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[Banjax]

Colombo, Sri Lanka: 13 dead, 1 million affected
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/13/sri.lanka.troops.rescue/index.html

Rio de Janeiro and Sau Paulo, Brazil: 260 dead http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/01/12/brazil.floods/index.html

Brisbane, Australia: 15 dead
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/12/australia.floods/index.html


Philippines, 40 dead: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/12/philippines.flooding/index.html



any given week each of these devastating floods would be headline news, with all 4 happening at the same time it seems theres only room to report on Brisbane, the devastation and tragedy, however, is the same for everyone no matter where you live 

[Dishevelled Den]

Quite so BJ, its heartbreaking news indeed.

Another stark example of the temporary nature of human tenancy on this planet.

[Nickbat]

La Nina affects global weather patterns and this one has been strong. There have been, however, worse floods and certainly, in Queensland, some have been very critical of the fact that the government has not taken heed of these natural variations, instead listening to those who said it would become a permanent drought area. Thus they had cancelled dam projects, desalination plants constructed (now mothballed) and plans to build nice gardens and seating areas alongside the creeks which have flooded before and have now done so again. Not to mention all the building on flood plains.

Much the same applies to other areas around the world that have been affected by this phenomenon (and will be again in the future). 

[Dishevelled Den]

La Nina affects global weather patterns and this one has been strong. There have been, however, worse floods and certainly, in Queensland, some have been very critical of the fact that the government has not taken heed of these natural variations, instead listening to those who said it would become a permanent drought area. Thus they had cancelled dam projects, desalination plants constructed (now mothballed) and plans to build nice gardens and seating areas alongside the creeks which have flooded before and have now done so again. Not to mention all the building on flood plains.

Much the same applies to other areas around the world that have been affected by this phenomenon (and will be again in the future). 

Not to mention all the building on flood plains.

This is the thing I could never understand - and it applies to development in general, the real  consequences of ignoring the natural topography of any chosen location seldom seems to figure high in any area assessment.

[Banjax]

congratulations Nickbat, was wondering how you'd spin this one 

[Nickbat]

congratulations Nickbat, was wondering how you'd spin this one 

No spin, just fact.

[Banjax]

congratulations Nickbat, was wondering how you'd spin this one 

No spin, just fact.

thats certainly the accepted wisdom on the subject, notice i never mentioned anything about global warming or climate change, just logging extreme weather events - seems a lot this year already 

[cem_devecioglu]

congratulations Nickbat, was wondering how you'd spin this one 

No spin, just fact.

dont know you will spin or not   but something really is wrong with weather !  we are in the middle of january and no frost around and migrated european birds singing at midnight 3 am

[Varche]

The sad thing for me is once again the biased reporting by British media even dare I say it the glorious BBC itself.

Plenty about the poor Australians.

The Sri Lankans have had this also for the last week. A million displaced and many killed. How much footage on BBC etc. Didly nada. Why? No free junket out there? They don't speak English? Who knows.

Not much until today either about the Brazillians but then they don't speak English either as their first tongue. I am afraid you have to watchg "foreign Tv" to find out about Sri Lanka or Brazil! Long live the empire.

[Banjax]

The sad thing for me is once again the biased reporting by British media even dare I say it the glorious BBC itself.

Plenty about the poor Australians.

The Sri Lankans have had this also for the last week. A million displaced and many killed. How much footage on BBC etc. Didly nada. Why? No free junket out there? They don't speak English? Who knows.

Not much until today either about the Brazillians but then they don't speak English either as their first tongue. I am afraid you have to watchg "foreign Tv" to find out about Sri Lanka or Brazil! Long live the empire.

yep, varche - i assume its because we have a very close affinity with the Aussies...and the US for that matter, so events there tend to take precedence over other parts of the world, BBC did cover it on news 24 but certainly only in passing and nothing like the coverage from Queensland 

[Nickbat]

It would appear that we have had more extreme weather in the past, so current events are not so remarkable after all. An interesting read. 

http://notrickszone.com/2011/01/14/new-esper-study-confirms-warm-periods-lead-to-prosperity-cold-periods-to-death-and-misery-climate-extremes-were-greater-in-the-past/ 

[Banjax]

I'm curious as to why the mention of extreme weather has you hopping through time like a demented Gallifrean?

Extreme weather in the past can't possibly hurt us, its the here and now we should worry about.

and now, heres a picture of a dead elephant up a tree

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12185011

[Dishevelled Den]

I'm curious as to why the mention of extreme weather has you hopping through time like a demented Gallifrean?

Extreme weather in the past can't possibly hurt us, its the here and now we should worry about.

and now, heres a picture of a dead elephant up a tree

Gallifrean

Being a lover of regional dialects BJ is that from a local tongue? - cancel that I've looked it up.

[Banjax]

I'm curious as to why the mention of extreme weather has you hopping through time like a demented Gallifrean?

Extreme weather in the past can't possibly hurt us, its the here and now we should worry about.

and now, heres a picture of a dead elephant up a tree

Gallifrean

Being a lover of regional dialects BJ is that from a local tongue? - cancel that I've looked it up.

just me being a geek 

[Nickbat]

I'm curious as to why the mention of extreme weather has you hopping through time like a demented Gallifrean?

I merely came across this recent article and thought it was relevant to this thread. Maybe I should have started a new thread. Actually, I wish I did.

Extreme weather in the past can't possibly hurt us, its the here and now we should worry about.

and now, heres a picture of a dead elephant up a tree

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12185011

Why should we worry? The article reinforces the fact that extremes of weather have always affected the planet. We can't do anything about it other than attempt to reduce the impact of such events. We cannot control them.

As for the elephant, it may be sad, but lots of creatures die in naturally-caused events and died that way long before man appeared on the scene. It's called nature.