There is no arguing the facts. Australia is having a bush fire crisis and these incidents seem to be getting worse. Moreover, the average temperature is around 1ºC warmer than the long term average. It’s easy to play the climate change card although many Australians politicians disagree. Today we pose the question is climate or change behind Australian fires?
Media Ask Senior Government is Climate or Change Doing This?
Australia’s most senior leaders were not giving much away as the nation mourned the death of firefighters. The media got answers like ‘our thoughts and prayers are with those affected’ when they asked is climate or change doing this. Now where have we heard those words before?
Deputy prime minister Michael McCormack however came out of his corner fighting. A respected source says he dismissed climate change critics as ‘raving inner-city lefties’ who were ignoring the needs of rural Australians. Then he apparently added ‘We’ve had fires in Australia since time began’. However, officials say the New South Wales and Queensland fires exceed all previous experience.
The Relationship Between the Two Factors is Complex
Changing climate is not causing the fires directly. However, for a long time climate scientists have warned a drier, hotter climate would make them worse and more frequent.
Richard Thornton, chief executive of Bush Fires & Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Center admits the science is not precise. Hindsight is easier than attributing change to a specific event, he says. Ecologist Glenda Wardle from University of Sydney told BBC climate change does not cause every weather event. But when you see trends then there is a message.
Richard Thornton expects to see more regular occurrences of what he calls ‘the extreme end of the fire behavior scale’. If we add recurring floods and droughts, then we become less inclined to wonder is climate or change behind the 2019 Australian bush fires …
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Preview Image: Around 150 Fires Burning
