Global
warming and climate change can result in a range of catastrophic events. In today’s
world, a quintessential example of this is the Australian bushfires that
overcame the nation this past year. Bushfires occur naturally as a result of
dry vegetation igniting and are exacerbated by “higher temperatures, lower
humidity, and stronger winds” (Rotter 2020). In general, every year during the
dry season, Australia is typically very susceptible to bushfires. This past
year, however, with temperatures “well above what global warming theory can explain,”
bushfires were particularly devastating (Rotter 2020).
The
average temperature of Australia for this past December was recorded as being
3.21 degrees celsius warmer than the average (Farand 2020). Similarly, this
temperature “had warmed about 1.4 times faster than the global annual average
temperature over the past century” (Farand 2020). These record-breaking temperatures
have also been accompanied by vicious droughts that have only served to fuel
the fires (Farand 2020).
The
Australian bushfires of this past year were devastating in several facets of
Australian life. These bushfires burned nearly 12.5 million acres of land
across Australia and in doing so, destroyed a plethora of wildlife and communities
along with it (Welshans 2020). The fires devastated both property and lives
across the continent (Welshans 2020). As of January, it had been reported that 24
people had been killed as a consequence of the bushfires (Farand 2020).
Not
only did the wildfires obliterate land and people’s livelihoods, it also had
the potential
to destroy the agricultural economy (Welshans 2020). A major issue that plagued
farmers during this time was the state of their livestock. According to Matt
Ballarat, an agriculture analyst, “approximately 8.6 million head of sheep” and
“2.3 million head of cattle” could be affected by the fires” which would take a
devastating toll on the agricultural economy (Welshans 2020). To combat this
issue, the livestock were relocated in an attempt to move them out of the
immediate danger zones. Both the agricultural industry as well as communities
across the continent have been destroyed and recovery from this tragedy is
expected to be a lengthy process (Welshans 2020).
In
addition to the wildfires taking a devastating toll on the agriculture
industry, the wildfires
are also very taxing on the economy of Australia as a whole. While the
bushfires were treacherous, the aftermath of them might be just as difficult.
The wildfires are expected to have caused billions of dollars worth of damage
(Farand 2020).The National Bushfire Recovery Agency has allocated 2 billion
dollars for reparation costs to provide for “families, farmers, and businesses”
that were affected by these bushfires (Farand 2020). The money will also be used
to rebuild infrastructure that had been destroyed such as roads, “replenish
producers’ livestock,
provide mental health support and help restore the impacted environment and
wildlife” (Farand 2020). The plan is to distribute the 2 billion dollars over a
two year period and as of January, 100 million of this budget had been
dispersed (Farand 2020). Additionally, Deloitte Access Economics found that
Australia issues about nine billion dollars toward natural disaster costs a
year on average; the report claims that this cost could rise to 27 billion
dollars per year by 2050 (Farand 2020).
The
Australian bushfires are no doubt a crisis that affected the continent of
Australia in more ways than one. From the state of the country’s agricultural
communities and wildlife, to the country’s economy, to the citizens’ lives in
general.
Works Cited
Farand,
Chloé. Australia’s Bushfires to Cost Billions as Climate Risks Rise. London:
Newstex,
2020.
ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2020.
Rotter,
Charles. Are Australia Bushfires Worsening from Human-Caused Climate Change?.
Chico:
Newstex, 2020. ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2020.
Welshans,
Krissa. "Australian Ag Hit Hard by Bushfires." Beef (2020)ProQuest.
Web. 24 Mar. 2020.
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