RANT: Queensland Under Water

One of my biggest wishes for 2011 was that there be less environmental disasters. After the BP Gulf of Mexico spill, red toxic tide in Hungary and a host of other ecological disasters in 2011, it was foremost in my mind for this new year. Not very likely, I knew, given the relentless progression of climate change, deforestation and biodiversity and species loss, but I had to hope.

So much for that hope in 2011...

The year has barely commenced and already a huge swathe of northeastern Australia had been inundated with rains and subsequent floods that were described to be of 'biblical proportions'.

And today reports were that now the largest city in the state of Queensland and Australia's third-largest city, Brisbane, is also being flooded. And that's a very sizable city.

People have died, the rains don't seem to stop and there are already predictions that the repercussions on the world economy due to shut mines will be enormous.

If it's not floods, it's huge forest fires or mudslides or devastating droughts - Australia can't seem to catch a break with its weather in the past few years.

It has nothing to do with luck or the lack thereof, of course.

There can be very little doubt - Australia is Ground Zero for climate change these days.

Queensland has suffered terrible floods before, it is true, but the multitude of environmental disasters that have hit Australia in the last few years, as well as similar trends in other parts of the world, are providing ample evidence that climate change is already here.

And, worse still, some analysts are now stating that climate change is occurring at an even quicker rate than previously projected.

And yet the climate change naysayers continue their flat Earth bias against all the evidence...

As if the kangaroo in the picture deserved this...?

Do you get my point?