quote:

A global appeal to help Australian firefighters tackling catastrophic bushfires raised more than A$25 million (US$17 million) on Monday, as swathes of the country suffered extensive damage and the death toll from the long-running crisis hit 24.

East coast seaside towns were plunged into darkness, ash rained down on rural communities and major cities were again cloaked in choking smoke, even as stunned Australians tried to regroup amid a wave of cooler air and light rain.

The weekend marked some of the worst days in the country’s deadly bush fire crisis, with hundreds more properties destroyed and the overall death toll climbing to 24, including a man who died Saturday trying to save a friend’s home.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia...illion-raised-tackle

Detailed map: https://myfirewatch.landgate.wa.gov.au/

This map, if overlaid on one showing population centers, would be close to a 100% match. In part, that's because they're only reporting fires where people live. People also tend to live in the less arid areas, which include more trees and other things that might fuel a fire. But there are definitely other fires, not on that map. Finally, and most disturbingly, some of these fires were started by arsonists. People are sick.

And in the meantime, the entire government is in the pocket of coal mining interests, and continue to insist that the fires aren't exacerbated by climate change. In fact, they insist that climate change is a hoax. Scott Morrison (the current PM) is most likely to be voted out, but there are dozens behind him ready to take his place. His election was as shocking as was Trump's here, but it seems as though his stint as PM is likely to be much shorter. We can only hope.

A view of this government's approach to coal