Kyneton, Victoria, Australia (February 2014) Samsung PL120
It has been absolutely devastating to witness Australia being ravaged by wildfires from afar. While I only visited the country on one occasion for a few months, its wildness and the kindness of the people I met left a lasting impression. On the week this photograph was taken we had been warned of bushfires in the surrounding area and that there was a chance we might be evacuated. I remember having to take a bus back to Melbourne because the fires had melted the train tracks. Driving past the scorched, blackened earth alerted me to the threat these fires posed for both wildlife and local communities. While fires are needed to a certain degree for regeneration, the current situation is a stark reminder of how we are changing natural processes. I can’t imagine living through something like what so many Australians are currently experiencing.
Over one billion animals (including many species of endemic plants, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles which are less often considered) are estimated to have perished in these fires so far. Despite the selfless people risking and losing their lives on the ground to help as many individuals as possible, this event will have a lasting impact. Not only is the fire bringing destruction to Australia, but the resulting smoke has reached New Zealand and has been linked to quickening glacial melting.
Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent. Now is the time to act. We can all do our part to help lower emissions and to fight for a brighter (and less hot) future. If you have the means and want to help, please look into donating to the many organisations and volunteer firefighters that are helping to combat the fires and to help the country recover from this catastrophe.
With such a distressing start to the new decade it can seen hopeless. It certainly is not. It has been incredible to see so many people come together in solidarity in aid and in fighting for environmental policy change. Use your voice to raise awareness and to educate, vote for those who will help rather than further harm Earth, reduce your personal carbon footprint, consider how your daily and lifestyle decisions contribute to this global problem and please donate if you can. We are in this together and our actions will make a difference. I am trying to overcome my heartbreak for Australia by using this ongoing weather event to further fuel my own determination to fight for a future with clearer and cooler skies.