The world has gone mad

IT seems the world has gone mad. The Mediterranean-bordering Arabic world seems to be imploding with riots everywhere; presidencies are being toppled left, right and centre; the world's weather patterns have gone to pot; and Fox News thinks Egypt is in Iraq:

And it is still only February.

The troubles experienced in Australia have particularly struck a chord with me. I by no means wish to detract from the problems that Brazil and Sri Lanka have suffered from flooding this year but the ongoing problems that Queensland particularly are facing cannot help but grab my attention. First an inland tsunami, next widespread flooding and now Cyclone Yasi. When I was working with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) in 2007 I spent some time in forests near Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands and further south near Mission Beach. All around, whether inland or not, the destruction that Cyclone Larry had caused on the rainforest two years before was more than apparent. Working for the environment, we strove to clear the debris still lying around to help the ecosystem to recover. Cyclone Yasi has now torn through this region once more, only more powerfully and without much warning. My thoughts go to those evacuated from the region, indeed those left behind also, and hope first and foremost that everybody is OK, second that the damage is not too severe - as daylight falls the devastation will only now become apparent. I would imagine that Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is rather ruing her chosen term at the moment: nobody could be prepared for this much chaos.

Can normality be resumed now please?