So, I figured I'd use my blog to bitch about the heat. There are many critics out there annoyed with us bitching about the heat, but the reality is, this is too hot for us and if you like it, go ahead and enjoy it. We don't like it, and there is little we can do to fix it, so our only option is to bitch! SO I WILL BITCH!
Anyway, Victoria overall has seen some painfully new records in the state, matching records from as far back as 1875. With temperatures hitting 46 degrees celsius, there is no wonder we are bitching. Might I also add that the majority of measuring stations for Meteorologists are actually in the shade? So, that isn't the actual temperature if you are out in the sun.
Along with this freakishly hot weather, many industries and services are struggling. Most notable are the Energy industry, and Public Transport. And you know what? There is no reason, in my opinion, that they should be struggling. There I said it. Most people are a bit understanding given these temperatures are rare. But with the threat of global warming, and the undeniable fact that Australia is a hot country, is no reason for any organisation to have a prepare for the worst scenario. And it is not as if any of this has not happened before, because it has, despite that, these industries are hideously under-prepared for these things to happen.
The Energy industry for example, struggled last summer when the mercury hit record highs for the summer of the year. Power outages resulted, leaving some homes without power for up to 24 hours, while workers were busying themselves replacing blown transformers, and powerstations operating at ten times their capacity.
Connex has come under fire for the hundreds of cancelled train services the past two days. Within reason however, leaving passengers stranded on outdoor platforms in the heat. Trains are breaking down, with air conditioned carriers struggling, and train tracks warping. Fair enough, this is fairly extreme, and unusual, but not unheard of .
Not only has this happened in Australia in the 1960's, and other more isolated incidences since then, but it has happened in Britain numerous years ago, and in other countries. All of which were a result of extreme temperatures that the lines just are not used to. I do not blame anyone for that, no one can really control that. But when extreme weather conditions are predicted, I don't think it is unreasonable for Connex to expect and be prepared for, such things to happen. As uncommon as it may be, given our countries climate and the unpredictability of Melbourne weather on any given day, businesses should always be prepared for the worst in terms of weather.
Adding to this is the threat of Global Warming,these are only issues we are likely to continue to see, as these 'extreme weather conditions' prevalent throughout the world are being attributed to it. Thus, it is high time the Energy Industry stopped cutting corners, upgrading powerstations that are long overdue, and re-allocating energy to different powerstations so that some are not operating above their capacity. There are options available to the Energy Industry to avoid times like these, and as economically unfeasible they are in the short-term, in the long-term with the threat of global warming, it is undeniably an investment.
For Connex, I don't expect given these conditions for things to be perfect. But there was a lack of preparation for a crisis like this to be dealt with. There is a complete lack of organisation at the moment within Connex, very few staff members know what is happening, let alone the passengers. Given the reasonable foreseeability, in my opinion, of this in extreme weather, they should be ready, and have on stand-by other transport options. It has happened before, its not common, but it is something that has happened ONLY in extreme weather conditions. So when such conditions are predicted they should be ready for this.
Another issue with Melbourne is undoubtedly the lowering levels of water. Forgive me for the dramatic comparison, but it's getting almost third-world! Our water, energy and access to public transport is being compromised!
I can handle heat, but the general lack of preparedness to deal with heat, I find shocking. I don't expect things to be perfect, nor for things to run totally smoothly. But we are a hot country, like the rest of the world, under the threat of Global Warming, with the resources, facilities, and capability to avoid such a gross mismanagement of a crisis.
I will reiterate, I don't expect perfection, but I expect better than surprise.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Australian
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to update again, and I feel this may be a lengthy one.
As most of you avid readers and followers of my blog will now, I have returned to Australia from a five-month stint in Canada. I have now been home a week, and I am reminded of what it means to be an Australian, what it means to live in Australia, and all of things, I dislike about Australia.
Well, how to start this... obviously, the most significant change I had to get used to was the weather. I had gone from ridiculously cold (Ontario) to temperate (British Columbia) to extremely hot (NSW and Victoria). I survived the hottest day on record this summer, being only two days ago, and certainly not helped by the bushfires that consumed my suburb.
Thankfully, my house is OK, and everyone has survived. Unfortunately, one house (although not totally destroyed as a result of the fire) was damaged as a result. It was in this moment that I remembered what it was to be Australian, and what being an Australian entails. Bushfires!
Where I have lived my entire life, bushfires have been a harsh, unwelcomed reality of every day existence during the summer. For years we have set records for fires, in size, length, and in the size of the response from the Country Fire Authority (CFA). It's nothing to be proud of, yet it is one of those unfortunate facts.
Source: The Age, Photo by: Angela Wylie
While some, without naming names, will argue the actual threat to my home because it was apparently nowhere near me, I would like said person to have been here when my neighbours backyards were affected by embers causing spotfires. And to have the Council Rangers constantly surveying your property ever 15 to 20 minutes for spot fires, and to be told by Fireys that you should remain on high alert and be prepared to evacuate should the fire continue to burn out of control.
The Australian part however, was seen through the response of the residents, not so much the Fire Brigade. I am incredibly critical of their response on the day, I felt it was organised chaos, it was delayed, and Helitanker support was intermittent and insufficient. Yet, the residents, however Bogan the rest of Victoria think we are, supported and helped each other, throughout the entire time.
I knew nothing of the fire until my next door neighbour, who is new to me, bashed on my door interrupting my Wii bowling, to open the door to clouds of thick, black smoke, and the sight of flames that looked within touching distance. It was from that moment, that all of our neighbours who were home, rushed to scene of the fire because it was ridiculously close to residential areas. I witnessed people breaking into other peoples properties, not for the purpose of stealing or other sinister affair, but to ensure no one was inside, to take out peoples pets.
Law goes out the window in these emergencies, especially those of water restrictions as well. Currently, water restrictions are fairly tight here, and we're encouraged to use 155litres of water per person, per day. That definitely went out the window, and despite some spectator abuse, and disapproval in this (which I found extremely upsetting and unnecessarily rude).
Yet I was still amazed at the willingness of others to put themselves in face of flames, which my next door neighbour did to save a dog he heard barking from a backyard that was moments away from being wiped out by the quickly spreading fire. The instantaneous reaction to spot fires caused in the reserve behind our estate that bordered properties and infiltrated backyards, even without the residents being aware of it, or the CFA for that matter. The duty other residents assumed to secure other peoples houses for those who were not home... That is what it is be to Australian.
We were largely unprepared for a fire of this magnitude, that I will accept, its been years since one of this size and this ferocious. However, it is no excuse for the fire authorities to be unprepared either. I know and understand there were fires throughout Victoria on the day, but to have the two local fire stations totally void of any response for the first half an hour was a disgrace. To have one helitanker dropping water, was an issue. Everytime the tanker went to refill, the fire would spread quicker, and more ferociously.
Sure some of my facts could be wrong, but the Helitanker one is not, and the Fire Brigade response is certainly limited to what I could see...But from my perspective, at least where the main body of the fire was, our two stations were not present. My understanding is they were attending a fire a few suburbs over, obviously they can't leave a fire to burn, but nor should they ever leave a station completely unmanned for their area.
Since this fire, there have been others. So far there was one a suburb over in Langwarrin yesterday, that burnt 6 Hectares (1 Hectare more than Carrum Downs). That response was a lot more impressive, and a lot more organised. And again today, this morning, I was woken up by the helitanker response to another one in Carrum Downs. This could be as a result of still smoldering logs etc, that caught fire and spread, or someone came to finish the job, with whatever bush is left. Either way, today the response was more adequate, more timely, more impressive.
For those of you who don't know, FIRE is my deepest, and worst fear of all. As a child, the threat of bushfire was common, so you can imagine the torment I copped as a kid as a result of where we lived. But today, despite how irrational my fear may be, Fire is one thing I fear the most, above everything.
So to see my favourite Helitanker in the sky, was calming. He wasn't there on Monday, I know he was in Langwarrin yesterday, but seeing him today in Carrum Downs along with Mr. Shiny and New Victoria Helitanker, made me relaxed.
He is a beast, and while not as accurate as Mr Shiny and New, he carries more, and has saved this area numerous times to warrant such weird appreciation.
As most of you avid readers and followers of my blog will now, I have returned to Australia from a five-month stint in Canada. I have now been home a week, and I am reminded of what it means to be an Australian, what it means to live in Australia, and all of things, I dislike about Australia.
Well, how to start this... obviously, the most significant change I had to get used to was the weather. I had gone from ridiculously cold (Ontario) to temperate (British Columbia) to extremely hot (NSW and Victoria). I survived the hottest day on record this summer, being only two days ago, and certainly not helped by the bushfires that consumed my suburb.
Thankfully, my house is OK, and everyone has survived. Unfortunately, one house (although not totally destroyed as a result of the fire) was damaged as a result. It was in this moment that I remembered what it was to be Australian, and what being an Australian entails. Bushfires!
Where I have lived my entire life, bushfires have been a harsh, unwelcomed reality of every day existence during the summer. For years we have set records for fires, in size, length, and in the size of the response from the Country Fire Authority (CFA). It's nothing to be proud of, yet it is one of those unfortunate facts.
Source: The Age, Photo by: Angela Wylie
While some, without naming names, will argue the actual threat to my home because it was apparently nowhere near me, I would like said person to have been here when my neighbours backyards were affected by embers causing spotfires. And to have the Council Rangers constantly surveying your property ever 15 to 20 minutes for spot fires, and to be told by Fireys that you should remain on high alert and be prepared to evacuate should the fire continue to burn out of control.
The Australian part however, was seen through the response of the residents, not so much the Fire Brigade. I am incredibly critical of their response on the day, I felt it was organised chaos, it was delayed, and Helitanker support was intermittent and insufficient. Yet, the residents, however Bogan the rest of Victoria think we are, supported and helped each other, throughout the entire time.
I knew nothing of the fire until my next door neighbour, who is new to me, bashed on my door interrupting my Wii bowling, to open the door to clouds of thick, black smoke, and the sight of flames that looked within touching distance. It was from that moment, that all of our neighbours who were home, rushed to scene of the fire because it was ridiculously close to residential areas. I witnessed people breaking into other peoples properties, not for the purpose of stealing or other sinister affair, but to ensure no one was inside, to take out peoples pets.
Law goes out the window in these emergencies, especially those of water restrictions as well. Currently, water restrictions are fairly tight here, and we're encouraged to use 155litres of water per person, per day. That definitely went out the window, and despite some spectator abuse, and disapproval in this (which I found extremely upsetting and unnecessarily rude).
Yet I was still amazed at the willingness of others to put themselves in face of flames, which my next door neighbour did to save a dog he heard barking from a backyard that was moments away from being wiped out by the quickly spreading fire. The instantaneous reaction to spot fires caused in the reserve behind our estate that bordered properties and infiltrated backyards, even without the residents being aware of it, or the CFA for that matter. The duty other residents assumed to secure other peoples houses for those who were not home... That is what it is be to Australian.
We were largely unprepared for a fire of this magnitude, that I will accept, its been years since one of this size and this ferocious. However, it is no excuse for the fire authorities to be unprepared either. I know and understand there were fires throughout Victoria on the day, but to have the two local fire stations totally void of any response for the first half an hour was a disgrace. To have one helitanker dropping water, was an issue. Everytime the tanker went to refill, the fire would spread quicker, and more ferociously.
Sure some of my facts could be wrong, but the Helitanker one is not, and the Fire Brigade response is certainly limited to what I could see...But from my perspective, at least where the main body of the fire was, our two stations were not present. My understanding is they were attending a fire a few suburbs over, obviously they can't leave a fire to burn, but nor should they ever leave a station completely unmanned for their area.
Since this fire, there have been others. So far there was one a suburb over in Langwarrin yesterday, that burnt 6 Hectares (1 Hectare more than Carrum Downs). That response was a lot more impressive, and a lot more organised. And again today, this morning, I was woken up by the helitanker response to another one in Carrum Downs. This could be as a result of still smoldering logs etc, that caught fire and spread, or someone came to finish the job, with whatever bush is left. Either way, today the response was more adequate, more timely, more impressive.
For those of you who don't know, FIRE is my deepest, and worst fear of all. As a child, the threat of bushfire was common, so you can imagine the torment I copped as a kid as a result of where we lived. But today, despite how irrational my fear may be, Fire is one thing I fear the most, above everything.
So to see my favourite Helitanker in the sky, was calming. He wasn't there on Monday, I know he was in Langwarrin yesterday, but seeing him today in Carrum Downs along with Mr. Shiny and New Victoria Helitanker, made me relaxed.
He is a beast, and while not as accurate as Mr Shiny and New, he carries more, and has saved this area numerous times to warrant such weird appreciation.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Day 1 and 2
As it appears Kyle is documenting my time in Vancouver on his blog, I figure I should fill in some gaps. It appears that Kyle has skipped days 1 and 2, so I shall... make up for what he lacks. Hah.
Anyway, day 1 was pretty uneventful as I got into Vancouver, after some issues at JFK and a very long flight, all I wanted to do was sleep. So last thing I wanted was issues with the hotel booking, inevitably there were... but once that mishap was sorted, I got into my hotel room showered....and slept!!!
I made my way to McDonald's on Thurlow St off Robson, to ...'sustain' myself with a big mac. It was awesome!
That leads me to Day 2, as I pretty much slept on Day 1!
Day 2 wasn't very touristy, after craving Champagne for some time, I convinced Kyle to join me in a bottle, which turned out to be two, and with little food we were both a little hammered watching Canadian television shows. Was fun!
Other than that, Kyle has documented pretty much everything else of interest summarily...so there's no more too add!
Anyway, day 1 was pretty uneventful as I got into Vancouver, after some issues at JFK and a very long flight, all I wanted to do was sleep. So last thing I wanted was issues with the hotel booking, inevitably there were... but once that mishap was sorted, I got into my hotel room showered....and slept!!!
I made my way to McDonald's on Thurlow St off Robson, to ...'sustain' myself with a big mac. It was awesome!
That leads me to Day 2, as I pretty much slept on Day 1!
Day 2 wasn't very touristy, after craving Champagne for some time, I convinced Kyle to join me in a bottle, which turned out to be two, and with little food we were both a little hammered watching Canadian television shows. Was fun!
Other than that, Kyle has documented pretty much everything else of interest summarily...so there's no more too add!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Endings
Oh, how I need to write. It’s been far too long, so I guess it’s blog time…it has been a month since my last entry, so it is well overdue.
Firstly, I’d like to direct you all to the fact that the genius who created Ashton X has added a …well I don’t really know what to call it, but I’ll say a teaser to his blog. Following that link, you can also follow the link to Creepy Lamingtons, Luke has also added a crazy short story to that. He’s been busy apparently!
Well, for those of you who are aware, I’ve been in Canada for the past few months. But those months abroad are coming to an end, quite quickly as well. I leave Canada in just a few days, and while I most definitely will be back, within a year I hope, I can’t help but be sad about that. As I look back on the time I’ve had over here, the fantastic people I have met, and the amazing cities, and countries, I have visited while here. These are most certainly untradeable memories, and every moment of my time here has come with no regrets, and no real…’if I do it again, I’d do…’
However, as I look forward in the coming weeks, I’m also excited to be going home. To have the comfort of my own bed, a kitchen that has food that I haven’t bought, the occasional (as in, when I am home) wholesome meal served to me… the little things! The friends I have missed, and wished were here experiencing all these wonderful things with me, the family, in particular my mother. I’m a mumma’s boy, through and through, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
This week has kind of been the buffer week between leaving the exchange environment and returning home, and it has been spent in Vancouver, one of my favourite cities of Canada. It’s up there with Montreal, I’m still torn. Thankfully, I have had met Kyle here, one of the avid blog readers of mine. Been very welcoming, and a great tour guide. Together, along with a few of his friends, we’ve been to a Poetry Slam (and interesting experience, if I do say so), and a comedy club. And I’ve seen some parts of Vancouver I don’t recall seeing in my brief visit prior to my exchange.
I get to see Ms. Clare, one of the Aussies who was on exchange with me, this Friday. As she comes to visit me in Vancouver, and perhaps see her brother. It’s ironic, I’m looking forward to seeing her so much, and so excited to have her company yet… she’s still going to be the first person I see post-exchange, once I’m at home. In fact, one week from the date I leave her in Vancouver, I’ll be at her house for her 21st!
Anyway, sorry for the short update, and lack of extremely interesting topic…just needed to write, and had no idea what to write about!
Firstly, I’d like to direct you all to the fact that the genius who created Ashton X has added a …well I don’t really know what to call it, but I’ll say a teaser to his blog. Following that link, you can also follow the link to Creepy Lamingtons, Luke has also added a crazy short story to that. He’s been busy apparently!
Well, for those of you who are aware, I’ve been in Canada for the past few months. But those months abroad are coming to an end, quite quickly as well. I leave Canada in just a few days, and while I most definitely will be back, within a year I hope, I can’t help but be sad about that. As I look back on the time I’ve had over here, the fantastic people I have met, and the amazing cities, and countries, I have visited while here. These are most certainly untradeable memories, and every moment of my time here has come with no regrets, and no real…’if I do it again, I’d do…’
However, as I look forward in the coming weeks, I’m also excited to be going home. To have the comfort of my own bed, a kitchen that has food that I haven’t bought, the occasional (as in, when I am home) wholesome meal served to me… the little things! The friends I have missed, and wished were here experiencing all these wonderful things with me, the family, in particular my mother. I’m a mumma’s boy, through and through, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
This week has kind of been the buffer week between leaving the exchange environment and returning home, and it has been spent in Vancouver, one of my favourite cities of Canada. It’s up there with Montreal, I’m still torn. Thankfully, I have had met Kyle here, one of the avid blog readers of mine. Been very welcoming, and a great tour guide. Together, along with a few of his friends, we’ve been to a Poetry Slam (and interesting experience, if I do say so), and a comedy club. And I’ve seen some parts of Vancouver I don’t recall seeing in my brief visit prior to my exchange.
I get to see Ms. Clare, one of the Aussies who was on exchange with me, this Friday. As she comes to visit me in Vancouver, and perhaps see her brother. It’s ironic, I’m looking forward to seeing her so much, and so excited to have her company yet… she’s still going to be the first person I see post-exchange, once I’m at home. In fact, one week from the date I leave her in Vancouver, I’ll be at her house for her 21st!
Anyway, sorry for the short update, and lack of extremely interesting topic…just needed to write, and had no idea what to write about!
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