The untold story of 'Black Saturday' is being repeated

Victoria’s “Black Saturday” bushfires were responsible for the immediate deaths of more than 170 people.

A tragic as that is, what is not truly publically acknowledged is that more than 300 people died in the extreme heat that lead up to that rather difficult February day in 2009.

Similar difficulties are being experience elsewhere.

Louisville, in Kentucky, America, has just 0.2 of the country’s population, but six per cent of America’s heat related deaths.

“Louisville, Urbanful reports, “is the fastest-warming city in the U.S., with a summer heat island effect of 20 degrees—meaning that in Louisville’s downtown, temperatures can be a full 20 degrees higher than the surrounding areas.”

A story headed: “How Louisville is leading small cities in the charge to go green” discusses what the city is doing to counteract this heat-island effect.

Seeing our cities in a new light

Our energy poor future will bring futures we haven’t yet comprehended.

Among them is maybe a darkness that will allow us to see our cities in a new way.

The Urbanful story, and pictures: “What city skies would look like in a world without electricity” gives us an insight into what is possible.

Alternative energy enthusiasts argue that even though we may well end our addiction to fossil-fuel power, other renewable sources will allow us to keep the lights on.