Australian Extreme Fires: Climate Change Helps Arsonists

The recent tragic losses of lives in Australia due to bush fires raises once again the question: are extreme heat waves events going to be more frequent and intense thus causing increasing risks in highly sensitive areas around the globe? According to a study published in 2006 by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California rising seasonal temperatures and the earlier arrival of spring conditions in connection with a dramatic increase of large wildfires in the western United States. In the period 1987-2003 almost seven times more forested federal land burned than during the prior 17 years and 72 % of the total area burned occurred in early snowmelt years. Fire-fighting expenditures for wildfires are now regularly over 1 billion $ per year. Other regions such as the Mediterranean basin face similar risks to be hit by more frequent heat waves thus originating forest and bush fires: this is associated to the changing climate responsible for the desertification of large areas.

Source: http://www.tariqnelson.com/2009/02/picture-from-australia-forest-fire/
Posted on February 11th, 2009 by Tariq Nelson
Reference: “More Large Forest Fires Linked To Climate Change” Science Daily (July 10, 2006): http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060710084004.htm (from University of Arizona’s material)

The ferocity of Australian fires has been at least worsened by the record heat wave and hot, dry winds in southern Victoria State; although investigation will clarify the apparently important role of arsonists, climatic conditions helped the fires to become so dreadful.

Such events in Oceania, America and Europe recall us that the alteration of the Earth’s climate is causing life losses, material damages and natural cycles. Because of this now widely acknowledged reality, extreme events such as hurricanes and inundations will be more frequent and/or intense in many regions, implying serious consequences for our socio-economic systems: we will certainly need better adaptation measures. Furthermore in case of extreme fires or inundation effective evacuation systems including police powers to force people to move will have to be discussed and probably put into place to save human lives. Finally early warning systems could significantly support populations at risk in leaving their houses safely in time.

But the best chance we have to make these events less dramatic in the future remains the mitigation of climate change through the reduction of our greenhouse gases emissions causing it. After the recent tragedy the Australian government is being pushed by the public opinion to strengthen the country’s targets. Like the UNFCCC website (www.unfccc.int) reminds us today, 296 days are missing to the Copenhagen appointment: in Denmark’s next winter (will it be cold or mild?...) the world’s leaders will have the chance to write a new wider international treaty to save worse problems to future generations. Will they have the courage and intelligence to do that? We will know before next Christmas.

Written by Luca Marazzi on behalf of Responding to Climate Change

Reference: “More Large Forest Fires Linked To Climate Change” Science Daily (July 10, 2006): http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060710084004.htm (from University of Arizona’s material).