Our plans to take Buddy down to Cremorne Point this morning were thwarted when we awoke to a Sydney blanketed in smoke. The NSW Rural Fire Service was taking advantage of favourable weather conditions to carry out a number of hazard-reduction burns around the city resulting in rather unpleasant conditions for residents. However, a few hours of smoky atmosphere is a lot better than uncontrollable fires burning across the landscape and consuming hundreds of homes. Reducing the level of bush means that the intensity of any fire outbreak is lower and easier to contain.
The 2013 New South Wales bushfires were the worst in decades, destroying 248 homes and burning out most of the northern region of the Blue Mountains National Park.
So today we headed for Sirius Cove where the sea breeze had mostly dispersed the smoke. Buddy and his furry friends didn’t seem to mind too much.
I cannot but think that there has to be better ways of controlling 'the bush' than creating so much pollution and at the risk of increasing bronchial conditions in the population. Especially, when we in the elsewhere world are actively encouraged to reduced atmospheric pollution therefore this action of NSW makes little sense.
ReplyDeleteThis is a controversial subject in this country. Some people say that bush fire smoke in the Australian environment is not air pollution. "Smoke is a natural, and necessary, part of our environment. Native vegetation has evolved in the presence of fire and the landscapes we see today have been moulded by fire. Some plants actually depend on periodic fire for reproduction, and almost all species have some sort of adaptation that enables them to tolerate our fire-friendly climate. Many native plants are also fire-friendly and contain essential oils that are highly inflammable. This feature increases the intensity of a fire and makes forest fires in native vegetation Australia faster-spreading than similar fires in other countries."
DeleteLondon is of course sometimes referred to as "The Big Smoke" but no chance of bush fires there. I wish America had had a big Bush fire when Dubya was in The White House.
ReplyDeleteThey might need the firemen of Trumpton to put a fire out at The White House.
DeleteIt gives it a hazy, romantic look somehow even though it might make you cough a little.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Hong Kong.
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