Forest fires in Aus

[Timbermcpherson]

I was working there over 20 years ago and never once found an aussie that gave the slightest crap about the rate of deforestation that was going on there. They were knocking down forest in queensland faster than it was going on in the amazon.

I found evidence of the worsening flooding, worsening droughts, dropping river levels and higher local temps which corresponded with the rate they were clearing the forests for cotton, soybean, maize, sorgham and sunflower crops.

I was called every name you can imagine. My job was threatened.

 They would have mined the great barrier reef for lime if it wasnt for some union guys wanting there kids to see it when they grew up and stopped any workers doing the job.

 

 

 

[the village idiot]

2 hours ago, Timbermcpherson said:

I was working there over 20 years ago and never once found an aussie that gave the slightest crap about the rate of deforestation that was going on there. They were knocking down forest in queensland faster than it was going on in the amazon.

I found evidence of the worsening flooding, worsening droughts, dropping river levels and higher local temps which corresponded with the rate they were clearing the forests for cotton, soybean, maize, sorgham and sunflower crops.

I was called every name you can imagine. My job was threatened.

 They would have mined the great barrier reef for lime if it wasnt for some union guys wanting there kids to see it when they grew up and stopped any workers doing the job.

 

 

 

That's thoroughly depressing.

 

It boggles my mind sometimes that our species can be quite so short sighted and stupid.

 

I'm no anti-capitalist, but surely it has become perfectly clear that we have to have much more robust legislation against these clearance activities, for our own sakes if nothing else. Market forces need very strong checks and balances.

 

The growing 'each country for itself' movement is only going to make matters worse.

 

Evolution has programmed into us a propensity towards selfishness and short term gain, but we have also developed the ability to understand the long term consequences of our actions. This is thought to be a skill pretty much unique to our species, but it is increasingly apparent that we are not making best use of it. The balance between short term gain and long term viability is pretty disastrously out of whack. 

 

Good on you for trying to take a stance.