Hoping our friends in Australia are safe in the fires

Be safe from the fires people. Prayers from Nashville for your safety and countries health.

7 Likes

Hi Martha, many thanks for that :slight_smile:

Last week a bloke picked up a colony from me who happened to be a Psychologist who works for Queensland Health. He told me that a lot of fires are started by people with psychological problems. Mostly caused as a result of drug & alcohol abuse.

3 Likes

Thanks Martha. About 1/3rd of my hives foraging area of natural bush has been burnt out by the bush fires, so I’m not expecting any honey for a long time even if we get good rain to break the back of the drought. This morning I can see a blue sky so it seems the local fires are under control. I really feel for those that have lost their homes and possessions.
The fire fighters are supported by fellow fire fighters from the other states of Australia and as far away as New Zealand, a really massive effort by them all.
A few days ago I went to check on my hives, the smoke was so thick I had my head lights on at 10am.
Cheers

3 Likes

Likewise. Stay safe.

3 Likes

You mean those in government right?

5 Likes

Thanks Martha, It’s pretty full on over here. Hoping all of our forum community is safe - and of course everyone else too :cry:

4 Likes

Our state of California has had it rough for the last 2 years. It’s been devastating to it’s residents.

2 Likes

We have been warned that this is what is going to happen, but we keep electing bozos worldwide that ignore the advice.

It is gut wrenching Martha. Apparently, it is all the Californians’ fault and they should have raked their forests.

4 Likes

More verbal bull droppings from Donald Trump, wouldn’t you think when he doesn’t know he should have learn at his age to keep his mouth shut. He has a fantastic ability to ignore the science, and the reality.

3 Likes

@Martha yes you’ve definitely had more than your share over there too - from what we’ve seen on the news here it’s been devastating :frowning:

1 Like

And more here Peter. This is the bizarre stuff that keeps me awake at night. We (government) take advice on climate change and bushfires from mining and media billionaires, ignoring and ridiculing scientists.

Personally, I would hope the forum were a political free zone as I personally get my fill watching the news. But still lets hope the fires get put out in both areas. Lets also hope that the critters which inhabit the natural areas will recover with the forests and lands that sustain them.

4 Likes

Yesterday one bush fire had a perimeter of 1000 klm’s (600 miles) of the more than 80 bush fires yesterday with more than 50 not contained. While hazard reduction burn season are a big help when the fire season arrives the burn off season is reducing in time and there simply is not the equipment and man power to do more than a few % of the areas that would benefit from hazard reduction burns.
It is up to us to keep out own property clear of anything that can burn as much as possible, especially in a the fire season.

Hi Martha, like you I don’t like partisan politics and I’m certainly not on this forum to express my political views. I’m here for bee advice.

However, when I wake up in the morning and see in horror the world burning around me, I cannot sit back and be politically correct, or squeamish about calling it out the way I see it, when someone mentions bushfires. I’m sick of the charade going on on the sidelines here in Aus, by both sides of politics regarding these bushfires.

The world is burning down, from the Amazon rain forest to the tropical wetlands of Pantanal, to the US and Australia. This is happening because of decades of shockingly bad political decisions worldwide by all sides of politics. The bad political decisions even ramped up in recent years.

Entire ecosystems are being razed, endangered species going extinct, and people are dying because of bad politics regarding climate and environment. We are collectively responsible for this one way or another. Brushing politics aside is not acceptable anymore in my view.

Politics cannot be uncoupled from these environmental disasters unfolding in front of us on a magnitude we never experienced before in recorded history.

Each year we are getting a new record. I am personally over empathy. Not out of disrespect of course. Empathy only gets you so far. These catastrophic disasters happened last year. Will happen again next year and more ecosystems get razed, more species go extinct, and more people die. Will happen again the year after that until there is nothing more to burn. It is time to stand up and be counted. We don’t have more time to spare before we ruin this planet. Whether we like it or not, politics is everything and if we really care we have to act.

8 Likes

Very well said numbat.

It’s been a while I read a post in a forum that gave me goosebumps.

2 Likes

I must say that I have great empathy for any in our Flowhive community that are being devestated by the fires in Australia and elsewhere.

But like Martha, I sincerely hope this forum remains politics-free…it’s a refuge from a turbulent world for many of us and it is a Flowhive beekeeping forum firstly… that provides a wonderful vehicle worldwide for us beekeepers to share experiences.

2 Likes

I see your point Doug but unfortunately politicians make decisions and laws that effect bee keeping when they know nothing about it. There is nothing wrong in my opinion with communication about anything effecting bee keeping on the forum.
Cheers

2 Likes

In relation to politicians keeping you awake at night: You should see your doctor to inquire about changing your medication.

1 Like

i strongly agree with this Peter. It would be a shame if the finger can’t be pointed at the real culprit of this tragedy, which is as numbatino pointed out decades of international politically bad decisions.

1 Like

Politicians get voted in because they give the voters what they want, broadly speaking. People want to build their houses right next to & even among heavy bush, politicians let them. People want to build houses in flood plains, politicians let them. It’s easy to blame politicians for all of our problems, however we should take responsibility for our own actions.

People who build houses right next to, or even among heavy bush, especially tall gum trees must be aware of the risks in doing so. Therefore shouldn’t blame others for their misfortune.

On the subject of fires: it’s apparent that a lot of fires are results of arson. I think the media show too much imagery of fires on tv, which could encourage more incidents of arson, not to mention showing the results of an arsonist, which could give him/her some hind of pleasure.

1 Like