REALITY CHECKthan a sticking plaster. Looking ahead, prospects
in countries prone to burning look bleak. Even
armed with new models and methodologies, in
the continuing war against wildfires, it is likely
that stakeholders will be battling just to stay still.
As global heating accelerates, unprecedented
temperatures, extreme drought conditions and
failing water supplies will conspire to bring ever
more devastating conflagrations.
In Australia, 2019 was the hottest year on record
and the driest for nearly 120 years. December
saw more than three-quarters of the country
experiencing the worst fire weather conditions
on record. As t he fires continue to ra mpage
through fully grown forest as well as bush,it
is worth noting that Australia is essentiallya
desert with a few green bits around the edge.
It’s hardly surprising that as Hothouse Earth
condit ions sta r t to become t he nor m, t hese
bits become crisped and burned by heat and
fire, leading to questions being asked about the
country’s long-term f uture on an overheated
world. Whisper it, but maybe – at long last – the
recognition that the fate of Australia is at stake
will cause climate change deniers involved in
the country’s decision-making to rethink their
views on emissions.
by P R O F
B I L L
M C G U I R E
Bill is professor
emeritus of
geophysical &
climate hazards at
UCL, a co-director of
the New Weather
Institute and a
patron of Scientists
for Global
Responsibility. His
environmental
thriller, Skyseed,
will be published
later this year.COMMENTIn Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory,
an aboriginal elder
teaches children how
to make a controlled
fire to burn o
dangerous grasses
ahead of fire season