The Floods

it has been a while since I wrote a blog entry here and now that started writing my computer column here I've decided to continue with this series.

The recent floods in Queensland have demonstrated how unprepared we are in Australia to face nature. At the same time the Australian news media has spent a lot of time pretending that these floods in some way unusual. They desperately want to say that these are the worst floods we've ever seen but history had shown that those of the 50s were worse.

To some extent the amount of mitigation of the damage could have been increased if our politicians and leaders had spent far less time listening to global warming alarmists. With predictions of an ending drought and dry dams councils allow people to build on floodplains. The elevated Queenslander style homes which are designed to deal with flooding had been replaced by ground level dwellings which were the first to be affected by the floods.

Increasing population means a demand for more housing. If you don't have to worry about nature and planning becomes easy and you can build anywhere. Nature however doesn't care what our predictions are and continues to follow the natural cycles as they have for thousands of years. The irony in this situation is that those responsible for these outrageous theories are the same ones that rail against the building of dams and at the same ones that never seem to get blamed for their false predictions.

In times past when we were less enlightened people who made false predictions were often put to death. In our modern society they are continually rewarded with TV spots, books, the lecture circuit and even  regaled with titles like Australian of the year. Sadly while institutions like the ABC are allowed to present opinions based on a dearth of facts the general public will continue to be misled. There exists more sensible new sources online but many only have the television and in newspapers as their primary sources of information.

Until this changes people will build houses in floodplains, and people will lose them.