I keep thinking, and writing, how strange times are. Strange they are because so many extraordinary things seem to be occurring in close succession. That poses the question then: at what point does 'strange' become normal? If these events are so frequent and regular, no matter how extreme, does that not then become the new normal?
It would be fool who does not wonder at the increased frequency of untoward events. Most are weather or climate related, and it's natural to think that it is no coincidence. Most of us now, I think, have a deep seated sense that something's amiss, and if it's not climate change then what is it?
The sceptics will claim that the events we are experiencing have ever been, and this is just part of the usual cycle of the earth. I haven't lived half a century yet so my experience is abbreviated, yet I have lived long enough to see and experience large shifts. More than that, while nothing is new as they say, the regularity of these events and the violence of them is new to me.
It's not all about the climate. These are tumultuous times. Shifts in global power and economic might are ongoing. The internet and the easy access to communication and information have opened up societies and brought governments to their knees. Wikileaks has been profound in cracking the official wall of disinformation like a nut. In so doing there seems a liberating sense of expectation. The power of this is evidenced by the Egyptian government cutting internet access to its people in a futile attempt to limit the damage.
Strange times all round. Birds fall from the air and floods leave baby elephants stranded high in the treetops in Sri Lanka. Catastrophic floods cripple Queensland and then Victoria, while in Brazil mudslides kill near 500. The big freeze settles over much of the northern hemisphere while here in Australia bushfires flare up once again.We even had a locust plague.
In Tunisia the people rebel and topple their dictator; in Egypt as we speak the downtrodden people have risen en masse demanding the resignation of Mubarak. He hangs on, but think he must step down. These at least are positive, and who knows what dictator is next?
Back in Oz poor old Queensland is battening down the hatches for the impending arrival of Cyclone Yasi. Overnight it was upgraded to a category five cyclone, the highest, worst category. They say from edge to edge the cyclone is as big as the entire state, and the vortex a hundred kilometres across. It is due to hit the coast tonight near Cairns at high tide, the worst possible timing. It is rated the most dangerous ever cyclone ever to hit our shores, higher than Tracy which left 70 odd people dead in 1974, a minnow in comparison to this.
There is uncertainty about the impact of this. You feel for the Queenslanders: they must wonder what they have done to endure such a biblical train of events. You fear the worse though. In the face of such brutal power their is little you can do but prepare for it and cross your fingers. In my mind I expect this to be very bad.
Strange times? So they seem, but now becoming normal.
