In cinemas now!
Catalyst is supposed to be a science programme, but ends up looking more like a low-budget disaster movie.
Last night’s episode was a case in point:
NARRATION
… But fire is changing. Over the past decade, every forested continent has seen an alarming surge in large, uncontrollable fires. [pause for dramatic effect] Mega-fires.Prof David Bowman
The sort of metaphoric equivalent of an atomic bomb, that’s what a mega fire is, it’s muscular, it’s mean, it’s big, it’s aggressive.Prof Tom Swetnam
Really fast burning fires. And their local intensity is just amazing.… these are extraordinary fire events.NARRATION
So extraordinary, they demolish the very ecosystems that have thrived with fire for millennia.
Get the idea? And it doesn’t take much to work out where this is heading, given Catalyst’s past form:
Sandra Whight
Because of climate change we’re going to get changes in our vegetation type and our ecosystems that mean there will be more fuel available to burn that previously wouldn’t have burnt. That will mean fires will become harder to suppress. Because of climate change our fire seasons are getting longer. And so we have less time available to us to do the fuel treatments we need before it’s no longer safe to do those sorts of fuel treatments.
and:
Prof David Bowman
I am worried that the worst case scenario is that we get a tumbling out of control of the feedbacks between more fires, more emissions of CO2, more climate change, more hotter weather, less rain, you can go into a fire spiral making it harder for us to pull the brakes back on.
Holy crap, we’re all gonna die!
While there have been some significant ‘megafires’ in the past few years, people (especially environmentalists who have a vested interest) have such short memories, that they do not even bother to look back at the historical records – which themselves are a blink of an eye in geological terms.
On the very same day that Catalyst was spreading alarmism, the Environment and Public Works Committee of the US Senate was conducting hearings into this exact topic.
Dr David South, retired Emeritus Professor from the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University, gave evidence regarding the relative importance of climate change and human activity:
In the lower 48 states there have been about ten “extreme megafires,” which I define as burning more than 1 million acres. Eight of these occurred during cooler than average decades. These data suggest that extremely large megafires were 4-times more common before 1940 (back when carbon dioxide concentrations were lower than 310 ppmv). What these graphs suggest is that we cannot reasonably say that anthropogenic global warming causes extremely large wildfires.
…
Seven years ago, this Committee conducted a hearing about “Examining climate change and the media” [Senate Hearing 109-1077]. During that hearing, concern was expressed over the weather, which was mentioned 17 times, hurricanes, which were mentioned 13 times, and droughts, which were mentioned 4 times. In the 41,000 word text of that hearing, wildfires (that occur every year) were not mentioned at all. I am pleased to discuss forestry practices because, unlike hurricanes, droughts, and the polar vortex, we can actually promote forestry practices that will reduce the risk of wildfires. Unfortunately, some of our national forest management policies have, in my view, contributed to increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
In conclusion, I am certain that attempts to legislate a change in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will have no effect on reducing the size of wildfires or the frequency of droughts. In contrast, allowing active forest management to create economically-lasting forestry jobs in the private sector might reduce the fuel load of dense forests.
Catalyst concluded thus:
NARRATION
In the politically-charged debate over whether climate change or high fuel loads are responsible for severe fires, it’s important to go back to basics. Fires need three things: oxygen, fuel and heat. By adding not one, but two of these critical elements, we are stoking the furnace in an age of mega-fires.
Far from being equal contributors to mega-fires, changes in climate are barely significant when compared with other factors and influences. But that doesn’t fit with the apocalyptic view of climate change required by Catalyst and the ABC.
Australian Climate Madness 
That my taxes pay for this crap absolutely $hits me to tears ! Privatise the ABC, and SBS for that matter, and let these ideologues pay for their own propaganda.
The Galaxy-sunspots-climate connection finally revealed!
The huge electric galactic center-magnetar sends electricity to all the Milky-way [1. Eatough R. P. et al]. In our solar system, mostly Jupiter and secondly the other planets periodically divert a part of this electricity (that stimulates them) from its course to the Sun, causing him a solar minimum and to the Earth more atmospheric and magma stimulation: more thunderbolts [2. Gurevich A.] (even from CLEAR sky, without clouds), storms, quakes [3. Simpson J., Jain R.] and volcanic eruptions-clouding-glacials [4. Ebisuzaki et al], all AVERTABLE with proper MESHES [global-providence.info] over active craters and the equator, where from most electricity hits our planet. The reason why the sunspot cycle is averagely 11 years is because the charge-discharge of Jupiter lasts as long as it takes him to evolve around the Sun and it depends on the other planets’ positions [5. Wilson I. R. G.].
1.A strong magnetic field around the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Galaxy R. P. Eatough et al nature.com/nature/journal/v501/n7467/full/nature12499.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20130919 A magnetar at the heart of our Milky Way - J. A. Kennea et al. Swift Discovery of a new soft gamma repeater, SGR J1745-29, near Sagittarius A*, Astrophysical Journal Letters 770, L24, 2013 arxiv.org/abs/1305.2128 - K. Mori et al. NuSTAR discovery of a 3.76-second transient magnetar near Sagittarius A* Astrophysical Journal Letters 770, L23, 2013 arxiv.org/abs/1305.1945 - R. M. Shannon, S. Johnston Radio properties of the magnetar near Sagittarius A* from observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array Monthly Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. (MNRAS) Letters, August 14, 2013 de.arxiv.org/abs/1305.3036 - Intergalactic Medium Emission Observations with the Cosmic Web Imager: I. The Circum-QSO Medium of QSO 1549+19, and Evidence for a Filamentary Gas Inflow Martin, D. Cet al (2014) Intergalactic Medium Emission Observations with the Cosmic Web Imager: I. The Circum-QSO Medium of QSO 1549+19, and Evidence for a Filamentary Gas Inflow.Astrophysical Journal, 768 (2). Art. No. 106. ISSN 0004-637X.resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140303-152428640 authors.library.caltech.edu/44109/ - Intergalactic Medium Emission Observations with the Cosmic Web Imager. II. Discovery of Extended, Kinematically-Linked Emission around SSA22 Lyα Blob 2 Martin, D. Et al 2014,Intergalactic Medium Emission Observations with the Cosmic Web Imager. II. Discovery of Extended, Kinematically-Linked Emission around SSA22 Lyα Blob 2. Astrophysical Journal, 786 (2). Art. No. 107. ISSN 0004-637X resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140303-145821259 On the Galactic Center Being the Main Source of Galactic Cosmic Rays as Evidenced by Recent Cosmic Ray and Gamma Ray Observations – Guo Y. et al arxiv.org/abs/1101.5192
2. The observed electric fields in thunderclouds are generally too weak to initiate the atmosphere’s electrical breakdown. But COSMIC RAYS can play a surprising role in the drama of LIGHTNING: A. V. Gurevich and K. P. Zybin, Runaway Breakdown and the Mysteries of Lightning phy.olemiss.edu/~jgladden/phys510/spring06/Gurevich.pdf iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/9/5/055004/article
3. Solar activity as a triggering mechanism for earthquakes – Simpson J. adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1967E%26PSL…3..417S - Solar flares trigger earthquakes – Jain, R., Physical Research Laboratory. EACH of the 682 >4.0 EARTHQUAKES under study was preceded by a SOLAR FLARE of B to X class by 10-100 hrs adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007AGUSMIN33A..03J -2011 March 9th ended with a powerful SOLAR FLARE. In addition, on March 10, 2011 around 0630 UT, a CORONAL MASS EJECTION did strike a glaceing blow to Earth’s magnetic field nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News031011-xclass.html
4. Explosive volcanic eruptions triggered by cosmic rays: Volcano as a bubble chamber Ebisuzaki T et al sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1342937X10001966
5. The Venus–Earth–Jupiter spin–orbit coupling model, I. R. G. Wilson pattern-recogn-phys.net/1/147/2013/prp-1-147-2013.pdf
“Fires need three things: oxygen, fuel and heat. By adding not one, but two of these critical elements, we are stoking the furnace in an age of mega-fires.”
So.. we’re adding “fuel”? (since we can’t be “adding” oxygen). Does that mean we should remove the fuel, i.e. the forests that burn?
A country volunteer fire fighter friend of mine (an old military colleague) went to fight the ‘massive’ fires around Sydney last year. He and all of the other firefighters put the blame firmly at the feet of environmentalists, who for years have prevented back burning and controlled burn offs that would have reduced the amount of fuel available to the fires. So we have allowed for the creation of more fuel (hence the article’s comment of ‘poor forestry policy’). Yes, we are allowing the loud mouthed minority, in the name of conservation, to create the very environment to fulfill their own doomsday prophecies.
I think subdivisions where big Gumtrees are encouraged to keep growing and home owners not given financial help to remove them means there are plenty of oportunities for arson or accidents causing fires and clearing out the fallen branches for home fires and barbecues is also forbidden. Also the gum trees planted around the world love fire. So wildfires are increasing.
I don’t suppose any of these idiots have read Bill Gamage’s The Biggest Estate on Earth.
There will be more fuel to burn when people are barred from maintaining forests, cutting fire breaks, clearing fuel loads etc.
I don’t watch the ABC any more as its bad for my health. N
Victoria is one of the most fire prone places on Earth. Its greatest fire was February 1851. Melbourne recorded its hottest day of 47.2C, but it doesn’t account for the alarmists as it pre-dates official records
Simon any comment on this article?:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/earth-scientists-split-on-climate-change-statement/story-e6frg8y6-1226942126322#
Besides Australian fires as Brian Hatch posted above, there was the Great Chicago Fire.
http://www.chicagohs.org/history/fire.html
A bit early in history for “Climate Disruption”.
@garym53
Professor Ian Plimer is a member of the Australian Geological Society and a climate realist, if that’s any help.
You can draw a line to show the rationality of people on this planet – On the left side which makes up about 70% are the followers, the group think people, the greens, the AGW worshippers, the socialists, and other assorted idiots – and I’m being literal here.
On the other side are those that can still think for themselves. I’d like to think I’m just over on this side.
The thing we on the right forget or don’t make enough of, is that those that follow the path of controlling others and perpetuators of lies are well into the left hand side of sanity – IE they don’t have that much left.
This is not just a go at the crazy people that come up with things like “Democratic Votes for Camels”, and “man is destroying Mother earth so must be contained” – It’s an observation – These people really are irrational and are unable to work things out.
Don’t be confused that some of these on the left are super active and good debaters – they are driven by their own demons that power their abilities, which makes them look “normal”.
When we get garbage, such as “Because of climate change we’re going to get changes in …………”, we just have to remember what we are dealing with, and that is not anything like a rational human being.
This is why so often reasoned arguments fail – the left people just cannot change their stance – which means we have to ensure the sane things are done, no matter how hard the lefties fight.
When Viscount Monckton landed in Qatar his presence activated new rhodizite master crystals unearthed in nearby Madagascar to their life’s purpose and helped them to mature to their full strength.
N rays from Moncktonite rwill unlock any and all blockages and activate all chakras. This Crystal was the cornerstone of Lemuria and has lost for generations until the reincarnation of the cannibal queen of Madagascar as the viscount’s pulchritudinous sister in law.
It is illegal to export Rhodizite, but The Nigella Foundation has received a small quantity of these POWERFUL crystals –they are small but extremely powerful stones of great for use in a BBC Green Room vision quest to overcome the malign influence of climate models on the exchequer
Catalyst has been relentless with this sort of thing for ages. Worse than ever I see!
Greens NSW Bush Fire Risk Management Policy.
Principles
1. Assumptions about traditional European bush fire prevention,
mitigation, control and management need review in the light of the
need for ecologically sustainable management.
2. There is an urgent need to correct the common misconception that
responsible fire management always involves burning or clearing to
reduce moderate and high fuel loads generally throughout the
landscape, irrespective of where they occur. Rather, such activities
should be strategically planned, to protect the community and
vulnerable assets whilst minimising the adverse impacts of these
activities on the environment.
3. Stricter controls are required to drastically reduce the amount of rural
burning not required for essential asset protection.
4. Prescribed burning is only one method of fuel management and should
be considered in the context of other available options and the
management objectives of the land in question.
5. Many vegetation communities and plants cannot survive frequent fire;
for this reason frequent fire has been listed as a key threatening
process by the NSW Scientific Committee under the Threatened
Species Conservation Act.
Etc etc.
Anyone still wondering why there are more uncontrolled, devastating, life threatening forest conflagrations ?
Wonder no more.
That’s all very well but the question is HOW do they get their policies in place when they are NOT in power? It is mind boggling.
Its easy one to answer…it soudn slike control freak mindset because it is – aka Socialism masquerading as “green”
I always wondered where all the pinko red raggers went – wonder rno more. They all piled into the green movement when it became obvious they could use to undermine and collapse our economy, so ensure everyone was equally miserable……
The Alinskian element – the predominant element – at the ABC is conducting a war against the elected Abbott government.
Hi Simon, this is probably not a new idea but anyway…
Maybe every year we should declare the day when the dams start their annual refilling after summer has passed to be “Flannery Day” in honour of the credentialed moron alarmist who publicly pontificated that empty dams and drought in Australia was the “new normal.”
In Melbourne, it is very, very close to Flannery Day 2014. There could be city and state Flannery Days and even a national Flannery Day.
Nice answer, ‘Flannery Day’ The Billions of that have gone down the toilet because of this morons alarmism, I have never even heard him say a word about the big dams spilling water, he said that they would never fill again and they have spilled water seve5al times since them and Flannery is silent, Nice one Timmy. N
June 27 was Flannery Day 2014 in Melbourne.