The fires started in Australia in September can still not be extinguished. 28 people lost their lives while 1.25 million animals died in the fires and 10.3 hectare area destroyed as a result of the fires. 

 

Cam Walker, one of the volunteers fighting the fires, an environmental scientist and the campaign coordinator of Friends of the Earth, stated that the fires are caused by natural causes like lightnings and wind, agricultural machinery and arson.

 

'CLIMATE CHANGE MADE IT WORSE'

 

Walker, speaking to Mesopotamia Agency, said that he has been witnessing terrible fires all around Australia and said: "It appears that climate change has made this fire season worse as we have been experiencing hotter than average temperatures and a long drought. It is estimated that more than a billion native mammals have been killed. More Than Two Dozen Human Lives Have Been Lost. 2,000 houses destroyed. Both Victoria & New South Wales Have Declared A State Of Emergency.I hope this helps."

 

'THE GOVERNMENT DİD NOT LISTEN TO THE SCIENTISTS' 

 

Alexandra Seddon, the founder and patron of Potoroo Palace, spoke to Mesopotamia Agency about the causes of the fires, the effect of the fires to the wild life and the government policies about the fires. Seddon said: " In short, because politicians and bureaucrats did not follow the advice of scientists even when that advice was commissioned by the government itself. A classic example was Ross Garnaut’s report in 2008 which predicted exactly what is happening now if Australia continued destroying forests and subsidising coal mines. 

 

'MINING CAUSES DROUGHT'

 

Seddon emphasizing that the drought is the main reason the fires could not be extinguished, said: "We have had a long drought, during which time the government continued to allow mining and other industries to drain the aquifers. The country is so dry now that it takes very little wind to cause a fire to spread. Many of the fires have joined with other fires and become a huge front which creates its own weather. 

 

Where there had been so called Hazard Reduction, the fires hit more severely. Where the traditional mosaic burning (cool burn over patches to allow animals to escape) of Indigenous people had been, the fires did not go."

 

'NO PLACE SAFE TO EVACUATE THE ANIMALS' 

 

Seddon, stating that the smoke has been all around for two weeks said that it was equivalent to 30 cigarettes a day on some bad days and sometimes it was black all day like night time and it was hard to believe that it was daytime, said: " One friend had to go to Melbourne because his coughing would not stop. I wore goggles to stop my eyes being sore and streaming with tears constantly. We had to have suitcases packed ready to evacuate. Twice we evacuated as many animals as we could from our sanctuary, but there was nowhere safe to go. The fires were all around us."

 

 

'SAFE BREEDING PLACES MUST BE ESTABLISHED FOR ENDANGERED SPICIES'

 

Seddon, adding that the animals that managed the survive the fires are now dying of starvation, said: "The reptiles, amphibians and all the native species that live in the forests have no chance. Even the koalas who have been saved will almost certainly die of capture myopathy maybe weeks or months later." Speaking about the endangered spicies, Sadden said: "One that comes immediately to my mind is Grey headed Flying foxes. The droughts and fires and woodchippers  have taken all their food trees. We have 200 orphaned flying foxes in care here at the moment. The mothers had no milk so the babies were not strong enough to hold onto the mothers’ bodies as they flew out each night. The mothers themselves are dying of starvation.Even after these fires are over, any surviving animals will not have enough to eat. Safe breeding places must be established for these animals."

 

Hayatta kalan hayvanların açlıktan öldüğünü sözlerine ekleyen Seddon, şunları anlattı: "Sürüngen ve amfibilerin ve ormanlarda yaşayan yerli türlerin hiç şansı yoktu. Şunu söyleyebilirim ki, kurtarılan koalalar da bir kaç hafta içinde 'esaret miyopatisi' nedeniyle ölecekler. Gri başlı uçan tilkilerin beslendiği tüm ağaçlar, kuraklık, yangınlar ve odun kesme makinaları tarafından yok edildi. Şu anda bakmakta olduğumuz 200 uçan tilki var ve görünüşe bakılırsa son kalan da onlar. Soyu tükenme tehlikesi altında. Yangınlar bitse bile yerel hayvanların beslenebilme şansları kalmadı. Bürokratların hayvanların refahına aykırı kanunlar çıkarmak yerine yok olmakta olan bu türler için güvenli üreme alanları oluşturması gerekiyor.”

 

ABORIGINAL LAND MANAGEMENT CAN SAVE US

 

Seddon stating that the Aboriginal Land Management system could be used to prevent these terrible fires, said: "Mosaic Burning practices are done in cooler weather. These slow small fires do not do the horrific damage that the government policies of fierce burning hazard reduction over large areas do. Scientists have found that the areas so treated burn much worse in later bushfires. The indigenous people have looked after the land beautifully for thousands of years."

 

Sending a message to those who suffer for the burning nature and the dying animals, Sadden said: "It is time to stop taking the richness of the Earth for granted. We MUST care for her. No mining. No plastic. The plague of humans must cut its numbers somehow. People do not have to keep reproducing themselves. There are plenty of humans needing to be cared for without having to produce more. And there are plenty of plants and animals needing to be cared for. Please value the wilderness that we have left. Please learn from indigenous wisdom. Please care for our precious Earth

 

 

 

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