Loddon district, crossed the Pyrenees, and raged for six days through the Western district, carrying destruction and dismay right over the South Australian border to Mount Gambier.

It is true that the Plenty district appeared to have suffered most severely, but this may be ascribed to its being comparatively thickly settled : to scores of well tilled farms and cheerful homesteads being changed in one short day into an area of charred desolation.

BLACK THURSDAY.  Mount Macedon

A correspondent of The Argus, writing from Mount Macedon on February 8th, says:-" I write in the midst of desolation. Thursday morning was ushered in by a fierce hot wind, which, as the day advanced grew stronger and stronger.

For three weeks bush fires had been raging to the westward and northward of the Bush Inn.

 About midday, the whole of Mount Macedon and the ranges were one sheet of flame.

as for who started it

ORIGIN OF THE FIRES.

It will probably never be known exactly how or where the fires originated.

The belief at the time was that they were due to the carelessness of some bullock drivers in leaving an unextinguished camp fire lit at the foot of the Plenty Range

[icyfroth]

"Bush fires have  been a part of the Australian landscape for approximately 60 million years.... According to the Australian University of Canberra."

true.

but increasing in frequency over the last few decades.

As have floods and other freak weather conditions throughout the world.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@colic2bullsgirlore wrote:

I believe it was a group of fires that happened over weeks ( or rticularly

windy hot day

http://home.iprimus.com.au/foo7/fire1851.html


DAY OF TERROR.

From the dense timber of the Black Forest the flames swept the Loddon district, crossed the Pyrenees, and raged for six days through the Western district, carrying destruction and dismay right over the South Australian border to Mount Gambier.

It is true that the Plenty district appeared to have suffered most severely, but this may be ascribed to its being comparatively thickly settled : to scores of well tilled farms and cheerful homesteads being changed in one short day into an area of charred desolation.

BLACK THURSDAY.  Mount Macedon

A correspondent of The Argus, writing from Mount Macedon on February 8th, says:-" I write in the midst of desolation. Thursday morning was ushered in by a fierce hot wind, which, as the day advanced grew stronger and stronger.

For three weeks bush fires had been raging to the westward and northward of the Bush Inn.

 About midday, the whole of Mount Macedon and the ranges were one sheet of flame.

as for who started it

ORIGIN OF THE FIRES.

It will probably never be known exactly how or where the fires originated.

The belief at the time was that they were due to the carelessness of some bullock drivers in leaving an unextinguished camp fire lit at the foot of the Plenty Range

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That's right, it also states that 1850 had been one of exceptional heat and drought.......sounds typically Australian.....

[cherry*135]

icy - 

but increasing in frequency over the last few decades.

As have floods and other freak weather conditions throughout the world

Are you able  give some examples of those, especially Australian examples?... as I posted above, the current major  NSW bushfires are being compared to the ones in 2001 for severity.. that is more than 10 years ago.

[poddster]

I have no doubt that most of the fires are man made but not in the form of global warming/climate change/ climate diversity.

More like someone starting them with a match. That would most likely be the reason that there is a higher incidence of fires now , if indeed there is an increase.

but i also have no doubt the there are those who would blame the fires on global warming/ climate change/ climate diversity and any other name  the fanatics want to call call their dogma.

[*ibis]

any other name  the fanatics want to call call their dogma.

pod i think the new buzz phrase of the loony left is "extreme weather events"

[punch*drunk]

We have a lot more trees in populated places now too. Lots of areas in the Dandenong Ranges here in Melbourne were virtually stripped of trees 100 odd years ago, we have let them grow back which is great, but now its an area with a high population and high fire risk.

I have an atlas from the 1870's which describes Australias weather pretty much like it is now. I remember mentioning it on a weather forum and someone trying to shoot me down by saying that their temperature statistics were nowhere near accurate that long ago...but isnt that what where basing our information on? Historical data?

[catsnknots]

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@icyfroth wrote:

"Bush fires have  been a part of the Australian landscape for approximately 60 million years.... According to the Australian University of Canberra."

true.

but increasing in frequency over the last few decades.

As have floods and other freak weather conditions throughout the world.

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The last two floods up here are 100% normal... they came with cyclones or ex cyclones.... The only difference is that they happened over populated areas... 

we have I think four or five cylclone every year but only a few make landfall and fewer than that make landfall in populated areas. 

The one that hit us on Australia day was 100% normal... the only problem was that it stalled for 24 hours in one spot... and that spot was from Gladstone down to the Wide Bay, a very populated area. 

Not one person here was surprised by anything other than the fact it hung around for so long. 

Statistically these weather events are not increasing in number around the world.. population is exploding around the world... we are building and living in locations that have never had permanant populations before and in third world countries inparticular they are living in locations that are possibly more exposed. They are also destroying the land around them that often protected them from major flooding. Vegetation is very important in slowing down water flow and ehlping it absorb better into the environment. 

Some places have experienced some pretty severe weather but just because it is a storm that has not been seen for 100 years does not mean it has never happened before.