[Jan Iwaszkiewicz]

This argument really does not belong here.

We are agreed that change is necessary however we need to look at the nature of mankind to create that change. Emotion can be seemingly and comfortably righteous but is often a blinding factor.

Jim and Andrew if you wish to take this further please open a new thread. We agree on most things but it could be salient to keep that discussion going.

We are facing hopefully the start of the aftermath here although fires are still burning and their containment is totally dependent on the vagaries of weather. Flooding rains in Queensland and heavy downpours to the south and huge hail in Melbourne and we have had a couple of millimetres of rain. We are still in the iron grip of drought, drying dams and no feed and of course another hot spell and we are sitting in the tinderbox.

The emotion dies down and bastardry and inertia begin.

We do not know what extinctions have occurred or what impact unprecedented fires of such intensity have had and will have on flora and fauna. We are guessing at its impact on water quality in the catchments. I have friends suffering from the impact of poor air quality.

There has been a massive outpouring of support and money but little is getting to those who need it human nature rears its ugly head once again. We need cold hard thought not breast beating posture.

How many bleeding hearts fought on the fire lines or rescued the wild life or will be there for the slow processes of repair. The answer my friends is ....