Being ravaged by one of the most devastating and catastrophic bushfire seasons the country has ever seen so far more than 10 million hectares of Australia land has been burned and brought huge disaster in the diversity of life. The impacts on the lives and livelihoods of residents and wildlife makes for truly painful viewing. According to CNN Philippines, as many as half a billion animals may have been wiped out in the latest conflagration. This seems to bother the bleeding hearts much more than the twenty or so human fatalities or the several hundred families whose homes have been destroyed.
These bushfires present an unprecedented emergency for the nation’s people and wildlife. Animals such as koalas, kangaroos and other natives have perished. This is a devastating blow for an iconic species already in decline and these bushfire have the potential to hasten all the species slide toward extinction. The fact that progress in Australia has brought this species extinction due to ongoing excessive tree clearing for agricultural and urban development and climate heating triggered bushfires that destroys their habitat and could accelerate their extinction timeline.
Bushfires are commonplace in Australia and were long before records began. Much of Australia’s native flora is fire-adapted, and in particular the Eucalyptus forests have thrived in the naturally fire-prone conditions. It is known that the fire threat is a function of temperature, winds and cumulative rainfall deficit. Currently, large parts of Australia suffer from anomalously high temperatures and extreme drought conditions. In combination with gusty winds, the fire risk is therefore extremely high. While natural variability plays a considerable role, climate change exacerbates the fire danger, turning a bad year for fires into one which is potentially apocalyptic for some.
Australia is currently experiencing one of its worst bushfire seasons, with swathes of the southern and eastern coastal regions having been ablaze for weeks. As the fires have spread, there has been extensive media coverage both nationally and internationally documenting – and debating – their impacts.
There has also been widespread criticism of Australian leaders’ handling of the situation, particularly in the context of the government’s poor record on climate action. The fires come at the end of the nation’s hottest and driest year on record. Much of the media coverage has discussed the different factors that have driven the extreme fire season, with climate change coming up as a prominent theme.
The handling of the situation and lack of urgency in the government’s response has been roundly derided by the press both in Australia and around the world. Many publications drew clear links between the government’s perceived inaction on climate change and the current situation.
Mental health impacts are often overlooked. The survivors deserve extensive support in dealing with trauma, bereavement, and loss. Feelings of home and security might be shattered, their community might never be the same, and they may experience debilitating fear of the next fire. With those affected already having suffered substantially, interventions are essential to address depression, suicide, anxiety, stress, and other mental health challenges.
Australia’s bushfires are a terrible and dramatic reminder of the impact that extreme weather can have on people and on nature. As well as the obvious damage to property and habitats, thousands of people may be suffering from the poor air quality as they breathe in smoke and ash in the air.
We know that droughts, heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common across the world as our planet heats up. The Australian bushfires are not only a taste of what is to come in the future as a result of our changing climate, but also a reminder that planting trees is unlikely to be the panacea to fight climate change that some might hope.
Planting trees will not prevent further climate change if the trees go up in flames every summer. When forests burn, they don’t store much carbon. The current situation suggests that solutions based on tree planting can only be applied in a limited number of regions, thus limiting the amount of carbon that can actually be stored for long periods. Australia has always had bushfires, but as the climate changes, regions of the world that previously rarely saw forest fires are experiencing them much more often. Even the North of England, Scotland and Sweden see large wildfires nowadays.
Australia is long viewed as one of the most idyllic places on the planet, is now being seen as hell on earth. My relatives are working in Australia and was devastated by fire, hearing from them and seeing the live news I have been overwhelmed by the generous response to the ongoing bushfire crisis. People are praying for their safety, donating time and money to support firefighters, emergency personnel and the victims.
When it comes to reducing global emissions, Australia must and is doing its bit, but bushfires are a time when communities must unite, not divide.
It argued that the government has an essential role to play. That includes more funding and resources for fighting fires and assistance for those displaced, whose businesses have been hurt or who have lost their homes. But Australians increasingly are looking to the government to take national and global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop the terrifying advance of climate change.
