The recent fires in Australia with large loss of life and property [1] underscore the need to have defensible space around buildings [2]. There is one factor in the Australian bush fires is not common knowledge in the US: In extremely hot weather, some tree species found in Australia–such as eucalyptus–exude volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are extremely flammable. When the conditions are just right, this can cause a firestorm effect.
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Chris E. flagged this: Rep. Kanjorski: $550 Billion Disappeared in “Electronic Run on the Banks.” [3] A key quote: “[if the Federal reserve had not acted] by two o’clock that afternoon $5.5 trillion would have been drawn out of the money market system of the United States. [This] would have collapsed the entire economy of the United States, and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed.”
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Cheryl sent us the following economic news and commentary: 15 Companies that May Not Survive 2009 [4] — Nissan to Cut 20,000 Jobs [5] — US Job Losses Hit College Educated [6] — Bank of England to Issue Grimmest Warning Yet on Economy [7] — US Treasury to Pump Billions More into Banks [8] — Grab Your Torch and Pitchforks: Homeowners Protest at Morgan Stanley CEO’s Home [9] — Peter Schiff: this is Just the Beginning [10] — US Inflation Could Hit 200% [11] — Silver/Gold Ratio Reversion [12] — Merrill Lynch: Gold Hysteria Continues, Could Hit $1,500 [13] — Peace of Mind Comes in Yellow [14] (The Mogambo Guru)