Andrew Leigh is another warmist vulture Labor MP Andrew Leigh is the latest to play politics with the NSW fires: But, alas, Environment Minister Greg Hunt seems to be doing just that... Sydney itself will see temperatures climb from 24 and 28 on Saturday and Sunday, and reach 31 and 30 on Monday and Tuesday. If accurate, the latter two days will make it six days of 30-plus degree days for October, matching the record tally of 1926 and 1968... Mean temperatures for October alone are more than 2 degrees above the average for that period. While very warm, the temperatures still have a way to go before they beat the record spring anomaly of 2.42 degrees set in 1914, [Blair Trewin, a senior climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology] said. The United Nations" Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)... conceded that world temperatures have barely risen in the past 15 years, despite growing amounts of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere. For New South Wales and southern Queensland, the peak risk [of bushfires] usually occurs in spring and early summer... The statutory bush fire danger period runs from 1 October-31 March. Grassland fires frequently occur after good periods of rainfall which results in abundant growth that dries out in hot weather. 1957: Bushfires in the Blue Mountains area driven by gale force winds destroyed 25 homes, shops, schools, churches and a hospital. 1964/65: Major fires occurred in the Snowy Mountains, Southern Tablelands and outer metropolitan area. The Chatsbury/Bungonia fire covered 250,000ha and destroyed the village of Wingello. Three lives were lost. In March the Tumut Valley fire burnt 80,000ha. 1968/69: Widespread damage occurred over much of the eastern part of the State. Major fires at Wollongong burnt rainforest, destroyed 33 homes and five other buildings. Fires in the lower Blue Mountains were fanned by 100km/h westerly winds and destroyed 123 buildings. 1969/70: The Roto fire burnt some 280,000ha in a three week period. 1972/73: The south-eastern corner of the State suffered the worst fires since 1968 with over 200,000ha burnt. The Burrinjuck fire burnt 16,000ha and was reported to have travelled 19km in three hours, denuding a hillside in its path. 1974/75: The severest season for perhaps 30 years in the far west with 3,755,000ha burnt, 50,000 stock lost and 10,170km of fencing destroyed. 1.5 million ha were burnt in the Cobar Shire in mid-December and 340,000ha in the Balranald fire. The Moolah-Corinya fire burnt 1,117,000ha and was the largest fire put out by bush firefighters. Its perimeter was over 1,000km. 1976/77: In early December, 9,000ha were burnt and three homes destroyed in Hornsby Shire, and 65,000ha were burnt in the Blue Mountains. 1977/78: In the Blue Mountains area 49 buildings were destroyed and 54,000ha burnt. Sydney suburbs up to 60km away were showered with fallout of blackened leaves. 1978/79: Serious fires occurred in the Southern Highlands and South West Slopes regions. Over 50,000ha were burnt, five houses were destroyed and heavy stock losses were inflicted. 1979/80: Following severe drought conditions over most of the State, major fires were widespread. In Mudgee Shire, 55,400ha were burnt and one life was lost. 9,000ha were burnt in Warringah Shire and 14 houses lost. Fires occurred in the majority of council areas within the State burning a total of over 1 million ha. 1982/83: $12 million worth of pine plantation was destroyed in southern NSW in a fire, which burnt 25,000ha in only two and a half hours. The Grose Valley fire burnt 35,000ha. 1984/85: This was the worst fire season for ten years in the grassed western areas of the State. On Christmas Day more than 100 fires were started by lightning strikes and 500,000ha burnt as a result. The largest fire was at Cobar in mid-January with 516,000ha burnt. During the season there were 6,000 fires State-wide, 3.5 million ha burnt, four lives lost, 40,000 stock lost and $40 million damage. 1987/88: Over 115,000ha were burnt in the Bethungra and Warurillah/Yanco fires with three lives lost at the Bethungra fire. Major fires also occurred in the south eastern part of Kosciusko National Park where 65,000ha were burnt in the Park and surrounding areas. Fossil evidence suggests that fire was a part of the Australian landscape long before the existence of human beings... It appears that, with the arrival of humans over 50,000 years ago the frequency of fire may have increased. Aboriginal people used fire skilfully ... to encourage grassland development in some areas and also to increase the abundance of plant foods and animals. With the arrival of Europeans the fire regimes changed. Fires are now less frequent, but when they do occur they are more intense and often cause a lot of damage. Andrew Leigh and the Greens are a disgrace. Behold the rise of the irrational and the opportunist. Thanks to readers Peter and Steve.