Worst air in the world

Our Sydney air is usually pretty good, as big city air quality goes. Last week it was about the worst in the world, with air visibility index numbers higher than Beijing's and Delhi's.

It's been caused by the massive bushfires raging around us. The nearby mega-blaze they call the 'Gospers Mountain' fire could more accurately now be called the 'Whole of Wollemi National Park, whole of the Yengo National Park, Much of the Blue Mountains National Park, and Many State Forest and Recreation Areas' fire. It's horrendous. Most of the best bushwalking areas I've been visiting in recent years are gone. All the other parks are closed, and it's looking like the whole Blue Mountains region will soon go up in smoke. As well as the bushland, that's also a serious number of towns and homes now under threat. Temperatures across Australia are the highest ever recorded.

So far nothing much has happened here in Sydney proper, though that could change at any moment. Everyone's screaming for much more support for the fire brigades and much more action on climate change. The Prime Minister has taken his family overseas for their holidays. The Acting Prime Minister says this concern about climate action is just something the 'raving inner city loonies' worry about. We're in good hands!