2020 - A fiery start to a new decade!

WOW! it's been a whirlwind of a start here in Australia firstly and now globally for 2020! I've only now had time to sit and express my thoughts from the unsettling weather storms in homeland Australia, and now the global virus threat around the world we are awakening to. What to think?...how to think?...These are the questions we each have to ask when trawling through the volumes of social media comments; some of which agrees with our individual stances and views, and some going against.

Firstly what to think about the explosion of heat and fire equal to Hades in my corner of this beautiful planet, Australia.. Is it an expression of Global Warming or is it a matter of Australian history being that we were after all a hot almost uninhabitable land as thought by our early explorers. Facts not personal fiction are called for with the answer to this question and we are faced with facts that do not lie from our trusted record keepers who have tracked weather conditions since 1950.

https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/

Whether it be a personal opinion of Global warming causing these wildfires, or cycle of heat waves that has always been a fact of life here downunder, is completely open for discussion and critical opinion. My opinion, if it matters, is that we are one of the fastest growing (population) centres of the world and with this comes the destruction of our natural balance of our ecology. I personally feel most strongly for our world unique and beautiful wildlife, who are scampering to find new habitats which are now being inhabited by humans. The politics involved are many, yet if we just took a step back and realised we are all here as mere caretakers of this beautiful planet, we might do well to put economy second for a few years and focus on getting our ecology back into balance. For without a healthy ecology there is no economy.

As for the world of wine here in Australia, we have had a disastrous beginning to the decade with the savage firestorms causing destruction of vineyards particularly Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island (South Australia), Gippsland (Victoria) and the regions of Tumbarumba and Hunter Valley (New South Wales) along with massive smoke issues for the farmers of the vine in nearby regions.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/07/no-vintage-australian-vineyards-dump-grape-harvest-as-bushfire-smoke-takes-its-toll

https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/we-re-flat-out-labs-running-overtime-testing-wine-grapes-for-smoke-taint-20200207-p53ymu.html

and for those people who thought ahead and stockpiled their cellars from the recent run of wonderful vintages of 2015, 2017 & 2018, you are already in a great position for fine drinking of Australian wines for a few years to come. I myself had some idea that this disastrous time would come soon, so stockpiled from these vintages.

However out of disasters come new ways of thinking and new ways of dealing with these issues, and we as Australians are creative & innovative folk. Check out some of these articles.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-22/wine-grower-removes-smoke-taint-from-his-grapes/11890130

https://www.wineaustralia.com/news/articles/smoke-taint-seeing-through-the-haze

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-06/winemakers-look-to-innovate-learn-from-bushfire-vintage/11923436

With all this to consider, life goes on in 2020, and we have to adjust our living styles and approach to life as we know it.

There is no quick short answer to change, like a ship, it takes time to change course, but if we can except that we MUST take more care of our environment, research more what we do and how we act and replace harmful products with sustainable recycled in all ways we consume - from packaging of consumables to the food we eat.

My tip therefore for the year 2020 and the decade ahead is to not only be tolerant, considerate and friendly to our fellow beings as well as care more for our wildlife, but to prioritise and consider our most fragile environment in all aspects of our daily lives, even to the extent of making sure the right waste goes into the right bin!

Love to all, make change happen and have a RockStar 2020!

Andrew