Why was Australia so underprepared for the bushfires?

Australia's media ownership

Although there have been some changes to Australia's media landscape since 2016, it's helpful to get an understanding about how we ended up critically underprepared for the current fires.

Market research firm IBISWorld noted in June 2016 that:

The industry’s four largest players, News Australia, Fairfax Media, Seven West Media and APN News and Media, are estimated to account for over 90% of industry revenue in 2015-16. The Australian media landscape is one of the most concentrated in the world. An extremely small number of firms, most notably News Australia and Fairfax Media, publish content that reaches the large majority of Australians.

TV and radio

A June 2016 report on Australian free-to-air TV broadcasting by market research firm IBISWorld said:

The industry displays a high market share concentration … Australian media and broadcasting industries are highly concentrated in comparison with the rest of the world.

News Corp owns controlling stakes in Foxtel – which has a monopoly in the pay TV market – and Sky News, which is carried by Foxtel.

Tragically for Australia, we're now experiencing the outcome the our lack of diversity in mainstream media.

Few articles alerted readers to the advice which was ignored, recommendations obstructed, & lack of preventative action taken, or about the impact of defunding research and gutting the public service.

Australian mainstream news media has been described as a political propaganda entity
The dominant narrative is that the Coalition or LNP (the Liberals & Nationals combined) are the only party worthy of our vote.
(NOTE: Australian Liberals are US conservatives & UK Tories)

It sounds unreal to say that News Corp is not a media organisation. It sounds outré to say that it is instead a political propaganda entity of a kind perhaps not seen since the 19^th century, one that has climbed to its pedestal through regulatory capture, governmental favours and menace

These fires are NOT normal but you wouldn't know that if you only see headlines in the dominant msm.

These fires were predicted, but you wouldn't know that if your media diet doesn't include Independent Media.
New Scientist:

In 2008, a report commissioned by the Australian government predicted that from about 2020, global warming would cause Australia’s fire seasons to start earlier, end later and be more intense. “We knew this was going to happen”.

Yet, despite this and the 2003 Report "A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires"

"the Australian government has acted almost as if nothing unusual is happening. In November, deputy prime minister Michael McCormack told ABC Radio that “we’ve had fires in Australia since time began”. He dismissed the role of climate change in the current fires as the “ravings of some pure, enlightened and woke capital-city greenies”.

Meanwhile the Guardian reports:

“We know it’s getting drier, we know it’s getting ... er, you know, situations in parts are getting very warm,” McCormack said, before indicating the government was taking sensible action on climate change – which was the kind of action that didn’t inconvenience anyone, and particularly not the coal industry.

The deputy prime minister also thought /climate protestors in Melbourne, were getting “way too much publicity; they crave for that, they yearn for that”. These people, he asserted, were “inner-city raving lunatics”.

Is the scale of the bushfires in Australia related to government policy?
For some of the government decisions, obstruction and inaction which have had an impact on the current devastation see this thread collated by Kara Schlegl. 

For years, experts have repeatedly warned federal governments about the impacts of climate change denial, deforestation, urbanisation, and the impending bushfires.

Yet the government was reluctant to even support the most basic of preventative measures - and the murdoch media encouraged Australians to vote for them with a devastatingly effective "kill bill" campaign.

Breaking news
Finance manager resigns over NewsCorp dangerous and damaging misinformation

"I find it unconscionable to continue working for this company, knowing I am contributing to the spread of climate change denial and lies. The reporting I have witnessed in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun is not only irresponsible, but dangerous and damaging to our communities and beautiful planet that needs us more than ever to acknowledge the destruction we have caused and start doing something about it." 

A selection of murdoch media
thanks to @slpng_giants_oz

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https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/raving-inner-city-lunatics-michael-mccormack-dismisses-link-between-climate-change-and-bushfires-20191111-p539ap.html

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Is the scale of the Australian Bushfires related to government policy?

Is the scale of the Australian Bushfires related to government policy?

Spoiler - Yes.

Watch the video even if you don't read the thread. It's powerful.

A detailed account of how the Government has failed us on Climate Change, again and again and again. I worked on this with @tomcballard @ChamberlinM & @closest_eves at Tonightly. Let Tom's rage power you through these terrible and terrifying days.

A year on and this isn't even satire anymore. #AustraliaOnFire #AustraliaBurning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stIYj4l2gAE

Here's a list of reasons why the scale of the bushfires in Australia is absolutely the Coalition Government's fault.

Advice ignored
The Morrison Government ignored expert advice, that's been rolling in since April 2019, saying they would need specialist equipment, including water-bombers, to fight off unprecedented bushfires this season.

Twenty-three former fire and emergency leaders say they tried for months to warn Prime Minister Scott Morrison that Australia needed more water-bombers to tackle bigger, faster and hotter bushfires. ABC

State cuts funding
As part of their '$3.5 billion shake up' to the public sector, the NSW Liberal State Government CUT $12.9 million from Fire & Rescue NSW, plus $26.7 million from the volunteers (Office of NSW Rural Fire Services).

While Scott Morrison offers thoughts and prayers to bushfire victims, the NSW Liberal Party has cut tens of millions from state fire services. Crikey

Vegetation isn't the enemy
The Morrison Government's response to the 2018 bushfires in Queensland was to attempt an inquiry into state land-clearing laws designed to protect much needed vegetation - blaming the trees for the fires.

The Labor premier said:

“If you want to know what caused those conditions, I’ll give you an answer – it’s called climate change”
"every candidate at the next federal election must reveal their stance on global warming, so voters would know if they were supporting climate change deniers or not." The Guardian

Premier begs for bushfire assistance
During the 2018-2019 bushfire season, the premiere of Tasmania had to BEG the Federal Government for extra assistance because federal funding (the NDRRA) doesn't support protection or relief for World Heritage Listed areas, or non-populated sites.
ABC

Relief NOT prevention
The Morrison Government's strategy to tackle climate change natural disasters has been solely focussed on injecting money into relief efforts after the event, with no new funding allocated to prevention and protection.

The strong business case for investing in disaster risk reduction has been underlined for some time by groups as diverse as the Australian Productivity Commission and the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities.The US National Institute of Building Sciences, for example, found that every dollar invested in mitigation can save six dollars in future disaster costs. The Strategist 

Lack of support for bushfire prevention
It isn't only the Government's spurious claims and ineptitude around Climate Change that are hurting us, it's their reluctance to even support the most basic of preventative measures. Including making enormous budget cuts to research and public services.

Government investment in research and development is at its lowest in 40 years

"Australian scientists have expressed disappointment over a budget update that cuts Aus$328.5 million from research funding that had been expected over the next four years." It will "rob Australians of life-saving treatments, research to help prevent floods and bushfires, and advances in almost every aspect of people’s lives" Nature

Where did the funding go?
That relief wilderness funding Tasmania begged for? It never came. Morrison has a long history of PROMISING relief funding for disaster efforts, and then deferring that funding to a later date - Delaying recovery efforts and making communities even more vulnerable. ABC

Decisions delayed, environmental positions unfilled, requests for meetings ignored & budget cuts.
Just last month, (December 2019) Morrison announced even more cuts to the public sector (the Government has cut billions). These services have a direct impact on fire prevention, rescue and relief including health, environment, research, communications, and community services like the ABC.

Disengagement with Environmental issues has been consistent.
Former Environmental Minister Melissa Price did the exact same disappearing act in the 2018-2019 bushfire season as many of our ministers have done this season.
The Guardian

More warnings ignored
While experts warned federal governments about the impacts of climate change denial, deforestation, and the impending bushfires, Environment Minister Sussan Ley invested her energy into getting Adani across the line and feral cats. I'm not joking.

Ley, who welcomed the Queensland government’s decision on Thursday to give the green light to the Adani coalmine, told Guardian Australia she wanted to see more action on recycling, threatened species and biodiversity protection, and a greater focus on individual action to achieve a better environment.

On climate change, Ley said she was “interested” in the emissions reduction task of government /and said she believed the Coalition’s climate solutions fund is “where we need to be”. The Guardian

Ignorance about the koala crisis 
And though she has been very performative about protecting wildlife and links to climate change, it's clear Sussan Ley is ignoring experts and has no idea what she's doing.

The major issues which need to be dealt with have been ignored. No moratorium on deforestation, mining projects or massive urbanisation development projects relevant to NSW and Queensland. NO EFFORT to address climate change impacts and the urgent need for protected refuge areas. NO PLANS to deal with ongoing drought impacts.

The situation is very concerning. Primary koala areas have been experienced a terrible drought for a long time, there’s massive dieback in the forests. No flowering, barely any new leaf growth.
Koala carers were already screaming for help because they were picking up joeys abandoned by their mothers who were struggling to survive. They can’t produce milk, the leaves have no nutritional value. This situation is going to be a major problem for sustaining koalas who have survived.

Taggart spells out the long-term impacts on trees that sustained fires so hot that they will not recover and produce pollen and nectar for at least 20 years 

‘Marsupials and nighttime animals use pollen as protein and nectar as energy. There’s going to be a real impact on native animals, gliders in particular. IndependentAustralia

Years of obstruction

Maybe the most insidious and dangerous member of Morrison's cabinet, Energy Minister Angus Taylor has been standing in the way of Climate related progress and policy for years.

Does Australia have a climate change record to be proud of? Spoiler - No
The Guardian

Funding stripped from Centrelink - AGAIN
Most bushfire disaster relief payments are made through Centrelink, as well as some RFS volunteer funds. The same Centrelink the Coalition has made a sport of stripping funding from for years. The Centrelink that Morrison targets again and again.

"harsh and short-sighted cuts: 18,000 jobs slashed and up to another 4500 predicted in 2017. More just last month.

unless the government uses this budget to begin a concerted and long-term effort to repair the damage it's caused, the problems will only worsen. Ordinary Australians will bear the brunt through shoddy services and more. Even a small increase in the so-called "efficiency" dividend, /would have a disastrous effect given how under-resourced key agencies are already.

THOUSANDS of regional jobs have been cut.

Instead of sensible policy, the Turnbull government uprooted the "Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale at great cost, losing specialist regulatory scientists along the way. The Senate inquiry has made clear the damage to the pesticides authority.SMH

In fact, I would argue the Morrison Government has, more than any Government before it, campaigned to make 'public services' the enemy, those same public services who are on the ground right now, saving our country against all odds.

We're all aware of the Government's blistering incompetence when the fires started, but here is a great refresher from November, including Morrison refusing overseas assistance.

the NSW Premier and PM have recently taken and/or failed to take action that can reasonably be expected to have serious negative consequences for firefighters, communities and individuals threatened by bushfires — both currently and into the future. Independent Australia

Cuts over many years - 2011
But this didn't start with Morrison. It didn't even start with Tony "volunteer firefighter" Abbott and his cuts to services and systematic undermining of relief and recovery efforts.

the NSW RFS budget was cut from $307 million to $287 million in 2011-12.  infrastructure items such as tankers and capital equipment and control centre [construction] is [affected]

More cuts to come

Both the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue in metropolitan areas face cuts to jobs and wages. The bulk of the RFS are already volunteer firefighters who take time off work to face fire emergencies. This means many are retirees, with a third of Queensland’s volunteers aged over 55. Cutting the few full-time staff will leave it even less equipped to fight fires.

What happened to the recovery payments?

Abbott’s federal government tightened the rules for disaster recovery payments to people affected by the fires, denying people cut off from their homes or without power and water for extended periods any payment.Solidarity.net

And yes there are failings from the other parties, ludicrous ones that beggar belief, but there is no party that has consistently harmed our environment, successfully undermined anti-climate change campaigns, and hurt firefighting efforts more than the Coalition. This is on them.

"A Nation Charred" 2003 - recommendations still not implemented
Attaching this tweet to the end here, so you have access to the link. I implore everyone to read this report from 2003. It's heartbreaking, but so important. #AustraliaOnFire

If you want to read the full report, with all the recommendations this Government didn't implement, here it is. Fair warning, it'll probably cause an emotional response you don't expect, like crying, or screaming, or punching a wall.

Search Results

Web results

[PDF]

A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires

https://www.aph.gov.au › House_of_Representatives_Committees › fullreport

Everything in this report still applies. Including the catastrophic lack of urgency & responsibility from politicians.

"If those very same notes are not considered or acted upon by policy makers and decision takers... that would indeed be the greatest tragedy of all" 

"These failures are systemic to the Coalition Government, who ignored the 2003 committee recommendations to develop a national strategy, to incentivise volunteer services, to invest in tech and research to model the rapid response on defence forces etc etc.

Some background on this is that we uncovered so much horrific shit Australian governments have done (or failed to do) in the face of impending climate change disaster that I still have nightmares about it, & I also fell out of love with Paul Keating which made me very depressed.

And the most INFURIATING THING is that Bob Hawke was one of the first leaders in the WORLD to attempt to centre policy on Climate Change. We could've been global leaders in this. We almost were.

in 1987, Hawke began to give speeches about the importance of action against the emerging threat of global warming.

Hawke was in the Lodge during the crucial period when Australia first became aware of – and tried to grapple with – the issue of climate change. And the trajectory of his leadership, not to mention the manner and timing of his political demise, leaves behind a huge question of what might have been The Conversation

These articles were collated by Kara Schlegl on Twitter and are shared here with permission. Twitter @karaschlegl

What's the deal with prescribed burns in Australia?

On the Australian pm's knee-jerk reaction to call for increased prescribed burns (hazard reduction) in response to random farmers who the pm chose to listen to.

It's telling isn't it, how the pm didn't cut them off, turn his back and walk away, as he did from the devastation at Cobargo. 

You've got no power, you've got no telecommunication, you've got fires all around you. Your sewer is actually hooked up to the power, so that means you've got no sewer. You've got no way of getting food. There is no fuel.
How do you feed all the animals here, and how long is this going to go on for?

If you come into a town when they're in a state of shock and grief, you'd best come with something that can alleviate that. 

Remember the pm literally and figuratively turned and walked away from this devastation.

And if you don't, then you're not going to have that sort of… People aren't going to welcome you and give you a warm embrace either. 

We know the govt hasn't listened to advice from professionals with decades of experience.
Yet, like easily influenced conspiracy theorists, comments from farmers (Who are they, what's their agenda?) are given authority.

"There are two major restricting factors for carrying out prescribed burning. One is the availability of funds and personnel, and the second is the availability of weather windows. 

The 2018-19 annual report of the NSW Rural Fire Service says: “The ability of the NSW RFS and partner agencies to complete hazard reduction activities is highly weather dependent, with limited windows of opportunity. Prolonged drought conditions in 2018-19 adversely affected the ability of agencies to complete hazard reduction works.”

          &

Fires " that had burned only two weeks previously, but “the burnt leaves were burning again”. 

“There has been lots of hazard reductions done over the years – more by national parks than previous years – but the fires have burned through those hazard reduction areas.”    Full article 

"Hazard reduction burning is really challenging and the single biggest impediment to completing hazard reduction burning is the weather," 
"It's only when the conditions back off a little bit that you actually have some prospect of slowing the fire spread."It's important, but not the panacea, and something we should have a very open and frank discussion about." Full article 

We now have the situation where fire chiefs are having to spend time clarifying misinformation that's being DELIBERATELY spread by members of the Australian government.

Think about that.

Australian govt ministers knowingly misinforming citizens with simplistic nonsense, while studiously avoiding the reality of the complex interlinked challenges associated with our changed climate.

What a bloody waste of time.

What's the real agenda here?

Why has this misinformation been eagerly spread by the pm, members of his government,  the murdoch media throughout the world, in a coordinated way by powerful, influential men?

Why are they so keen to give a voice to a random farmer over numerous, highly respected professionals with different areas of expertise? 

Who do these politicians really represent?

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/states-to-feel-federal-heat-over-hazard-reduction-burns-20200105-p53ozo.html

Addiction & fossil fuels.

Edit - I wrote this in 2012 - 8 years ago. We're now experiencing the result of decades of deliberate lies, denial and obstruction by fossil fuel companies, media, the Australian Liberal National Coalition and others.

If these are not premeditated acts of terror, what is?
....

In the past, I looked at the manic search for, and voracious lust over new finds of fossil fuels as if the companies were drug dealers, eager to feed our addiction and with cynical disregard for the consequences. Unfussed whether the prey lives or dies, the pusher is disdainful, contemptuous about the addict's weakness – there’ll always be new markets to feed.

Company as addict?
However this morning I idly wondered what happens if you look at fossil fuel companies as the drug addict, as well as the dealer/pusher. Locked into a spiral of habit and dependence, and not having the will, nor the need to change.

When we feel guilty about our behaviour (even if only in a very small way), or if we're demonised, we become defensive, aggressive and lash out at any critics. We justify the unjustifiable. We see this with addicts. It also seems to fit the behaviour of these companies.

If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true
Imagine for a moment that the fossil fuel companies and their entablers have unleashed a destructive genie from a bottle. A terrorist in fact.

After a 100 or so years, they’ve discovered that what appeared at first to be an extraordinarily welcome product, of the “WOW, look what we can do with this, it’s too good to be true!” variety, has now been found to literally be too good to be true. This wonder product is part of a package that has morphed into something truly sinister and frightening.

They say they didn't know, and their actions now show they deliberately concealed evidence that the amazing wonder product unleashes terror. They resist change with venom, lies, conspiracy theories and use confusion as a weapon. 

(Imagine if they'd been sensible & became broad based energy companies years ago, rather than relying ONLY on fossil fuels.) 

Profit with no responsibility for waste
With profits of $375 Million per day, it'd be reassuring to know these companies are paying a fair price to dump their waste. "Alone among businesses, the fossil-fuel industry is allowed to dump its main waste, carbon dioxide, for free. Nobody else gets that break - if you own a restaurant, you have to pay someone to cart away your trash, since piling it in the street would breed rats." (Global Warming's Terrifying New Math)

Fossil fuel companies are shifty, arrogant, brutish, uncaring and aggressive when presented with the destructive results of their product. Unlike the child who is called to account for poor behaviour, or the drug addict who realises their life will come to an abrupt end if they continue their chosen path, they've collectively and consistently avoided responsibility - and got away with it. They don't know any other reality.

To get an idea of where the profits go, Climate Progress is a good place to start. "The entire oil and gas industry spent on average $400,000 each day lobbying senators and representatives to weaken public health safeguards and keep big oil tax breaks, totaling nearly $150 million." (my bold)

A community response?
Perhaps we, as individuals and communities, have a collective interest in supporting change, because no one else seems willing to take up the challenge. I find it impossible to imagine that all fossil fuel companies and their hundreds of thousands of individual employees, their families, friends and communities are proud of what they’ve unleashed. But they haven't spoken out. When will they?

(Edit 2020: we're waiting for any decent employees of the murdoch media to speak out)

Employees should feel uncomfortable with the outcome of repeated "carelessness"; oil spills, unbelievable environmental damage, cruel disregard for native populations. At what stage will these people say “No more”? At what stage will subscribers to superannuation and other funds, both individually and collectively, demand their fund managers act with integrity and invest the funds with a view to a sustainable future?

As Bill McKibben says in Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

international moral outrage and pressure might just help begin a new movement to force change on an industry unwilling to change itself. Movements rarely have predictable outcomes. But any campaign that weakens the fossil-fuel industry's political standing clearly increases the chances of retiring its special breaks. Consider President Obama's signal achievement in the climate fight, the large increase he won in mileage requirements for cars. Scientists, environmentalists and engineers had advocated such policies for decades, but until Detroit came under severe financial pressure, it was politically powerful enough to fend them off. If people come to understand the cold, mathematical truth – that the fossil-fuel industry is systematically undermining the planet's physical systems – it might weaken it enough to matter politically. Exxon and their ilk might drop their opposition to a fee-and-dividend solution; they might even decide to become true energy companies, this time for real. 

Photos D.Abbott. SA

Let's hope change happens soon, because the alternative isn't encouraging.



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Climate Matters. B is for Biodiversity.

This is the post for B in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.
(Updated Jan 2020 during the Australian bushfire disaster)

“In the last 500 years 844 plants and animals had become extinct because of the rising global population, habitat damage and change, over exploitation, the introduction of alien species and climate change. About 6 million hectares of primary forest are felled each year and about one-third of all mangrove swamps have been lost since the 1980’s. Up to 52% of the species of birds studied face possible extinction.” (p334 Designing 2050 Peter Ellyard)

What is biodiversity? Does it matter? If so, why?

As with everything else related to climate matters, there are layers upon layers of complexity ranging from degradation of forest systems to global economics and medicines, the drug trade and displacement of small communities living deep within the Amazon and elsewhere.

Biodiversity provides the basis for all life on earth. Healthy ecosystems in remote, far flung places of the world support our economic and social development, and are vital to our health and well-being. When our lives are sheltered from nature, it’s easy to take our natural world for granted and possibly even dismiss it as unimportant. Other than providing food and water, many everyday items come from nature including building materials, fibers, dyes, rubber and oil. We’d be lost without them.

Healthy biodiversity and sound ecosystems support and maintain clean water and clean air. They impact on our climate. Pollination (usually by bees) is vital for crop success, and healthy soil structure helps prevent erosion and desertification. These are no small matters. They are vital to the well-being and security of all people, not just in developing countries.

There are significant benefits to biodiverstiy and healthy ecosystems that are hard to put a dollar value on - though many economists are beginning to factor in benefits such as spiritual and aesthetic values. Leisure and holiday activities such as hiking, birdwatching or natural history study are a joy for many people.

Biodiversity supports psychological health, inspires musicians, painters, photographers, sculptors, writers and other artists. How drab life would be without these things to transport us into a different realm.

To continue living on planet Earth, we need to have long term respect for, and encourage global efforts to support optimum health of our diverse ecosystems. Corporations worldwide need to take their responsibilities as stewards of complex ecologies seriously, and with a view to the future of mankind.

Conservation, and the risks associated with biodiversity loss and ecosystem disturbance is a far wider issue than dismissively labelling those who take an interest as radical greenies. It underpins our very existence. Climate change is affecting the diversity of species, but our destructive habits are also contributing massively.

Loss of frogs is often associated with stressed habitats.

What are the long term chances of survival for species that were already struggling with the effect of drought, deforestation & malnutrition prior to the Australian Bushfires ?

“There are /habitats that are burning that we didn’t think should or would ever burn,”/. The subtropical rainforest on the border of Queensland and New South Wales “is not a flammable habitat. It’s evolved over many millennia without fire, and a lot of the species there aren’t resilient.”

Last year I wrote about what constitutes Bullying for B in my theme of workplace bullying. Here. 
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