A state of emergency has been declared by Premier Gladys Berejiklian for the next seven days as Greater Sydney and the Greater Hunter brace for conditions authorities say will be “as bad at it gets”.
This is the first time a 'catastrophic' warning has been issued for Sydney since ratings were introduced in 2009, the RFS says. https://t.co/2j6I4R6fYo
— Ben Cubby (@bencubby) November 10, 2019
The last time a state of emergency was declared in the state was 2013 when there were extensive bushfires in the Blue Mountains.
More than 850,000 hectares in NSW have been destroyed since the start of the bushfire season – almost more than the last three fire seasons combined.
Traditionally, the bushfire danger period commenced on October 1 in NSW but in recent years in parts of the state it’s been brought forward to August 1. That in itself is telling of the change in conditions.
Politically, of course, the fires are highly charged.
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison extended his “thoughts and prayers” to everyone impacted which was quickly derided as being as futile as offering ‘thoughts and prayers’ to victims of gun violence.
thoughts & prayers @FinancialReview #bushfires #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/zwDeJHGjqc
— david rowe (@roweafr) November 10, 2019
Our fire fighters don’t need thoughts & prayers – they need funds.
Our scientists don’t need thoughts & prayers – they need trust.
Our climate doesn’t need thoughts & prayers – it needs action & policy.
Our nation doesn’t need thoughts & prayers – it needs leadership. https://t.co/3i5M0ByMSl
— Mike Cannon-Brookes 👨🏼💻🧢🇦🇺 (@mcannonbrookes) November 10, 2019
Speaking on Radio National on Monday morning the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack described people raising climate change concerns as “raving inner city lunatics”.
“They don’t need the ravings of some pure, enlightened and woke capital city greenies at this time, when they’re trying to save their homes, when in fact they’re going out in many cases saving other peoples’ homes and leaving their own homes at risk,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack tells @RNBreakfast it "galls" him when ppl raise climate change in relation to NSW bushfires. He says climate change is a concern of "inner city lefties" and "raving inner city lunatics".
— Stephanie Peatling (@srpeatling) November 10, 2019
https://twitter.com/vanbadham/status/1193655685709365248
The premier Gladys Berejiklian also criticised attempts to conflate climate change with the catastrophic fires.
“Not today. Not today!” – @GladysB said, shaking her head, when @ScottMorrisonMP was asked about the effect of climate change on bushfires. @7NewsAustralia pic.twitter.com/qC1zvhUWBM
— Blake Johnson (@BlakeJohnson) November 10, 2019
Alarmingly, the former Chief of Fire and Rescue NSW, Greg Mullins, has reportedly been attempting to raise the alarm with the Prime Minister and ministers regarding these conditions in vain.
In. September. https://t.co/beHaJbKItN
— Mike Cannon-Brookes 👨🏼💻🧢🇦🇺 (@mcannonbrookes) November 10, 2019
Just last week the drought coordinator handed down a report saying drought is not a natural disaster and must be accepted as an enduring feature of the Australian landscape which climate change is only going to make worse.
Just a few days ago, 11,000 scientists warned of "untold suffering" ahead: “The climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than most scientists expected. It is more severe than anticipated, threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity." Then this👇 https://t.co/T8OXj7jW2m
— 💥Dr💥 Julia Baird (@bairdjulia) November 10, 2019
NSW is burning. Lives have been lost, homes have been destroyed, ecosystems threatened. There is no relief in sight.
Thoughts and prayers aren’t going to cut it. Pretending that climate change is a faux concern only held by ‘inner city woke lefties’ isn’t going to cut it. Positioning these fires as being ‘above politics’ isn’t going to cut it.