Australian Firefighters Call For High Level Talks to Tackle Climate Change
Media release, 20 November 2015: The Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance has called for high level talks to address climate change following the release of the latest report from the Climate Council, The Burning Issue: Climate Change and the Australian Bushfire Threat.
The report, which details the impacts of climate change on fire conditions both in Australia and globally, has sparked concern from Australian firefighters, who say more needs to be done to address the causes of climate change.
“This report highlights the need for Australia to prepare to meet more challenging bushfire conditions in a warming world,” said Founder and Spokesperson Dean McNulty.
“Firefighters don’t just respond to emergencies, we spend a lot of our time helping to educate the community about preventing them. We need to face up to the fact that it’s not just about bolstering our resources. We also need to act urgently to reduce the pollution that is generating a warmer climate; longer fire seasons; and more dangerous and difficult conditions for firefighters.”
McNulty said it is important that firefighting authorities work alongside the government to do the long-term planning required together.
“We know that the impacts of climate change contribute to longer, hotter and more frequent bushfires. Now it is critical that the government and firefighters take a coordinated approach.”
Media: Contact Sarah at Climate Media Centre on 0420 892 450 orsarah@climatemediacentre.org.
The Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance is a platform for Australian firefighters to come together and call for greater action on climate change. AFCA stands to help firefighters prepare and respond to the current and future impacts of the climate crisis, and advocate for the prevention of further damage to climate systems through strong policies and community education.