To calm a few panicking people, the Australian Government will pay for large fans to circulate water on a minuscule portion of the 2,300 kilometer long Great Barrier Reef. The reef creatures, which have been coping with higher temperatures and bleaching for two hundred million years, will hopefully avoid the moving parts. Marine life adapts to heatwaves by chucking out the symbionts that don't thrive in higher temperatures and replacing them up new inhabitants that do.
If the fans achieve anything, it may stop this natural process (called Symbiont Shuffling) thus possibly making small sections of the reef more vulnerable to future heatwaves and El Ninos. Who knows?
© JoNova
Fans like this are used in the United States to circulate water.
Fans like this are used in the United States to circulate water.
Comment: See also: 'Out of control' Southern California wildfire explodes as growing blazes force 27,000 to flee
Nearly 200,000 people have been told to evacuate the California wildfires. The Thomas fire has burned at least 90,000 acres. The Creek fire has burned at least 12,600 acres and the Rye fire destroyed at least 7,000 acres. The Skirball fire covered 475 acres as of Wednesday evening. So far the Thomas fire has destroyed at least 150 structures and the Creek fire has destroyed at least 30 structures.
More than 1,800 firefighters have battled the erratic Thomas fire, which is just 5% contained, according to the latest update by Cal Fire. The Creek fire is also 5% contained and the Skirball fire is 10% contained. Little Mountain Fire is now 100% contained.
This youtube video shows drivers heading down the 405 freeway, where they met giant flames from the several fires burning in Southern California.
Here's a downright scary look at what California drivers were faced with driving to work:
Keep in mind that right now is the 'wet season' in California, which is why December wildfires are so rare, yet no rain has arrived.