According to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change late last month, sequestering carbon dioxide is only one of the crucial climate-regulating attributes inherent to the world’s forests.
According to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change late last month, sequestering carbon dioxide is only one of the crucial climate-regulating attributes inherent to the world’s forests.
This paper (PDF) by Mooney et al from 2010 shows that since the arrival of Europeans there has been a massive increase in fire. It also shows that since the arrival of Aborigines 40,000 – 70,000 years ago, there was very little increase in the charcoal record compared to pre-Aboriginal times. It is fairly clear …
Below are ‘short’ comments from our perspective on the long report and recommendations. Please, if you are also concerned, we need more ‘normal people’ (not ratbags like Redwood) to call up talkbacks and write short letters to the papers. If you do feel the need to try and balance the simplified calls with more old …
Large-scale logging could increase bushfire risk for Australia’s moist mountain ash forests, creating bigger fuel loads and drier, more combustible conditions, new research says. A world-first study led by Australian National University ecologist Professor David Lindenmayer has found gaps in the forest canopy allow the forest floor to dry out, increasing flammability by as much …
Greg Barber, Greens member for Northern Metro, asked Environment Minister Gavin Jennings what controls have been put in place given the significant number of fires caused by salvage logging operations in November in the Central Highlands. These fires started when dry logs dragged across others on the ground, amongst logging debris, generated heat enough to …
Members of the United Firefighters Union of Australia travelled to Parliament House in Canberra on the 18th November 2009 to demand that politicians stop treating action on Climate Change like “a political football”. Speaking on behalf of the union, Peter Marshall called on the opposition to accept the Emissions Trading Scheme. He also suggested to …
Firefighters have demanded federal politicians stop treating climate change like “a political football” and pass the emissions trading scheme. Members of the United Firefighters Union of Australia have travelled to Parliament House today to urge both sides of politics to take action as senators continue to debate the scheme. The union made a similar call …
Who ever stops to consider what might be in those bright pink fire retardants the DSE dumps by the thousands of tonnes all over our forests, water catchments, houses, bridges and streams almost every summer? In the desperate situation of a bushfire, who wants to know? Certainly not the government. The plight of the Gippsland …
This is the classic story of how fires are the perfect fodder for a media that love real life drama and conflict. The opportunity to do a bit of enviro-bashing on the side is just too good to miss as truth and verification of claims fly out the window.This was started by The Age and …
Wilsons Promontory National Park was the most recent area that sustained another control burn” that got out of “control” – costing $2 million; a rather costly muck-up. The fire started as a Parks Victoria burn-off in early April 2005 and burnt over 6,000 ha. or 13% of the Park. The fire was safely controlled 17 …
In late June 2008, the government enquiry into bushfires (how many is this now?) recommended to State parliament to triple its burn program to almost half a million hectares annually. This would be a gamble, a waste of money and ultimately counter productive. Governments should instead be funding programs to help landowners and townships be …
