NOAA-NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured images of fires and resulting smoke … [+]
Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observation System Information and Data System (EOSDIS)
Australia is on fire and that collective shared moment of New Year’s Day optimism, that sense of hope that comes with thinking of a whole new beginning, seems to have disappeared. How can we be sure that this year will be happy? How do we know it won’t get even worse?
Australia is on fire. Catastrophic fire hazard ratings have been issued in New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. More than 60 per cent of Australia have set record highs in fire danger this season and summer has just begun. There are already 14.6 million acres on fire across the country and 3.67 million acres are being burned in New South Wales alone. These fires are the deadliest ever recorded. It is impossible not to notice.
Predictions of the worst cases of scientists are being played out endlessly in sight. Devastation is now the new normal. How many more environmental disasters will it take? When will we start responding to this climate emergency? How long will we have to wait before we take bold steps, stop burning fossil fuels, and move toward a clean energy economy?