‘Twas the Day After …

/ cagedunn

and the smoke from the fires in the hills roils the air like a fog.

Most of the volunteers from our group/region went up to NSW to help out with their big fire/s (yes, multiple, but some joined up to make a bigger impact), so we had a few missing, and most of the others are still out there, taking shifts to work the lines.

Some even got time to have lunch yesterday. Christmas Day.

Fires. Again.

Drought. Again.

And our brain-dead politicians can only mutter that people who are not from Australia shouldn’t comment on what we do here.

What an idiot. Does he think that we, the real Australians, who give up their holidays and family time to work for the community, don’t hold a view?

We do. We most certainly do. And when we see the man in charge go off on a ‘well-deserved’ holiday while we fight the beast that nobody in power wants to acknowledge, we get a bit cranky. And we agree with that young girl. We know the world is watching.

Does it matter if you don’t ‘believe’ in climate change, Mr Politician? Not at all. You see, what you believe is neither here nor there. What matters is that we, the collective we of humanity, fill our lands, our rivers, our oceans, with refuse. That refuse generates heat, it chokes and kills our food sources, it blocks waterways (and the pipes of water-thieves, who think that they are the ones who rightfully own that water, and not anyone down-river).

All in all, we are a filthy bunch of creatures with no care for the future. Younger people are calling out this attitude. As they should. They’re going to live in it. They’re going to have to find a way to clean it up … or die.

I’d like to send a message to all politicians (but particularly ScoMo):

Whether you believe or not, the world is suffering from your lack of foresight and action, and if you expect the community of volunteers to support you in any endeavour in the future – do something about the mess now!

There have been enough events for the lesson to be well and truly branded on our psyche, don’t you think?

And that’s enough from me. I return to the radio, waiting for the fire to roar down the hill (yes, when they’re bad enough, they do that. I’ve seen it, and I can’t run that fast. Could never run that fast).

I’ve helped people fill containers to take up to the green corridors where the ‘roos and koalas and other creatures are also trying to anticipate what this fire is going to do.

See you in the New Year, 2020.

19 thoughts on “‘Twas the Day After …”

  1. I will be here when you get back Cage. Have a nice holiday and if we don’t do something about our environment real soon, it may be too late for the whole planet, as only the cockroaches will survive, well maybe a few politicians also, but there is not much a lot of difference between them anyways.

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  2. Hey Cage, great piece. Been thinking of you recently…sounds like you’re safe and hope it stays that way! I know a few people who are serving with the Salvos in Gumeracha, and a relative of mine had to evacuate their home. Only moved into the property six days before evacuation. House survived but everything else destroyed. Let’s stop Australia burning!

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  3. We had sunshine and all of the snow has been melted for days, and this is the middle-end of December. All is not right with the world. Our Mother Gaia is struggling for balance. I fear for you and those in the path of the fires.

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  4. We have had terrible and destructive wild fires here too (South Africa), Cage. Not as bad as yours but bad enough. We have also had bad flooding just to keep the climate change picture interesting and destructive. I have read this wonderful book by Frank Prem.

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    • I hope the seasons don’t turn out as bad as I fear, but I fear anyway. Frank’s book is about 2009, but there are so many others, so many lives lost, so many people lost in grief and fear. I saw Ash Wednesday, I saw what was left of my house but didn’t recognise it. I’ve seen three major fires since then, and they get worse and worse … I fear our leaders won’t see until it burns their street, their lives, their families. I hope the new adults of the world grow strong in voice, and fast.

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      • I really hope, Cage, that further action will be taken to prevent further global warming in 2020. Leaders of countries need to balance the immediate needs of their people with the future needs, but in this particular crisis, they seem to be short sighted and obtuse.

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      • I wish I had an emojo to send the pollies: a stupid, shumbling shape that follows the crumbs (dollars) all the way to the cliff with the longest drop in the world. Would they understand?

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  5. Being from California where we spend six months preparing to free from wildfires with windows and doors closed in summer and fall to keep out smoke, my sympathies are with you. Currently we are facing deadly mud and debris flows from hills where the vegetation has burnt. It’s getting to the point where there are fewer periods of time when worry subsides. Soon I fear there will be none.

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  6. Ugh, Cage. I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about the fires in SA. Please stay safe. -hugs- As for #NotMyPM, there are some things we can’t forget, and his complete lack of empathy or real caring for those who are living through these fires is one of them. I almost cheered when the news reader said one of his front bench actually said the volunteers should be compensated. Anyway, please take care of yourself.

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  8. I ,and many of my friends, are watching with great sorrow as Australia burns. One friend of mine who lives in Morpeth NSW has lost a life long friend to the fires. The loss of animal and plant life is devastating. I feel that Australia is the canary in the mine of the world. Heartbreaking reality and all the politicians just babble on about the “economy”. I hope you will stay safe Cage!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, they (pollies) don’t seem to understand that there is no economy without farms, without communities, without those who live in rural areas. Cities don’t make food, coal doesn’t make food.
      Today we have rain, but it stinks – smoke-taste – and paint on the shed is fading with each drop. Acid rain? I wonder if he believes in that?
      Or will New Zealand have to sue our country for the damage from this smoke?
      We wait to see, because at least she (the NZ PM) acts.

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