The bushfire tragedy is a poignant reminder that Australia, and the rest of the world, must get serious about climate change and reduce fossil fuel reliance
Environment
| Leader
8 January 2020
New York Times / Redux / eyevine
AT FIRST, Australia’s leaders said the fires were normal. Prime Minister Scott Morrison called them “business as usual”. The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, described those linking the fires to climate change as “inner city raving lunatics”.
More recently, Morrison has made a point of acknowledging the link between reducing emissions and protecting environments against worsening bushfire seasons. But he has continued to insist that his government’s current environmental policies are good ones.
In fact, the Liberal Australian government has long prevaricated on meaningful climate action. As treasurer in 2017, Morrison notoriously brought a lump of coal into the Australian House of Representatives to taunt those arguing for a transition away from fossil fuels. Today, the country has no goal for net-zero emissions, and continues to be a leading global exporter of coal and gas.
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The fires this season have already emitted an estimated 350 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, roughly two-thirds of Australia’s annual industrial emissions budget. Their catastrophic wider toll – loss of human life and wildlife, environmental ruin, destruction of property and long-term health effects of smoke inhalation – is only starting to be revealed (see “Australian government report predicted severe wildfires 11 years ago“).
“If now isn’t the time for Australia to get serious about climate change, when will be?”
There has been generous support for the Australian Red Cross, state fire services and the WIRES Wildlife Rescue charity. Prominent figures, including Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Chris Hemsworth, Shane Warne and Ashleigh Barty, have pledged large donations. But meaningful change, to prevent similar and worse catastrophes in the future, can only be enacted by government.
In crisis, the country now faces a turning point. The Australian economy’s reliance on fossil fuels must be weighed against the terrible cost of a continent that is becoming less habitable. If now isn’t the time for Australia to get serious about climate change, when will be?
We have seen swift legislation in Australia before: in 1996, the nation quickly enacted gun control measures in response to a mass shooting. Can the nation’s politicians show similar leadership again?
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