There is a “clear link” between climate change and bushfires, with the current New South Wales fires influenced by a rising frequency of hot, dry days, according to the climate body that had its funding withdrawn by the Coalition government.

The Climate Council’s findings offered a rebuke to Tony Abbott’s assertion that there was no correlation between climate change and the New South Wales fires, which the prime minister renewed on Friday when he dismissed claims of a link as "complete hogwash".

Asked by News Corporation columnist Andrew Bolt about the "insanity" of the reaction to the fires by the "media and outside" in connecting the fires to global warming, Abbott said: "I suppose, you might say, that they are desperate to find anything that they think might pass as ammunition for their cause.”

The Climate Council comprises an independent group of scientists and businesspeople established from the ashes of the Climate Commission, which was abolished by the government in September.

In interim findings from a 25-page report on bushfire risks due to be released in November, the Climate Council said long-term drying trends were creating conditions ideal for fire outbreaks. The council’s report explicitly links the NSW fires to climate change.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/25/climate-council-clear-link-bushfires

Yes there is a link between the intensity, the timing and numbers of bush fires with global warming... but on this one, one must also include the army, sir... Andrew bold is a deliberate idiot — an intelligent man paid to be a spruiking idiot...

The joke at top is that doing the rounds in the neighbourhoods in relation to the army exploding devices on a day of total fire ban and starting a huge bush fire... A joke to to which one adds "god help us!"...

The military demolition specialists who sparked a massive Blue Mountains fire during an exercise last week are suspected of having used too much explosive, Fairfax Media has learnt.

As Defence continues to investigate the incident, a well-placed military source said it appeared the personnel taking part in the exercise had ''massively exceeded'' the amount of explosive suitable for the Marrangaroo training range.