Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
...Now add in the fact that since early fall Southern California...an area that sees ten Santa Ana wind events a year on average...for the most past has been gripped by extremely dry conditions with little to no moisture...as in rainfall or humidity...over the past several months, leaving the area ripe for wildfires to start.
And why do I tell you all this...simply because folks need to understand that no...I repeat no...amount of water and no matter the number of firefighters present on the ground could have stopped the fires in the Los Angeles area from spreading. However, that does not nor should it remove the anger and frustration felt by those who lost everything for what these fires have highlighted is just how unprepared California was...thanks to its inept political leaders...to combat the sorts of large-scale, what's now being called “urban wildfires” ...wildfires that have become more frequent over these past few years. In fact, as per known experts in this field...including Greg Pierce, a water-resource expert at UCLA ...no “water system in the world” could have stopped let alone handled the...Read entire article here.
Monday, January 13, 2025
And while human input...one obviously perpetrated by one with a most decidedly evil agenda...might be involved in helping the fires to spread...after all so-called “bad actors” always do like to make a bad situation even worse...that does not negate nor take away from the possibility that these fires were way more likely of natural origin. And when any occurrence of such a catastrophic nature as that which just occurred we, as humans, tend to look for a more complex reason than to accept a simple, direct, and honest answer as to why they happened.
As one based in science fact and tangible realities I tend to see things a bit differently then most especially in regards to conspiracy theories, scare tactics, and the political blame game. And in regards to the all-important blame game, I'll revisit that in a bit.
But here let's start with the key factor involved in this what I believe to be a naturally occurring disaster, as in the Santa Ana winds...winds named after Southern California's Santa Ana Canyon...winds that are known for their infamous role in spreading large wildfires...fires which are common in Southern California especially during the cooler months.
First officially referenced by its name in the “Anaheim Gazette” on September 23, 1871, Santa Ana winds... which are dust bearing winds...unfortunately reached hurricane strength, at times, because high pressure in the east collided with a large low-pressure system off California's coast, and it's the difference in air pressure that determines just how fast the winds will blow. And while most people think of these winds as only being “hot winds,” because of what is their desert origin, the fact is that in their early development stage Santa Ana winds are relatively cold, which is the reason why they're way more prevalent during the cooler season, which in Southern California runs from October through March.Meteorological wise and logistically speaking, the Santa Ana winds...the delivery system by which these types of fires spread...starts developing when high pressure builds over the “Great Basin”...an area of the U.S. which encompasses most of Nevada, half of Utah, and sections of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and of course California...and then are born, if you will, when what is then desert cold air starts to sink and is forced “downslope,” which in turn then starts compressing and warming said air at a rate of about “10C per kilometer (29F per mile)” of descent.
So, as the newly formed wind's air temperature then starts rising, its corresponding relative humidity drops leaving the winds to dry out which in turn causes the winds to then become a fire hazard as it can turn what are relatively small innocuous sparks...let's say from a cigarette, campfire, or an electric line spark....into an all consuming, destructive, out-of-control wild fire that can spread at great speeds most especially in areas where “undergrowth” has not been cleared out.
Now add in the fact that since early fall Southern California...an area that sees ten Santa Ana wind events a year on average...for the most past has been gripped by extremely dry conditions with little to no moisture...as in rainfall or humidity...over the past several months, leaving the area ripe for wildfires to start.
And why do I tell you all this...simply because folks need to understand that no...I repeat no...amount of water and no matter the number of firefighters present on the ground could have stopped the fires in the Los Angeles area from spreading. However, that does not nor should it remove the anger and frustration felt by those who lost everything for what these fires have highlighted is just how unprepared California was...thanks to its inept political leaders...to combat the sorts of large-scale, what's now being called “urban wildfires” ...wildfires that have become more frequent over these past few years. In fact, as per known experts in this field...including Greg Pierce, a water-resource expert at UCLA ...no “water system in the world” could have stopped let alone handled the Los Angeles fires even if all systems were working properly...the best it could have done is to minimize the damage somewhat. Many people would still have lost everything, areas would still have been decimated, but maybe not on the grand scale we're now seeing.
An while those who do not want to believe that these fires probably started naturally, and still want to hold someone...anyone...as being “ground zero,” I ask them these question...at this point does it really matter who or what started these fires...do we need to spend time, money, and much needed resources on a search that well might lead nowhere...and if caught what type of punishment doled out could even start to compensate or make up for all the damage and harm said individual caused? To these things I say a resounding “no,” as time, money, and resources are better spent both helping those who lost everything, and in getting California back up and running the way it should be. And even if the personal “blame game” political style attacks, both before and after the fact, is removed from this discourse, that in no way negates the fact that a number of California's political leaders do have much to answer and take responsibility for. Simply, neither elected officials nor political leaders should be issued a “get out of jail free card.”
And with most folks believing that government starts at the local level and then works its way up to the state and finally to the federal level, I say it's just the opposite especially when it comes to events such as California just witnessed. And here I put responsibility in the middle...meaning on the state level...as in the lap of Governor Gavin Newsom. Why so...because as governor, Newsom not only oversees “public policy,” but he took an oath to protect both the U.S. and California's Constitution...an oath to “protect the health safety and welfare” of those in his charge...here meaning California's residents...to which he's failed miserably.
“Mother Nature” can at times be a “harsh mistress” indeed what with atmospheric conditions determining both our weather and its effects, but in this case, and rightfully so, so too can be those now hurting. But wasting time on rhetoric, blame, and wild goose chases does not solve the problems at hand...which in this case can be the “harshest mistress” of all. Case closed.
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Thursday, January 16, 2020
The Hidden Truths Behind Australia's Bushfires
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio
The pictures are heartbreaking and the death toll is staggering with over a billion animal lives having already been lost as a country...as a continent...burns with what seems like fires straight from the bowels of hell. Sadly, these fires will continue to burn for many months to come as the toll in animal and human lives lost increases. And yet it's hard to believe that the hand of man might very possibly have started or at least helped to fuel this latest round of what's being referred to as apocalyptic type fires.
And no, I'm not talking “climate change” for Australia is no stranger to fires at this time of year, as the country “down under” has a long documented history of fires going back centuries. Bushfires they're called...bushfires which officially started being recorded back in 1851, well before the “climate change” mantra became the liberals and globalists scare tactic phrase of the day. And from 1851 to date, bushfires have seen over 800 people dying in said fires along with billions of animal lives lost. And this devastation does not include the actual destruction of property, the loss of animal habitats, or the erosion and corresponding mudslides that would naturally occur until there's a significant regrowth of plant life and grasses.
And while bushfires are usually ignited by natural causes like lightning strikes, sadly, in today's modern world bushfires tend to be ignited via “arcing” (sparks) from overhead power lines, accidental ignition in the course of agricultural clearing, outdoor machine grinding and welding activities, campfires not being completely snuffed out, carelessly dropped cigarettes and matches, and from what's called controlled “burn escapes.” * And while bushfires spread based upon the type and quantity of fuel available, it's the wind itself that supplies said fires with additional oxygen...oxygen which in turn helps in spreading the fires across land along with wind-borne embers embedded within them.
But while all the above mentioned causes are truly accidental and unintended, it's the direct hand of man that has turned what are naturally occurring yearly fires into a deadly hellfire inferno. In fact, since November 2019, New South Wales police have questioned more than 180 individuals for fire-related offenses, including the most unspeakable action of actually starting some of the fires. Included in that number are 40 juveniles along with 24 individuals now having been charged with intentionally setting fires...a charge that can bring up to 21 years in prison. And with 27 innocent people and untold countless animals lives now lost can rightful murder charges be far behind for some. More on these numbers in a bit.
And as I write this, to date, an estimated 5.9 million plus "hectares" (roughly 15+ million acres with some now upping that figure to 19.9 million acres) have burnt, with the estimated cost of recovery currently standing at two billion dollars and counting...that's in addition to the now upward of a billion plus animal lives lost, many species of which might now be facing possible extinction, and that includes koalas, possums, kangaroos and wallabies, as well as possibly changing Australia's ecosystem forever.
In fact, Queensland's rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Tony Johnson recently stated that “the conditions sparking recent bushfires isn't unprecedented but has attracted more political and media attention than previously,” to which I add probably due to the record number of animal deaths and the heartbreaking photos and videos of animals being burned alive.
And as I write this, the NSWPD have questioned and/or charged an additional 159 people including 53 people who failed to comply with the previously issued total fire ban, 47 people who so carelessly discarded lit cigarettes or matches onto the parched drought stricken land, as well as three disgusting individuals caught looting in bushfire affected areas. And to make matters worse, NSW Rural Fire Service Inspector Ben Shepherd told 'The Australian,' one of the country's leading newspapers, that most of the fires had indeed been lit and the flames exacerbated “by people disregarding the total fire bans.”
So who politically is shouldering the blame for the fires; where does Australia go from here; can anything be done to quell the spread of the fires; and what will the ultimate impact on Australia's wildlife be what with now over a billion mammals, birds and reptiles having perished?
To answer those questions it first must be understood that the worst of the bushfire crisis is yet to come since history has shown that many of Australia's worst bushfires occurred in the month of February. With that said, public discontent is growing over not only the cause of the fires but also, whether it be right or wrong, the seemingly inadequate official response from Australia's government officials especially in regards to power outages; food, fuel and water shortages; as well as media stories of local residents bringing water to families trapped in cars as they try to escape the flames...as they try to seek refuge on Australia's beaches.
And while just last week the authorities urged a quarter of a million people to evacuate their Victoria state homes ahead of a predicted renewed heatwave that had already caused two major fires to merge into what's known as a “megablaze,” *** politics as usual found a way to make it into the public discourse, and in this case maybe rightfully so. Australians of all political leanings have claimed that both Labor and Liberal-National governments have left fire services seriously under-resourced, under-staffed, and ignored the warnings about escalating fire dangers given by scientists, fire experts, and former firefighting chiefs.
In fact, last April and again in May, former Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison requesting an urgent meeting to discuss additional funding for firefighting and actions he felt were needed to address what many believed to be “climate change” along with a predicted upcoming dangerous fire season.
And while I'm not familiar with Australian politics per say nor with its business as usual political skullduggery, I do know that laying blame on the weather solves nothing and in fact helps no one for it's here and now tangibles that matter most. And to that affect Prime Minister Scott Morrison was at least man enough to admit in a recent interview that there were "things I could have handled on the ground much better." Also, rightfully acknowledging the tremendous pressure fire fighters and fire services were facing, Morrison went on to state that he would seek a royal commission review, which is a type of public inquiry, into the country's response to the current bushfire crisis but did so while defending his government's response to said fires, which he said took into account the supposed effect “climate change” has had on the bushfires.
As far as the actual logistics concerning the fires especially in regards to the people's call to reduce carbon emissions, the prime minister stated that his government was on track to "meet and beat" its designated targets...targets where under the 'Paris Climate Accord,' Australia had pledged to cut carbon emissions by 26% to 28% by 2030 compared to its 2005 levels. And while I personally believe that carbon emissions have more to do with pollution than it does with the weather, and while many in Australia are pressing the issue of doing away with fossil fuels almost in its entirety, at least Prime Minister Morrison knows that truly is not the answer nor is it feasible let alone wise.
So while Australia's understaffed and under equipped firefighters continue fighting fires that show no real sign of abating anytime soon, hundreds of U.S. firefighters are currently deployed or tasked to deploy to assist their Australian counterparts in battling the still raging bushfires. After all, the Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council sent 139 firefighters to help with past wildfires in California so it's only right that we help them in return. And other countries are sending firefighting help as well including Canada, New Zealand, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. And Israel has sent direct aid in helping with the multitude of injured animals.
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*** A megablaze is a very large wildfire that typically covers more than 100,000 acres.
Copyright @ 2020 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.
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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, Impeachment: Pelosi's Kobayashi Maru.
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