Talking about trees...... blossoming trees seen around Newcastle suburbs this week.  Wait all year for one splendid showing.  And these pics haven't done them justice.  Believe the smallest tree is a mango tree with fig trees in background. 

Firewood.

I am all for community activism but in my opinion this is just faux green martyrdom by selfish, self-important baby-booming chardonnay socialists and their over-indulged progeny.

Surely this comment is wide of the mark! On line comment to the Herald on the subject of fig trees. 

The tree of life.
 If, say, ten very large fig trees were felled, how much carbon would be released?  In terms of carbon sink, what if a suitable financial penalty became attached to felling a tree? And cost cutting is debated.  There's no time to lose.
After felling, if the timber were put to a noble use to build or furnish, for instance, the new art gallery, then the carbon would remain sequestrated and we could forever admire, feel good and rejoice over the trees that grew in Laman Street.

More input on the problem fig trees comes from centuries ago with something for both sides of the debate (while taking liberties with the quote).  The scriptures describe a scene at daybreak on the road outside Bethany.

He (Jesus) was hungry: and, seeing a fig-tree by the road side, he went up to it, and found nothing but leaves on it.  And he said to it, Let no fruit ever grow on thee hereafter; where-upon the fig tree withered away.  His disciples were amazed when they saw it;  How suddenly it has withered away! they said.  Jesus answered them, I promise you, if you have faith, and do not hesitate, you will be able to do more than I have done over the fig-tree; if you say to this mountain, Remove, and be cast into the sea, it will come about.   If you will only believe, every gift you ask for in your prayer will be granted.  (Matthew 21 Knox translation 1945)

On hearing a visiting scholar I delved into the scriptures despite my limited knowledge.  Like Knox,  the visitor,  Fr Nicholas King SJ,  is an Englishman, an elder scholar, Oxford lecturer, translator and witty speaker who will be in Hamilton on Sunday 11 September, with, no doubt, fine commentary and delightful in-depth music to illuminate the Psalms. An hour or two of esoteric contrast to an otherwise grim anniversary.

 I understand the above quote is parable-talk. One explaination refers to this strange, almost unbelievable action of Jesus (the only time he worked a miracle not from kindness of heart) as really a parable in action...the withered tree marks an unforgettable impression and is metaphor for those who didn't get it and bore no fruit or right reponse to the new insights

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Trees above Civic park where visitors thought they were seeing the trees for the last time, or is it the second last time, before they are cut down.  People looking like figures on a project design sketch, bright sun that washed out the colour of the flowers, a policewoman and security guard off camera and security fence that is difficult to see, all go to make up the scene.

 Ahh nature!  Another spin-off from our notorious live cattle export to Asia? from scarce timber resources? from child labour? from paltry wages?  In the city: Genuine (!) cow hide rugs from $499 limited time only. ...From a shop that gathers 'wow' factor pieces from travel to a list of places in Asia and beyond.  

Laman Street, Newcastle. A birds eye view upon climbing one of the notorious trees - just joking! The trees in Laman Street have a short reprieve...again... 

Lower photo: tree protestors last Sunday.  

Tree loving protestors gathered in Civic Park in response to the plan to remove the Laman Street grove of trees.   The trees have been the subject of a hugh amount of debate for a long time. 

It must be time for an urban Fig Tree ballad to germinate. Rock a bye baby on the tree top....

The overall plan for a creative space to take the place of the trees, if and when they go, is of enormous interest.  Will it be done with flair and imagination?  

Looking more like the trees of autumn, has the hot weather taken its toll?

What a change to see a tropical-like tree. Tropical monsoon and massive rainfall have struck northern areas. Our weather and El Nino Southern Oscillation go together.
When the Pacific Ocean in the far distant tropics around central America is warm - that is El Nino - it is associated with dry weather and years of drought around  Australia. This situation alternates with La Nina which brings clouds and rainfall to eastern Australia when the conditions reverse.
Ocean currents, trade winds and the Walker Circulation are part of this vast system over the Pacific from one sideof the ocean to the other and include, I think, the Indian Ocean.
When do extreme weather events change from variations and become so far out of ordinary to become climate change?