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Climate change and fire risk: what scientists say

Posted: 23 Oct 2013 04:19 PM PDT

Prime minister Tony Abbott says that “fire is a part of the Australian experience” and not linked to climate change. Here’s what the peer-reviewed scientific research says.

Bushfire weather in SE Australia: Recent trends and projected climate change impacts

Lucas, C., K. Hennessy, G Mills and J. Bathols (2007), “Bushfire weather in SE Australia: Recent trends and projected climate change impacts”, Bushfire CRC, Australian Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, Melbourne.

Only 12 of the 26 sites have recorded ‘catastrophic’ fire danger days since 1973. The 2020 low scenarios indicate little or no change, except for a halving of the return period (doubling frequency) at Bourke.  The 2020 high scenarios show ‘catastrophic’ days occurring at 20 sites, 10 of which have return periods of around 16 years or less. By 2050, the low scenarios are similar to those for the 2020 high scenarios. The 2050 high scenarios show ‘catastrophic’ days occurring at 22 sites, 19 of which have return periods or around 8 years or less, while 7 sites have return periods of 3 years or less.

Fire and climate change: don’t expect a smooth ride

Roger Jones, The Conversation, 22 October 2013

In research I did with colleagues earlier this year we looked at the Fire Danger Index calculated by the Bureau of Meteorology, and compared how it changed compared to temperature over time in Victoria.

South-east Australia saw a temperature change of about 0.8C when we compared temperatures before 1996 and after 1997. We know that it got drier after 1997 too.

We then compared this data to the Forest Fire Danger Index, to see if it showed the same pattern. We analysed fire data from nine stations in Victoria and did a non-linear analysis. We found that fire danger in Victoria increased by over a third after 1996, compared to 1972-1996. The current level of fire danger is equivalent to the worst case projected for 2050, from an earlier analysis for the Climate Institute.

While it’s impossible to say categorically that the situation is the same in NSW, we know that these changes are generally applicable across south-east Australia. So it’s likely to be a similar case: fire and climate change are linked.

IPCC: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation

(Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (editors)

Box 4-1: Evolution of Climate, Exposure, and Vulnerability – The Melbourne Fires, 7 February 2009

The fires in the Australian state of Victoria, on 7 February 2009, demonstrate the evolution of risk through the relationships between the weather- and climate-related phenomena of a decade-long drought, record extreme heat, and record low humidity of 5% (Karoly, 2010; Trewin and Vermont, 2010) interacting with rapidly increasing exposure. Together the climate phenomena created the conditions for major uncontrollable wildfires (Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, 2010).

The long antecedent drought, record heat, and a 35-day period with no rain immediately before the fires turned areas normally seen as low to medium wildfire risk into very dry high-risk locations. A rapidly expanding urban-bush interface and valuable infrastructure (Berry, 2003; Burnley and Murphy, 2004; Costello, 2007, 2009) provided the values exposed and the potential for extreme impacts that was realized with the loss of 173 lives and considerable tangible and intangible damage. There was a mixture of natural and human sources of ignition, showing that human agency can trigger such fires and extreme impacts.
Many people were not well-prepared physically or psychologically for the fires, and this influenced the level of loss and damage they incurred. Levels of physical and mental health also affected people’s vulnerability. Many individuals with ongoing medical conditions, special needs because of their age, or other impairments struggled to cope with the extreme heat and were reliant on others to respond safely (Handmer et al., 2010). However, capacity to recover in a general sense was high for humans and human activities through insurance, government support, private donations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and was variable for the affected bush with some species and ecosystems benefitting (Lindenmayer et al., 2010; Banks et al., 2011; see also Case Study 9.2.2).

Chapter 3 details projected changes in climate extremes for this region that could increase fire risk, in particular warm temperature extremes, heat waves, and dryness (see Table 3-3 for summary).

4.4.7.4. Wildfire

Wildfires around Canberra in January 2003 caused AUS$ 400 million damage (Lavorel and Steffen, 2004), with about 500 houses destroyed, four people killed, and hundreds injured. Three of the city’s four water storage reservoirs were contaminated for several months by sediment- laden runoff (Hennessy et al., 2007). The 2009 fire in the state of Victoria caused immense damage (see Box 4-1 and Case Study 9.2.2).

An increase in fire danger in Australia is associated with a reduced interval between fire events, increased fire intensity, a decrease in fire extinguishments, and faster fire spread (Hennessy et al., 2007). In southeast Australia, the frequency of very high and extreme fire danger days is expected to rise 15 to 70% by 2050 (Hennessy et al., 2006). By the 2080s, the number of days with very high and extreme fire danger are projected to increase by 10 to 50% in eastern areas of New Zealand, the Bay of Plenty, Wellington, and Nelson regions (Pearce et al., 2005), with even higher increases (up to 60%) in some western areas. In both Australia and New Zealand, the fire season length is expected to be extended, with the window of opportunity for fuel reduction burning shifting toward winter (Hennessy et al., 2007).

Changes in Australian fire weather between 1973 and 2010

Clarke, H., C. Lucas and P. Smith (2012) “Changes in Australian fire weather between 1973 and 2010”. Int. J. Climatol., DOI: 10.1002/joc.3480

A data set of observed fire weather in Australia from 1973–2010 is analysed for trends using the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI). Annual cumulative FFDI, which integrates daily fire weather across the year, increased significantly at 16 of 38 stations. Annual 90th percentile FFDI increased significantly at 24 stations over the same period. None of the stations examined recorded a significant decrease in FFDI. There is an overall bias in the number of significant increases towards the southeast of the continent, while the largest trends occur in the interior of the continent and the smallest occur near the coast. The largest increases in seasonal FFDI occurred during spring and autumn, although with different spatial patterns, while summer recorded the fewest significant trends. These trends suggest increased fire weather conditions at many locations across Australia, due to both increased magnitude of FFDI and a lengthened fire season. Although these trends are consistent with projected impacts of climate change on FFDI, this study cannot separate the influence of climate change, if any, with that of natural variability.

The recent bushfires and extreme heat wave in southeast Australia

Karoly, D.J. (2009) “The recent bushfires and extreme heat wave in southeast Australia”. Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society 22: 10-13

See also: Bushfires and extreme heat in south-east Australia

Although formal attribution studies quantifying the influence of climate change on the increased likelihood of extreme fire danger in southeast Australia have not been undertaken yet, it is very likely that there has been such an influence. Increases in maximum temperature have been attributed to anthropogenic climate change. In addition, reduced rainfall and low relative humidity are expected in southern Australia due to anthropogenic climate change. The FFDI for a number of sites in Victoria on 7 February reached unprecedented levels, ranging from 120 to 190, much higher than the fire weather conditions on Black Friday or Ash Wednesday, and well above the “catastrophic” fire danger rating (Lucas et al., 2007).

Of course, the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on bushfires in southeast Australia or elsewhere in the world are not new or unexpected. In 2007, the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report WGII chapter “Australia and New Zealand” (Hennessy et al., 2007) concluded ‘An increase in fire danger in Australia is likely to be associated with a reduced interval between fires, increased fire intensity, a decrease in fire extinguishments and faster fire spread. In south-east Australia, the frequency of very high and extreme fire danger days is likely to rise 4-25% by 2020 and 15-70% by 2050.’ Similarly, observed and expected increases in forest fire activity have been linked to climate change in the western US (Westerling et al., 2006), in Canada (Gillett et al., 2004) and in Spain (Pausas, 2004).

While it is difficult to separate the influences of climate variability, climate change, and changes in fire management strategies on the observed increases in fire activity, it is clear that climate change is increasing the likelihood of environmental conditions associated with extreme fire danger in southeast Australia and a number of other parts of the world.

Regional signatures of future fire weather over eastern Australia from global climate models

Clarke, H.G., P.L. Smith and A.J. Pitman (2011), “Regional signatures of future fire weather over eastern Australia from global climate models”. Int. J. Wildland Fire, 20, 550-562.

Skill-selected global climate models were used to explore the effect of future climate change on regional bushfire weather in eastern Australia. Daily Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) was calculated in four regions of differing rainfall seasonality for the 20th century, 2050 and 2100 using the A2 scenario from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. Projected changes in FFDI vary along a latitudinal gradient. In summer rainfall-dominated tropical north-east Australia, mean and extreme FFDI are projected to decrease or remain close to 20th century levels. In the uniform and winter rainfall regions, which occupy south-east continental Australia, FFDI is projected to increase strongly by 2100. Projections fall between these two extremes for the summer rainfall region, which lies between the uniform and summer tropical rainfall zones. Based on these changes in fire weather, the fire season is projected to start earlier in the uniform and winter rainfall regions, potentially leading to a longer overall fire season.

The sensitivity of Australian Fire danger to climate change

Willliams, A.A., D.J. Karoly and N. Tapper (2001), “The sensitivity of Australian Fire danger to climate change”. Climatic Change 49:171-191

Global climate change, such as that due to the proposed enhanced greenhouse effect, is likely to have a significant effect on biosphere-atmosphere interactions, including bushfire regimes. This study quantifies the possible impact of climate change on fire regimes by estimating changes in fire weather and the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FDI), an index that is used throughout Australia to estimate fire danger. The CSIRO 9-level general circulation model (CSIRO9 GCM) is used to simulate daily and seasonal fire danger for the present Australian climate and for a doubled- CO2 climate. The impact assessment includes validation of the GCMs daily control simulation and the derivation of ‘correction factors’ which improve the accuracy of the fire danger simulation. In summary, the general impact of doubled-CO2 is to increase fire danger at all sites by increasing the number of days of very high and extreme fire danger. Seasonal

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“The world needs more political leaders like President Nasheed”: 350.org

By Leah Malone | October 23rd, 2013 | Category: Environment, Politics, Society | 11 comments

Global climate justice NGO 350.org has reaffirmed that “urgent action is needed to address the climate crisis” in the Maldives, and that its continued active international leadership is “immensely important”.

In light of the IPCC’s findings and the danger sea level rise poses for the Maldives, 350.org has highlighted the essential international leadership role former President Mohamed Nasheed and the country have played for achieving climate justice.

“The IPCC’s 5th assessment report largely reaffirms what we already knew, and makes it abundantly clear that urgent action is needed the world-over. It is immensely important the Maldives to continue it’s active, leadership stance to go carbon neutral within a decade and advocate for more international action,” Will Bates, Global Campaigns Director and Co-Founder of 350.org told Minivan News.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes’s fifth assessment report emphasised the importance of human influence on the climate change system.

“Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased,” read the report released last month.

“As the ocean warms, and glaciers and ice sheets reduce, global mean sea level will continue to rise [during the 21st century], but at a faster rate than we have experienced over the past 40 years,” said IPCC Working Group 1 Co-Chair, Qin Dahe.

The IPCC’s report “sounds the alarm for immediate action on climate change,” declared 350.org.

“The report, which is the most authoritative, comprehensive assessment of scientific knowledge on climate change, finds with near certainty that greenhouse gas emissions are warming the planet and that climate impacts are accelerating… Scientists have upped the certainty that humans are responsible for warming, increasing their confidence to 95%,” highlighted 350.org.

350.org has been building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. It has coordinated over 20,000 climate demonstrations in more than 182 countries since the organisation’s founding in 2008.

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere.

“The world needs more political leaders like President Nasheed”: 350.org

Bates noted that former President Nasheed has been an integral figure for the global climate justice movement.

“President Nasheed’s courageous and creative actions to confront the true scale of the climate crisis in 2009 and 2010 were a powerful wake-up call for the world. Hearing from an entire nation about the imminent threat to their future through their democratically elected president, and seeing their actions to address the crisis was an inspiration for the rest of the world to step up our efforts to address the climate crisis,” Bates stated.

“The world needs more political leaders like President Nasheed who understand the severity of the threat, and who speak and act truthfully in response,” he added.

The NGO also believes President Nasheed’s leadership within the Maldives has benefited the nation’s domestic climate justice movement.

“I believe it was in part thanks to the openness and freedom given to civil society in general during his administration that allows young people and NGOs to organize on climate change above and beyond what President Nasheed was working on at the national policy and international levels,” said Bates.

“No doubt his efforts to have the Maldives go carbon neutral in a decade was a powerful act of leadership that more governments around the world should be following as well,” he added.

“We support human rights and a free and fair democratic process in the Maldives,” Bates noted in regard to Nasheed’s ongoing domestic efforts to ensure these values are upheld.

Although he emphasised that 350.org is not directly involved in Nasheed’s political struggles at home, Bates explained how the non-violent direct action strategy 350.org employs can benefit the Maldives in its fight for climate justice as well as democratisation.

“Social movements around the world have proven the power of non-violent direct action as a means of creating change, political and otherwise,” he said.

“President Nasheed’s underwater cabinet meeting in 2009 was a particularly creative form of action, and there are countless ways that different non-violent tactics – from marches and rallies to culture-jamming and online memes – can enhance struggles against climate change as well as for promoting democracy and fair elections,” he continued.

“We’ve seen incredibly creative actions in the Maldives by grassroots activists fighting climate change too and with such international concern for the political situation there, similar tactics could be employed at the current time with great effect,” he added.

Nasheed has often spoken of the close interrelationship between climate change, human rights, and democracy, particularly since his February 7, 2012 controversial transfer of power, and 350.org has echoed this belief.

“Human rights and climate justice are very clearly inextricably linked as the climate crisis infringes on people’s access to food, water, health, and general security. Furthermore, the causes of the climate crisis, such as the extraction and burning of fossil fuels and cutting down forests have immense human rights implications. Meanwhile many the solutions, such as more decentralized renewable energy infrastructure, are in many ways a step towards democratizing more of how our world works,” said Bates.

“Although that is not to say that countries that exist with undemocratic systems of government can’t also enact solutions to achieve greater human rights and climate justice,” he added.

Extreme sea level rise threats

“The rate of sea level rise will very likely exceed that observed during 1971–2010 due to increased ocean warming and increased loss of mass from glaciers and ice sheets,” all prospective scenarios in the IPCC’s report projected.

Sea level is expected to rise between 0.26 metres (0.85 feet) and 0.98 metres (3.22 feet) by 2100, depending on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced this century, it added.

While these projections represent the possible low and high extreme scenarios of sea level rise, small island states – such as the Maldives – are especially vulnerable, the IPCC previously stressed in it’s fourth assessment report.

With over 80 percent of the land area in the Maldives being less than a meter (3.28 feet) above mean sea level, “the slightest rise in sea level will prove extremely threatening,” UNDP Maldives previously declared. “A rise in sea levels by 0.50 meters could see significant portions of the islands being washed away by erosion or being inundated [by the ocean].”

“Even now some islands are seriously affected by loss not only of shoreline but also of houses, schools and other infrastructure,” it continued.

Not only is the Maldives extremely vulnerable to sea level rise, other climate change impacts – including extreme weather events, coral bleaching and acidification – which exacerbate these negative effects, it added.

Earlier this year the World Bank also expressed the urgent need for concerted efforts to support the Maldives in adapting to climate change due to sea level rise projections.

Additionally, the UN’s 2013 global human development report highlighted inequality and climate change vulnerabilities as major concerns for the Maldives, despite the country’s “significant economic growth” in recent years.

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Hundreds of millions of global poor will be affected by warming oceans

Climate Progress

The damage climate change will do to the oceans could be disastrous for the world’s poorest, according to a new study.

Humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions will alter the oceans in several ways, including shifts in ocean temperature, reduced oxygen concentrations, and higher acidity as they absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To track how, a group of researchers lead by Camilo Mora, a geography professor at the University of Hawaii, ran 32 marine habitats around the world through a series of modeled simulations. They looked at what would happen to these areas until 2100, under both a “business as usual” scenario — in which carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere rises to 900 parts per million — and an alternative scenario in which humanity takes drastic action to cut those emissions.

“Our results suggest that the entire world’s ocean surface will be simultaneously impacted by varying intensities of ocean warming, acidification, oxygen depletion, or shortfalls in productivity,” the researchers reported. “Only a very small fraction of the oceans, mostly in polar regions, will face the opposing effects of increases in oxygen or productivity, and almost nowhere will there be cooling or [decrease in acidity].”

These changes could very well reduce the oceans’ biological productivity. In particular, the models suggested a four to ten percent cut in the production of phytoplankton, which form the lowest foundation of most of the oceanic food chains. That in turn would mean “massive and challenging” ramifications for the 470 to 870 million poor people around the world who rely on the seas for their food and livelihoods. Many of them live in the countries that will be the hardest hit by the changes the researchers tracked.

This work follows up on a growing body of evidence detailing the unique threat climate change poses to the global poor. The problems extend well beyond ocean changes, to extreme weather and crop disruptions. Southern and southeastern Asia are home to a large portion of the global poor, and face destabilizing climate shifts, altered monsoon patterns, and floods. The World Bank has warned that within two decades, drought and rising heat could leave 40 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s farmland unsuitable for growing maize or for grazing livestock.

Other studies predict 325 million extremely poor people will live in 49 of the globe’s most climate disaster-prone areas by 2030.

The ocean study was published this month in the journal Public Library of Science Biology.

Iain Keith – Avaaz.org	2:06 PM (2 hours ago)
to me

Dear friends across Australia,

As NSW burns, PM Abbott is working to kill the carbon price, our best tool to fix climate change and prevent more deadly fires in the future. The new ALP team can help stop Abbott’s plans, but they’re not convinced climate change is an issue that’s worth fighting for — let’s show the ALP that public opinion is desperate for climate leadership! Sign now:

Australian homes are burning again, but with Tony Abbott and his coal cronies working to kill the carbon price, our best tool to fix climate change and prevent more deadly fires in the future is on the rocks. It’s up to us to extinguish their plans.

While the PM volunteers to help the emergency services, his relentless assault on the carbon price locks our brave firefighters into a future where fires are more ferocious and frequent. The new ALP team can help stop Abbott’s plans, but they’re not convinced climate change is an issue worth fighting for now they’re in opposition. A massive outcry across Australia right now can show the ALP that public opinion is desperate for climate leadership and saving the carbon price is a fire fight worth having.

New leader Bill Shorten is deciding their opposition playbook right now — let’s show him the roar of public opinion wants the ALP to do everything they can to save the carbon price and protect a cooler future for Australia! Sign now then forward this email to everyone — when we reach 100,000 signers a group of firefighters will deliver our petition to ALP headquarters:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/abbott_fanning_the_flames/?bhPqncb&v=30617

New South Wales is in a state of emergency and yesterday was the most dangerous day for bushfires in years. While some fires have now been downgraded, experienced fire fighters are urging everyone not to be complacent, because they know when we have fires this early in October, the situation all summer will be extremely dangerous.

Weeks ago the world’s leading scientists confirmed that humans are causing climate change and it’s going to get much worse without urgent action. It’s bad news for Australia which is only going to get hotter, drier, and more prone to bushfires. Tony Abbott is one of the few people in the world that disagrees with the overwhelming scientific consensus. But right now, the decision on whether or not to repeal the carbon price rests with the new ALP team, who are questioning whether or not to support the policy they introduced. If they give in, the carbon price will be dropped without protest in the senate.

Let’s raise our voices now before Australia’s best climate chance is extinguished. Sign now so the Labor Party knows that they do have the public backing to support the carbon price in the senate:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/abbott_fanning_the_flames/?bhPqncb&v=30617

Australia is at high risk of climate catastrophe: our coasts, farms, cities, could all change drastically and in only decades! Climate change is the biggest single threat humans face and solving it requires global coordinated action. Avaaz members joined with many others to help win Australia’s carbon price which is widely heralded as a world leading policy and has triggered other countries to follow suit. Now let’s defend it and keep alive the hope that we can extinguish the climate crisis.

With hope,

Iain, Emily, David, Alice, Ben, Richard and the whole Avaaz team

Sources

Live NSW bushfires: RFS braces for horror weather conditions (ABC)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-23/live-blog-nsw-bushfires-wednesday/5039260

Greg Hunt’s plan bypasses Senate (The Age)
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/greg-hunts-plan-bypasses-senate-20131021-2v…

Australia could be left with no policy on climate change (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/australia-climate-change-policy-vacuum

CSIRO recently published this paper on the links between climate change and possible increased bushfire risk (CSIRO)
http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Climate/Adapting/Climate-Change-Fire-Weather.aspx

UN climate chief Christiana Figueres calls for global action amid NSW bushfires (ABC)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-22/un-climate-chief-warns-of-nsw-27doom-and-gloom27/5036814

Support the Avaaz Community!
We’re entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way.

• Australian Associated Press
• theguardian.com, Thursday 24 October 2013 10.20 AEST
• Jump to comments (17)

Tony Abbott’s insistence that bushfires aren’t linked to climate change is like the tobacco industry claiming smoking doesn’t cause lung cancer, Nobel laureate Al Gore says.

In light of the New South Wales bushfire disaster, the former US vice-president says the prime minister’s comment that bushfires are a function of life in Australia and nothing to do with climate change reminds him of politicians in the US who received support from tobacco companies, and who then publicly argued the companies’ cause.

“For 40 years the tobacco companies were able to persuade pliant politicians within their grip to tell the public what they wanted them to tell them, and for 40 years the tragedy continued,” Gore told ABC TV’s 7.30 program from Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

“And bushfires can occur naturally and do, but the science shows clearly that when the temperature goes up and when the vegetation and soils dry out, then wildfires become more pervasive and more dangerous.

“That’s not me saying it, that’s what the scientific community says.”

Gore said it was a political fact of life that politicians and commercial enterprise colluded to achieve goals after he was asked if there was a conspiracy between polluters and politicians.

“I don’t think it’s a commercial conspiracy. I think it’s a political fact of life,” he said. “It certainly is in my country. In the United States, our democracy has been hacked.

“Special interests control decisions too frequently. You saw it in our recent fiscal and debt crisis.

“The energy companies, coal companies and oil companies particularly, have prevented the Congress of the United States from doing anything meaningful so far, to stop the climate crisis.”

The Nobel laureate said Australia’s new Direct Action strategy was not workable.

“The meaningful way to resolve this crisis is to put a price on carbon and in Australia’s case, to keep a price on carbon,” he said.

He argues the price needs to be at an effective level with the market sending accurate signals so that renewable systems of energy are encouraged.

adam bandt

5:52 PM (18 minutes ago)
to me

Images are not displayed. Display images below – Always display images from info@adambandt.com

Neville —

The ongoing bushfires in NSW reinforce the urgency of tackling global warming. Yet today Tony Abbott denied the science linking climate change and bushfire risk and attacked the head of the UN’s climate change agency.

Over the last 12 months we have had the hottest year, the hottest month, the hottest week and the hottest day on record. These hot temperatures and a dry winter have primed the south-east of Australia, increasing the bushfire risk.

For many years scientists and fire fighters have been warning of increased bushfire risk due to climate change. The CSIRO says we are on track to increase the number of extreme fire days by 300% in the coming decades.

Despite these dangers, Tony Abbott continues to deny that climate change will make bushfires worse. He wants to close down debate on the dangers of global warming and the need for stronger action.

We need to talk about bushfires and global warming. Please share my recent article in the Guardian.

Instead of taking stronger action on climate change, Tony Abbott wants to take us backwards.

One of the first acts of the new government was to abolish the Climate Commission and freeze any investments by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Next Tony Abbott wants to repeal the Clean Energy Act and scrap the price on pollution.

People need to know that by failing to act on climate change, Tony Abbott is increasing the risk of dangerous bushfires. Please share my recent article in the Guardian.

Over the last week I have been attacked by the Murdoch press for talking about global warming and bushfires and Tony Abbott’s failure to protect the Australian people.

But I will continue to talk about climate change and the need for action. I hope you will join me by sharing this article and having the conversation with your friends and family on social media.

Adam Bandt

PS. Save the date. November 17 will be a national day of action on climate change. There