Fires, Science, Learning, Design

Discussion in 'General chat' started by Jana, Feb 8, 2009.

  1. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    Hi,
    I am an aromatherapist / massage therapist / art therapist living in NSW.
    Watching the recent terrible bush fire footage on tv I have the urge to drive to Victoria to try to help. But , Instead I thought I would pass on this idea which works absolutely amazingly and brings such relief to burns. Even small burns are extremely painful. (If the skin is broken I would see a doctor of course but as a first aid measure if nothing else is available or for treatment of smaller burns this is very effective).

    If you have cold water to cool the burn do this first - then immerse burned part in 100% pure lavender oil or drip the essential oil over the wound catching it in a clean container to be dripped over the wound repeatedly.
    Follow this with aloe vera gel if you have any.
    The application of lavender oil may have to be repeated a few times but the relief is very noticeable and scarring is very much reduced.

    (essential oils aren't "oily" - it is in no way like the old "butter on the burn" remedy)

    *Important note -
    please make sure you use 100% pure lavender oil and not a massage oil or alcohol based water soluble lavender oil solution or a perfume oil. Other products used instead could make the problem worse instead of better.
    The pure essential oil has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, skin healing and pain relieving properties.


    I have used this method several times and it works much more quickly and effectively than anything else I have tried.

    Keep some lavender oil in the first aid kit for children's cooking, camping and barbecues.

    Take care
     
  2. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Hi,
    sorry, I'm new to this. I posted the aromatherapy item and then went back to beginning and read the whole conversation that is going on.

    On the actual subject being discussed. After seeing some of the frightening footage on tv the other day my 12 year old son commented - "mum, do you think we should build a fire shelter under our house?"
    (we are in NSW and thankfully not in danger from any of the fires)

    I do think digging deep underground bunkers are probably the only things we could build to be of help in such a fire.
    But the lack of oxygen was the next thing that I realised. The idea of using compressed air tanks (as on airlines with a mask?) is a good one. Thanks TrishandPete.

    My opinion also is that these fires weren't of the "normal" bushfire variety that we have in Australia every so often.
    Even though we have had some really horrific fires in the past - this one was on a different scale altogether.

    I send loving thoughts and healing energy to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.
    All we can do now is to focus on helping people to heal physically, emotionally, financially and to continue to help for as
    long as it is needed, in any way that we can. Even though we all live in different places, with different names and
    different skin colours - we are family.
     
  3. janahn

    janahn Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Dear Jana re your request for a a "Science of Interdisciplinarism" in case you havent noticed, its called permaculture. I have noticed, what an intolerant mob has responded, to your forum discussion. I think it is always best not to tell others to think. Actions are greater.
     
  4. springtide

    springtide Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    I don't think we are particularly upset by Jana's use of the slang form of "Aboriginal" but rather her heartless words in regard to the 200 or so dead from the Victorian bushfires, this bit sounds like she is even happy with the deaths as it vindicates her argument.

    Hopefully this sacrifice of life will stimulate some lucidity in the halls of obsolete authority.
    The house building industry has an obligation to build houses that are suited to the environs and don't kill people.
    The local and federal authorities have an obligation to plan for the protection and well being of the citizens


    This bit
    ...the Aussies have been on that continent for 200 years and have not yet been enlightened as to correct lifestyle practices. I wonder what the Abos do in the way of living with fire.
    The Australian bush requires cycles of fires and the Indigenous Australian's used to start them to assist this (and get out of the way) now we have houses and it is a bit harder - lots of these houses were on small blocks so do we knock over all the trees everywhere or hope there are no arsonists around?

    Could we please be tactful in our responses to this tragedy please?
     
  5. Noz

    Noz Junior Member

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  6. Shade

    Shade Junior Member

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    Re: Fire Technology, Unlearning and Commonsense

    Hindsight is a wonderful mirage, I'll wager. But could I just point out perhaps small but possibly little known facts please?

    People have a right to risk injury or death by staying home to fight the fire rather than fleeing. Of those that were able to do so, the majority of such people were not afforded that right, subjected instead to bylaws that prevented them from doing so.

    Many homes in the affected region were actively and adequately prepared as per Council guidelines to combat fire. They weren't just left to the elements as some news outlets may have depicted. The diabolical nature of the firestorm could not be predicted and, as such, I feel that homes would have succumbed despite adequate clearing.

    Additionally, Council restrictions and planning laws in the bushfire prone areas PREVENT residents from clearing trees and managing surrounding flora. Such actions can (and do) result in legal action, court appearances, fines and convictions. Nillumbik and Mitchell Shire Councils are shining examples of such idiocy.

    There is a prevailing attitude in these and other Councils which, in fairness, are vigilantly aided by wellmeaning but misguided Green groups, that any tree that is felled is an act of wanton vandalism and a monstrous display of anti-environmentalism. Giving little credence to the reality of living in the bush, they place unreasonable covenants on land that is sold for residential purposes and enforce them often, as we have now seen, at the cost of lives.

    Native vegetation management policies need a major overhaul and without one group doing all the dictation as to how this will be done. The practice of backburning, be it employed by indigenous groups or otherwise, does not mean that such a practice was ever advantageous to the land and formal studies have been shown to have been anything but. This was something that was very clearly and responsibly pointed out in my Permaculture Certificate Course.
     
  7. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Yes Shade, if we adopt the regular practice of burning out everything on the ground in the forests, what will happen to
    the wildlife that needs leaf litter, bugs, fungi, small plants etc. to survive. Not to mention the soil micro-organisms and
    mirriad insect life? It is a very complex and difficult dilemma.
     
  8. aquifier

    aquifier Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Hello there,
    I'm new to this forum and have just posted my intro.
    May I say as an 'outsider' and someone who was only 1 kilometer away from two very aggressive fire fronts that reading everyones posts what I see in Jana's post is a critiquing (crudely) of the capitalist system we live in. I agree to an extent that we need to be aware of what we all participate in; heck we've all got our boots in this sludge. The systems we live amongst and in we really don't have the protocol anymore to understand where or how they are going, nor where or what it is due to it's ubiquitous invisibility.
    All I can say about the fires apart from it being a heart wrenching event is that these fires happened and became what they were due to exceptional circumstances. All the firefighters,SES etc et al had never come across a fire like this before.
    The unbelivable wind change that came early was fortunately what saved us but for others was only devastation. After the winds changed and the smoke clouds shifted creating a huge smoke cloud-arc now heading north what happened next was only what I can describe as completely unimaginable to me. Mammatus cumulus clouds formed!!!! These only usually occur before severe hurricanes (like Katrina). Not only this but forked lightening shooting horizontal above these clouds. The FIRE caused this!! The fire created it's own climate. This is what people in Victoria were dealing with; something that no-one has dealt with before.

    We need to learn much from the indigenous peoples of this country that's for certain. Yes, fire for them was a scourge as much as a friend too.

    I cannot watch the media circus. I think the radio is nothing less than brilliant, but the TV, too hard. All the lynch-mobs are out now wanting to know 'who has done this' even our prime minister stating he 'wants them to rot in a cell'. Now I'm no stranger to rage and indignation, but I'm also no stranger to grief; grief is a profoundly private thing and I think it's far more healing to go into the awful despair and sadness than to go in griefs other direction of unconsolable anger. Ultimately people will do what they do. I just think we don't need the so called leaders of this country rubbing more salt into the bloodied wounds and creating more confusing emotions. I just want to tell them to let people alone to feel what they feel. The whole country and seemingly alot of the world are supporting the victims let that through more, not the other rubbish.

    My thoughts to everyone affected, to everyone that knows someone that's affected, to all the animals still running scared and burnt in the bush, to the planet that has to process all this smoke and pollution.
     
  9. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    to acquifier

    You wrote

    So beautifully put!

    Grief needs silence, caring and time in order to heal.
    Of course it is important that any arsonists are dealt with swiftly and severely but without too much media attention which will feed the distorted egos of these "people" and add new pain to the people who are already suffering more than anyone should ever have to.
     
  10. aquifier

    aquifier Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Aww... thanks Suzie... just wrote what I felt.
    :)
     
  11. Shade

    Shade Junior Member

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    Re: Fires, Science, Learning, Design

    Yeah, but other people have.

    It's not the first time fires such as those that have burnt Victoria have ripped through the Australian landscape and it won't be the last.

    Totally agree with the media circus comment and as soon as someone says "fire" or "day of mourning" or "Victoria special" I switch of the tv/radio. I'm sickened by it as I'm sickened by other acts of bad mindedness. Friends of ours have described looters down at Churchill as well as people from the city coming into the affected areas to get a feed from the kitchens and get clothing and stuff as well as sightseeing so they can get their photos published in the papers (for a fee, of course) as well as eager investers keen to buy up burnt property for bargain basement prices. Also, a guy who was caught impersonating a charity worker with thousands of dollars of ill gotten gains on his person was given a suspended sentence today because "he had intended to give the money to authorities.."

    Ugh.

    Makes me want to set up a special compost for them.
     
  12. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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