Australia's fires, our floods and the climate crisis

Rightly so, if it can no longer bulge there is will find a way to bulge elsewhere.

Basic physics: water displacement!

(I mean your worry when I say "rightly so")

Wetland hold/absorb so much carbon. Tree planting quotas a stupid if we're not maintaining our natural carbon sinks

We moved up the hill to our present home 32 years because we felt we were overly close to the flood plain and our garden was vulnerable to flooding then.

All you say is sadly true, notanan. We have forgotten about common sense. The housing estates near us are built where there were once thriving water-powered mills along the river bank.
You may well ask why the Developers got permission.
Now 10 and 20 years down the line, some can't sell their houses and are blaming gravity and their neighbours (us) at the top of the hill for their waterlogged gardens.
All the wretched council could do was to offer sandbags.

On one new estate a reed bed swamp called a Detention Basin has been built into the landscaping. Maybe that is a case of the developers moving, slowly, with the times?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_basin

How lovely to read so many well informed posts.
I say this because sometimes I despair at some of the posts where posters are almost boastful of the fact that they have wardrobes full of clothes ( many not even worn) ?
Do they have no idea what goes into producing these clothes?
I could go on but I don't want to offend ?

I agree Meryl. The over consumption going on now is horrendous. I have to bite my tongue when visiting my offspring and their family, but they are all I have so I have to be careful.

I know, MerylStreep how you feel and I was hesitant to begin this thread because I don't want to be a party pooper and yet I feel uncomfortable reading or hearing about the cars and holidays and the extravagant present giving,
It's all around us. TV, adverts, even the news.

I guess it is my/our responsibility to press for change. Those who are coping with work and families, or on very low incomes who are struggling, don't have time, energy or knowledge to make their voices heard.

And yet, the best I can do is to come on here to relieve my conscience!

Thanks for joining in.

People are just really hypocritical at the moment. They think theyre great for making "small swaps" but still essentially carry on with the same unsustainable lifestyles.

I recently got lectured by someone for not owning wax wraps (I dont need them! I bring salads or left overs to work in tupperware, I dont like sandwiches!)
Apparently EVERYONE should buy them cos climate change

Then I had to hear all about their upcoming cruise

notann I do think we have to carefully manage our rivers and drains such as those on the Somerset Levels- but with long-term knowledge and expertise, some of which goes back centuries and worked with nature not again it.

Some new experts do come along with new ideas or try to divert rivers, prevent flooding in one area and thereby cause flooding further downstream as happened with the Thames. That was done against the advice of many experts.

Sorry for typos - actually it was autocorrect again!

On a recent visit to Kenya (visiting AC) we had to drive over a part of Mount Kenya and there were mile after mile of poly tunnels. I was astonished to learn that they were growing flowers for export, mainly to the UK.
Air miles, using precious water sources, plastic packaging, AC then pointed out that other than the tourist industry (hotels, safaris, conservation) this was a major employer in the area and without it there would be so many more people in poverty.

It really focused my thoughts, every action has a reaction and whilst I shall limit my purchases of cut flowers from anywhere abroad, I feel for the locals who rely on the buying power of us to provide them with employment and consequently a roof over their children's head and food on the table.

Old style flood defences were based on reclaiming one area and allowing the river to bulge elsewhere. But when you try to fill in the gaps and build defences all the way along with no flood plains: the older defences fail where they didnt fail before

Im not denying climate change, but those types of newer floods are created closer to home!

People want river views or to live adjacent to River walks but have no real respect for the river

I agree. We all need to look to our own habits. I feel very bad because although I HATE flying, I'm going to have to start doing it again, because of work.

My disinclination to shop these days is age related I think BUT fortunately, is a good thing for the environment. As is my gradual move away from eating as much meat. I'm light on laundry washing too, but the car (in the UK at least) I can't do without. I do cringe at the amount of stuff in my recycling bin. I try to remember it's because I now live as a family of 3 after years on my own, but still, that full bin is mortifying.

overpopulation and almost every new adult learns to drive. I wish we could get back to communities with communal allotment sites.

Remember the waxed bread wrappers? re-cycled to wrap cold toast for lunch. This is worth reading

www.sistersofmercyunion.org.uk/_uploads/_cknw/files/The%20Green%20Thing%20(002).pdf

One of our AC has just moved, they have a sizeable "shared garden" with a portion fenced off where the residents are able to grow vegetables, brilliant idea.

If the sea levels rise as predicted low lying inland areas will also flood. Not just on occasions but be permanent lakes. Where will all the inhabitants go then!

I've just read that over 300 million people now use desalinated water: but!! most of the energy needed comes from fossil fuels!!!!
As if it couldn't get worse ? the worst offenders are the Middle East countries ? They might not have much fresh water but what have they got a lot of, SUN SUN SUN.
?

I've just read the link crafty. Ah, it's rather nice and nostalgic but in a way the checkout girl is right because we only did the correct thing because that was the only way we knew!
As soon as all the labour saving gadgets were available, we jumped at them.

I shop at a " Green* shop and yesterday I was teasing a customer who was getting into his car to drive to the next town. I told him the bus number but he looked worried and told me he was pressed for time and it took him several hours to complete an errand with his DS if he went by bus.

I don't want to be Holier than thou but it is as well to be reminded of what we do and why.

I use quite a lot of plastic, one way or another, but I do reuse it. I also carry an enviable willow basket.

My 4yr old DGD gave me quite a wee lecture on how plastic is destroying the ocean life.

Yes Meryl, if that isn't an argument for working together to try to save the planet, and stop fighting each other and wasting money on wars, I'll eat my hat.

GagaJo. At least you are thinking about it and doing what you can. Most people are still not.

Surely you don't need to fly as often as you used to? Cutting down before cutting out is the way to go. Crash diets don't work!

I despair of the mountains of non recyclable tat in the shops, and knowing how much is going to thrown away. All stuff no one really needs but has cost so much in terms of the environment to produce.
I despair of deforestation, the impact on wildlife, the melting of the ice caps, the pollution of seas and rivers by industry.
I can see how the millions of plane journeys and car ownership and usage contributes to the whole problem. People are commuting for long, long distances each day, families living 100's or 1,000's of miles away from each other as if it's no problem.
I see acres of unrecyclable rubbish every fortnight around here and wonder what on earth some people do to generate so much.
Too many people buy, and have rooms full of clothes, shoes, handbags which hardly get worn/used.
Clothes are washed after a few hours use.
I'm sick of plastic wrapping/packaging on so many items when there are alternatives a lot of the time.
The manufacturers are too slow to amend this and many other issues.
Growing up after the war ended has made me notice all this all the more. We would walk to school, short bus ride to work, holiday in the UK, eat vegetables from the allotment, fruit from the garden, local food, only had food and clothes which we could afford...no plastic toys.

I know it's a different world now but I think we all have and expect too much without enough thought. I wish there was a real push now to alter the way we all live, more innovations, more policies, more biodegradable materials. A lot of people are trying but there needs to be much more effort and much, much more awareness.

Australia is all set to exploit a new coal seam the size of the UK. They are mad.

Or are those mad who think our energy can be supplied by solar panels and wind farms?

The people who support those ideas are also against nuclear power and fracking of course.

Widespread use of electric cars is a long way off, and there is the question of minerals used in the manufacture of the millions of batteries required.