Though even this image is misleading, since the "lattitudes" are reversed - upside down. "Cooktown" and "Cairns" should be where "Florida" is in relative terms.
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(and Ireland should be where Tasmania is..forgive me, am still searching for accurate relative latitudes)
The 'clean-up' behind Toowoomba and Brisbane flooding, Cyclone Yasi; is already underway (though there 'are' reports in the Murdoch press of "slow response" to Yasi. Crap; bit difficult when roads are washed away or under 6ft of water and trees have to be chainsawed .. whaddya expect? Instant Plasma TV sets airdrop by Hercules? (or Caribou, helicopter??. .. and yep, possible, all options are on the table, SES personnel from all over Australia and military are moblised and active .. but .. ).
Aaaand yes, am being somewhat facetious. Prompted, mostly, by Tedious Tony.
We only have a total population of 23 million. Not all of that population are adults. Spread across a land area roughly the size of the USA ( And the entire British Isles could most likely fit into the state of Victoria). While Anna Bligh and, especially, Julia Gillard as "Prime Minister" of Australia are doing their best to try to figure out how all this shit can be "paid for" .. Tedious Tony is asking for "donations to the liberal party" to help fight "the great big new tax" (a proposed 'levy' on incomes greater than AU$50,000.00 per year which equates to AU$1-5.00 per week for one year for assistance to Queensland floods)).
Efforf Tony. Tawdry trick, some of us DO remember the Howard Gummit imposed 7 (seven) "levies" on the unsupecting populace - not counting the 'read my lips' no GST. Go suck on yer taxpayer funded parliamentary salary, and never forget that if yer thrown out of YOUR job - you DO qualify for an extremely large, guaranteed - taxpayer funded - pension (dammit).
Perhaps he may be more comfortable departing our shores and having 'tea parties' with expat Rupert Murdoch ....
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..and yes, Malcolm Turnbull is quietly waiting in the background.
aand yep, while trying to find out how much parliamentarians ARE paid - found this. No, have no idea whether it is FACT, but there are several reports about it.. which is worrying.
Sorry to see all this wrath of nature vented on a people who didn't do all that much to raise the sea surface temperatures that silly little degree. It does not take much to upset the balance of nature...she was always a bit off kilter anyhow.
On the other hand, up on our little ridge in up-state NY, we have had exactly two days in the last month and a half when the temperature was above freezing...slightly.
I can post a lecture on why both of these weather extremes are symptoms of global warming but why bother? The effects of unleashed fossil carbon would be better labeled "global harming".
Really, Davo, does anyone have records of how the climate averages have changed in Oz or is this weather of biblical proportions actually normal?
Um GS, nice to see that yer still alive .. heh. As for th comment, jury still out. There are discussions about whether it a "normal" 30 year cycle .. but personally think, and feel, that the writing is on the wall.
When the Amazon rainforest goes into drought ...
This a good article with excellent visuals to put things in perspective, particularly the size of Australia, considering the USA has over 307 million.
Maybe the cost of insuring any possible disaster, which include the acts of god segment would be far cheaper than to spend money on the prevention of these calamities. in any case acts of god should become the total responsibility of the faith industry members such as the Pope, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Pell and the oil rich Saudi followers of Allah.
If it's an act of God, let the clergy pay for it.
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