“The Federal Government must urgently address climate change, and rapidly phase out the burning of coal, oil and gas which is driving more dangerous fires,” said Mr Greg Mullins, former commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW.
Over June and July 2020, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) hosted Australia’s first virtual bushfire and climate change summit to coordinate a national response to the Australian climate and bushfire crisis. ELCA has released its “Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan” which is available here.
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Download and share the “Bushfire and Climate Plan” here
Contact the Federal Government and the Energy Minister, Angus Taylor, and send them messages that ELCA’s 165 recommendations should be urgently implemented, especially their priority recommendations.
You can sign a Petition here, and share it on social media and as widely as possible.
Funding for additional firefighting aircraft in 2019 was strongly recommended in letters to the PM and via the media but was continually rejected.
ELCA also tendered a 90 page Submission with 25 recommendations to the Royal Commission into Natural National Disaster Arrangements (known as the Bushfire Royal Commission). Click on the link below and type in “Emergency” to find their submission, which was published on 10 July 2020.
https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/submissions/read-public-submissions
All excerpts in this report are from ELCA’s Submission to the “Bushfire Royal Commission.”
STOP the misinformation
Fuel loadings are the most significant factor following weather and climate. However the defining difference of the 2019-20 fires was the clearly identified, unprecedented weather conditions, not a difference in fuel levels compared to previous fire events (BoM 2020b, 2020d. Climate Council 2020a).
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Australia urgently needs a plan to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and to phase out fossil fuel exports because we are one of the world’s largest polluters. Australia is the 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally and we emit more per person than any other developed country. We are also the third largest exporter of fossil fuels (The Australia Institute 2019).
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Windows of opportunity to conduct safe burns have become much shorter due to higher temperatures, drier conditions, and fewer days of low/moderate fire danger outside the bushfire season as a result of climate change (Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub 2019).
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE
- STUDY and learn what is going on – causes of fire e.g. carbon emissions heating the Earth, and what can be done.
- Sign the Petition to Scott Morrison and Angus Taylor, calling upon ELCA’s
plan to be started
- Share the Petition and what you know on Social Media
- Engage in face-to-face talk with your family, friends and acquaintances.
- Write letters to your local newspapers
- Go on the Radio to let everyone know that the Federal government has been denying climate change, putting lives at danger, and needs to fast track the ELCA’s recommendations.
- Contribute financially to organisations that can get the message out widely, and that can engage in strategy and tactics to reduce carbon emissions and fires.
Thank you!