What The Australian Bush Fires Have Taught Us
*Co-written by Manali Arora & Rowena Samuel*
We had not gotten over the devastation caused by the Amazon rainforest fire in Brazil before another wildfire rocked the world: the Australian Bushfires.
The New South Wales bushfire has been trending all over the world. The devastation caused by this bushfire is extensive with images of burning, dying animals making headlines everywhere. With animals fleeing their homes and people mourning their destroyed houses, footage and pictures have touched viewers across the world. Many countries have sent physical help and large financial donations, but the underlying question remains: how did such a large fire come about? Why couldn’t it be stopped? What can we do now to prevent another occurrence like this to help our planet and the wildlife within it?
We have made many mistakes in the past and it is time to make amends for us and our future generations.
What Caused The Australian Bushfires?
The suspected culprit is climate change. As per statistics, there has been a 1.52 degree Celsius increase in the average temperature of Australia since 1990, with 2019 being the hottest year. If this increase has caused a scale of destruction this large, it is harrowing to imagine what can happen in the next few years as temperatures rise even more.
The bushfires are polluting water and disrupting ecosystems all over Australia.
The long-term impacts of these fires can be very dangerous.
What Can We Learn From This Disaster?
The Australian fires have functioned as a major wake-up call to governments and people all across the world. The question is, how many wake-up calls do we need before we take climate change seriously and how many innocent lives and forests are going to suffer because of our ignorance? The impact of our decisions is not just affecting our planet but also us.
All of us can contribute in a very meaningful way to fight climate change. Here are some tips:
- Use home appliances wisely (and turn them off when not in use)
- Conserve water (ex: shorter showers, turning off the tap when not using it)
- Plant more trees
- Reduce waste by re-using items, composting, and more
Each one of us can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Related article: Sustainable Living: Green Tips for Everyone
Importance of Green Education
Climate change is a debated topic in many countries, but it is time we start taking it seriously. The natural disasters in the recent past have all been related to climate change. We have young leaders who can fight for a greener world and find ways to tackle the effects of climate change. 2020 is the start of a fresh decade and it is also the last decade to set things right. It is now-or-never situation for everyone in the world.
It is important to educate people, both young and old, about how they can save our planet. We need schools that not only teach but also believe in the environmental-friendly ways of life. These schools should teach our future leaders how to grow food sustainably, use renewable energy sources like solar energy, and adopt sustainable daily habits.
At Green Schools Green Future, we are one such NGO aiming to build sustainable schools with green technology that provides students with future-ready skills.
As the saying goes: A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Be that grain of earth or that drop of water that would help in this collective movement.
Resources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/australian-fires-threaten-to-pollute-water/#close
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/13/explainer-what-are-the-underlying-causes-of-australias-shocking-bushfire-season
