Protests can also mask the fundamentals of reasoning

RE: Shaun Cuneen (GCB 15/1). “Protests unite people”.

I also observe that protests divide people, as demonstrated during a week of disruption late last year when they prevented good citizens going about their lawful business. One could determine from this that Extinction Rebellion believed the end justifies the means. If you are going to use examples, let’s not forget the pilots’ strike or the electrical power workers’ strike here in Queensland. These protests created mayhem for workers and the public alike.

You may be right. These fires may eventually turn out to be the worst in our living memory. But how do we reconcile that? Australia began recording the weather in 1910 in WA. A mere 110 years ago.

Compare that to the 180,000,000 years since Australia became an independent continent and it’s fair to say that countless events went unobserved.

One of the first historical observations was by Captain Cook in 1770. He described Australia as a “continent of smoke”. Since then we have reached a widespread population of around 24.6 million. Some living in areas that have historically been plagued with bushfires. The highly visible and reported loss of life, property and animals has far more emotional impact than smoke seen from a distance.

We live in a harsh country where nature will have its way. We will suffer the consequences unless we take effective precautions. That is the first and immediate lesson we should learn.

You say we have been warned, yet we have always faced this. History keeps demonstrating that no record stands forever. If we are to continue to populate borderline areas as we grow, we must be prepared to deal with and adapt to what will surely come.

I have one last question. If by some miracle the whole world changed to renewable energy tomorrow, how long would it be before conditions reverted and would make a significant change to what we must deal with in the next 50 years? I did say it would be a miracle so why not deal with what we reasonably can? BOB JANSSEN GOLD COAST