The Cost and Impact of Australian Bushfires
By Nmami Life Editorial 08-Jan 2020 Reading Time: 5 Mins
There have been fires in every state of Australia but New South Wales has been hit the hardest. The raging bushfires across Australia have caused irreparable damage and estimate that the smoke is so bad that it has blanketed the urban centre. Fires have damaged homes in outer suburbs and the air quality in Sydney has measured 11 times hazardous.
Loss due to bushfires
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology claimed that it is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades. Strong winds have also made the fires more aggressive making them spread more rapidly. Overall 24 people have died nationwide and in the New South Wales (NSW) alone. More than 2,000 homes have been damaged and destroyed.
Reason for bushfires
The bushfires have been exacerbated by persistent heat and drought and many other changes in climate act as a factor making natural disasters go from bad to worse. Natural disaster happens every year in Australia and this could be a major reason for these fires.
Natural causes like lightning strikes in drought-affected forests and dry lightning is also a cause. Experts mention that weather conditions are growing worse every year and the effects are spreading with greater intensity.
Impact of bushfires
The massive blazes are showing no sign to stop, even after witnessing few showers on Tuesday. Fire season is Australia is bad but this year the condition is worse. A total of more than 7.3 million hectares have been burned across Australia’s six states. The temperature has been rising to as high as above 40 degree Celsius. The heaviest structural damage has occurred in NSW where 1,588 homes have been destroyed and over 650 damaged. The worst affected area is NSW with more than 4.9 million hectares.
As an estimate, about half a billion animals have been affected by the fires across NSW. The figures include birds, mammals, and reptiles, excluding bats, insects and frogs. Species like koalas have been killed about a third and other certain niche species like frogs and birds.
How can you contribute?
Donations can be made to several organizations like the Australian Red Cross, the NSW Rural Fire Service, and Salvation Army Australia.
https://au.gofundme.com/f/fire-relief-fund-for-first-nations-communities
http://www.givit.org.au/disasters
https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supporting-cfa#donate-cfa
Is nature calling us to wake up?
We extend our support to 2,000 firefighters working on the ground in NSW alone. Declaring a state of emergency should make us feel alarmed as climate change is an atom bomb which is ticking at a fast pace and can explode anytime.
The question we need to ask is how much worse can we let it get? Climate change is a global problem and the efforts and solution have to be a global action. This is no longer a sustainable goal which is to be put in records and formulate laws over it but it has become a need of the hour which is urgent and requires not just attention but action. Saying that government can be stringent and form laws are easier but doing your bit is what actually matters. Change can be hard but not impossible.
Yes, the reason could not only be man-made but the solution can be!
Let’s save the earth. Save climate suicide.