Who's to blame?

@willripleyCNN reported this morning and I was shocked. He said the millions of animals and the 27 humans died "directly linked to climate change."  Later during his coverage, he cited in the context of the fires which are ravaging our country, people who want a change from fossil fuel. He said, “they say that is the only way to stop this climate crisis from getting worse.” To be fair the undertag said that this was a quote from the protesters, but what’s missing is any response by firemen or government officials. I understand that the crowd was large and people’s placards and anger were both visible, but a reporter has to collect more than headlines.

This caught my eye this morning after I was awakened at 5:20 with the smell of smoke. The bush fires were near or the wind had blown in our home’s direction. I checked the app on my phone, “Fires near me” and sure enough the diamond of a grass fire was ‘out of control’ 400 metres from me. Yikes! I rushed to dress and hopped in my car. I drove over and within minutes the firemen had already put out the flames and were setting up a barrier to prevent anyone from walking into the bush at the Stringybark Creek reserve. 

I thought of the way Ripley had reported the Sydney protest from yesterday. I wondered if any of the protesters would be in my neighbourhood and what they would say. Would they blame Prime Minister Scott Morrison for this one, too? Would they blame coal production or the climate change which we must have caused by our use of any fossil fuels? 

In conversation with the couple across the street from the fire on Elizabeth Parade, they told me their daughter had also awakened to the smell of smoke. They, for whatever reason, checked their house CCTV footage which points onto the street and also the bush and saw an unusual car driving by at 3 a.m. The fire began raging after 4; they rang the emergency 000 and within minutes the firies were on site and had put out the fires. High marks for the firemen and also to the couple with the camera. Police will come by later this morning, to be sure to see if they can sort out the cause of the fire.

And that’s one of those things we all want to sort out. Will Ripley and CNN want to find out. Everyone wants to know the cause, so SOMEONE can fix it. 

“Climate change has not caused the current fire crisis,” says Australian Capital Territory forester and former acting fire control officer Ian McArthur.

“Long unburnt fuels in national parks are the primary cause. Basic fire management states that a fire needs oxygen, a heat source and fuel. The only one of those that can be manipulated is fuel. The more fuel, the more intense the fire, the harder it becomes to suppress the fire.”

That’s one for the celebrities and the wrongly-informed. That’s one for you to know. Who’s to blame? Maybe it’s the ones who stopped the firemen from doing their jobs. Maybe some things just happen. Maybe we don’t even need to blame anyone. And certainly not to demonize anyone who is giving themselves to serve us like our PM or premier.