Hedge Clippings | Friday 24 January, 2020

The summer bushfires of 2019-2020 will undoubtedly go down in history as the worst on record, and this at a point of time when we have yet to see the end of January, and therefore - barring an unexpected deluge - there's more of the same to come. The sheer geographic scale of the fires, covering every state and territory (with the possible exception of the Northern Territory) has been greater than anything previously experienced, bringing home the issue of global warming and/or climate change not only to Australia, but to the world.

What separates this season's bushfires would seem to be the geographic spread and their duration. Previous "worst" bushfires have focussed on losses to life, with Black Saturday (Victoria 2009 with 173 people killed) and Ash Wednesday (Victoria and South Australia 1983 with 75 deaths), each of which, as indicated, occurred on a single day.

Currently debate rages about the cause, but it seems pretty clear (if not simplistic) that the combination of higher temperatures and no or little rain have produced the ideal environment for the widespread fires. Arguments - or excuses - will long continue about who is or was responsible, and accusations will be made about the speed and extent of the response - often by those looking for someone to blame - and no doubt about how to reduce the cause and effect of global warming/climate change in the future.

Of all the comments in the media and elsewhere, there seems to have been little attention paid to the potential for small modular nuclear reactors (SMNR's) to replace fossil fuel power generation, and for those with time and interest over the long weekend this link gives further detail.

Hedge Clippings is neither sufficiently competent or qualified to grasp the technical details involved in SMNR's, but the lack of focus or debate would seem to be an issue, if, as many or most believe, coal and other fossil fuels are a primary cause of global warming and are therefore unsustainable. While solar and other renewable power sources, while environmentally attractive, cannot provide continuous industrial sources of electricity, SMNR's should be part of the debate, assuming the safety issue is addressed.

Meanwhile back to the present, or at least the immediate future: It is too early to tell the damage that the bushfires have inflicted on the economy. Consumer confidence and spending have certainly been affected, and we are yet to see the inflationary effect on food. What will be the final cost of repair, rebuilding and recovery? Tourism - both inbound and local - will have been significantly damaged, and the government's much-vaunted budget surplus would appear to be in danger of evaporating in the after-effects of the bushfire induced heat.

Overall though our thoughts should be, and are, with those most affected either through the loss of life, injury, or loss of property.