“There is no later – this is later.”2
21.1 June 2020
Do you remember Lewis the koala? I first saw him one evening in November 2019. My wife and I were sitting watching the news. We saw the orange glow of fire above the burning forests of Australia and a video of a woman rescuing a small koala from a burning tree. It cried in pain and fear. That cry cut to my heart and made my wife weep. But the tears were not just out of compassion for the poor creature – they were also born out of the realisation that Climate Change is not something that will happen in the distant future – it is real and we are witnessing it on primetime television – now.
“Not with a bang – but a whimper”3
The footage showed the koala, later nicknamed Lewis, being rescued by Toni Doherty after she spotted the distressed creature in a forest fire in New South Wales.
She carried him in her shirt to the koala hospital in Port Macquarie. The koala’s burns were so severe that the vets were unable to save him and tragically he was “put to sleep.”1 The hospital treated dozens of injured koalas like Lewis during the wildfires and thousands more are feared to have died in the bush.
The distressed creature and its pitiful cries received global attention. Lewis became the symbol of the plight of Australian wildlife.4
One very real consequence of our high-carbon lifestyles is literally to cause the Earth to burn and push multiple species towards extinction. Climate Change is happening now – it is manifested in the megafires of Australia and the whimpering of one small koala.
“Australia has the highest rate of species loss…in the world.”5
Australia supports a rich diversity of mammals with over 300 different species. About 244 of these are endemic to Australia. However, since European colonization some 200 years ago, 34 species or sub-species of native mammals have become extinct. This is the highest rate of any region in the world.5 Sadly, due to human activity, this tragedy seems set to continue.
Koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus, are one of the iconic animals of Australia.6 They are arboreal folivorous marsupials that live mainly in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, South Australia and Victoria in forests typically dominated by eucalyptus trees.7 A study undertaken in 2012 estimated that there were some 330,000 individual koalas in Australia.
Koalas have always suffered large natural fluctuations of population. Crashes were often associated with over-browsing or periods of low rainfall or very high temperatures. But over recent times threats have become more pronounced and there is evidence of an overall reduction of population. Nationally over the period 1990-2010 the population fell by about 28%.
Over a similar period, the population decreased by 80% in Queensland. This declining trend has resulted in the koala being categorised as VUNERABLE on the IUCN Red List.7
“Koala decline has been happening slowly and silently.”9
Prior to the mega-fires that swept across the Australian landscape in 2019-20 Koala populations were in decline10 due to a combination of reasons:
In part it was driven by hunting for their pelts in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries.7 Another of the main factors is deforestation which has been occurring over large areas for many years.
Thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed through clearing for agriculture and logging and many more cut down for residential and commercial development.10 The destruction and degradation of koala habitat is particularly prevalent in coastal regions where urban development is rapidly encroaching on eucalyptus forests.6
Koalas are unable to cope with temperatures in excess of 36oC for long periods. In Australia long heatwaves are becoming more common. The Pilliga Forest – near Narrabri in north-west NSW – used to have one of the largest koala populations in the state. These have now almost gone because they have been killed-off by series of heatwaves.10 In particularly hot periods koalas descend to the ground in search of water and become exposed to predators like dingos.6 More recently there has also been a rise in sexually transmitted disease, especially chlamydia, which has affected populations.6
Until recently the functional extinction of the koala was considered a remote possibility but due to the increasing effects of Climate Change and the wide-scale and rapid destruction of mega-fires 10 there is now a very real prospect extinctions in localised areas.
“Where all was burned to ash.”2
21.2 June 2020
The bushfires that swept across Australia 2019/20 were shocking in their ferociousness and scale. The fires killed at least 34 people,12 and destroyed over 5,900 buildings – including 2,779 homes.13 As of March 2020 the fires had burnt an estimated 186,000Km214 – that’s an area greater than the whole of England. (130,395Km2) The fires also had a massive effect on the nation’s biodiversity.
“In south-east Australia, the frequency of very high and extreme fire danger days is expected to rise.”15
The mega fires consumed everything in their path and left little to enable a recovery of the pre-existing ecosystems.16
Fire is a natural part of an ash forest life cycle. They periodically clear out older stands to make way for new growth. But the extent and intensity of the fires in 2019-20 were such that they killed the trees.10 Many forests will be able to regenerate but some may never return to their former condition and revert to open woodland or grassland. Then the forests could be lost forever. These drastic and extensive changes to the landscape have major implications for Australia’s diverse wildlife. The fires in Eungella National Park, for example, threatened frogs and reptiles that do not live anywhere else.16
“Koalas have a very limited capability to adapt to rapid human-induced Climate Change…making then very vulnerable to its negative impacts.”6
Koalas are particularly vulnerable to bushfires. Their slow movement and tree dwelling lifestyle make it difficult for them to escape.6 Dozens of injured koalas were carried to “hospitals” every day. Many were treated for their burns and some survived – but many more were incinerated in the forest fires and nobody knows how many died.17
Sadly, the problems for the koala, and many other forest species, do not end with the fires. The animals that managed to survive by fleeing or going underground, return to these devastated areas to find their habitats no longer have the resources to support them.18 The mega-fires of 2019-20 had a devastating effect on koala populations – particularly in localised areas most severely affected by the fires.7
The tragic result is that the koala as a species may be functionally extinct – that is no longer be genetically viable – in many areas.19
Experts believe that the fires will inevitably result in further declines in koala populations in the future.20
“Climate change is happening now, and we are seeing the effects of it.”16
Fires are becoming more intense and more frequent. The Australian megafires of 2019-20 joined a long list that have raged across the planet – in Greece, California, and the Amazon.19 These are the clearest indication yet that Climate Change is driving fire activity.16
“Warming is projected to continue through the 21st Century.”21
The Earth’s climate is changing. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution global concentrations of CO2 have increased from 280parts per million (ppm) to over 415ppm today.22
Human activities are estimated to have already caused a 1.0oC rise in of global temperatures above pre-industrial levels and global warming is likely to reach 1.5oC between 2030 and 2052 if emissions continue at the current rates.23
High temperatures and drought and more frequent wildfires are all linked to Climate Change and these are destroying ecosystems around the world.16 But we should not be surprised by such events. Humanity was forewarned of the consequences of its activities and the effects of a warming atmosphere.
In 2012 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that the observed and projected changes in some regions of Australia due to Climate Change will include increasing dryness, the occurrence of high-impact drought events due to substantial reductions in rainfall and an increased frequency and intensity of fires.15 One of the key risks identified by the IPCC is the increased damage to ecosystems due to wildfires in Southern Australia.21
“Australia is one of the highest per capita CO2 emitters in the world.”24
Australia accounts for 1.3% of global emissions based on carbon dioxide released from within the country. But Australia is also the world’s largest coal exporter and one of the world’s largest natural gas (LNG) exporters. Consequently, Australia’s global footprint is very significant – contributing nearly 5% of the world’s emissions.24 Australia is now suffering the devastating consequences of its own greenhouse gas emissions.
“Wildfires have turned southeast Australia into a charred apocalyptic nightmare and threaten to wipe out entire species of animal.”25
“Everything dead to the root”2
21.3 June 2020
“Koala numbers have plunged over the past 20 years. And if we don’t turn the trend, they won’t be functionally extinct – they will be actually extinct.”9
Australia’s Minister for the Environment, Susan Cey, announced that up to 30% of koalas may have been killed in the 2019-2020 bush fires.26 The real figure may never be known – but one thing is for sure, local populations of koala are heading towards functional extinction1– this is when a species population is so reduced that it no longer has enough members to provide a future generation. So, although not technically extinct – yet – the koala is under dire thereat.26
“It’s events like this that may well hasten the extinction process for a range of other species.”27
Many other endangered and vulnerable animals were also affected by the fires. These included the Western Ground Parrot, Kangaroo Island Dunnot,26 Hastings River Mouse and Bush-tailed rock Wallaby.27
“More than one billion animals.”18
Professor Chris Dickman of the University of Sydney estimated that more than a billion animals had died across Australia in the 2019-20 bushfires.18 This figure excludes bats, birds reptiles frogs, insects or other invertebrates. The calculation also used conservative estimates so the actual losses would have been substantially higher.18 The final number may never be known due to the vast extent of the fires and their intensity.27 But whatever the final count it is a tragic loss to the biodiversity of Australia – and to life on Earth as a whole. All such creatures play vital roles in their communities and all are important.
“We’re probably witnessing what Climate Change will look like in other parts of the world in Australia – now.”18
“[This] should be a wake-up call for the government.”28
The wildlife of Australia is seriously threatened from a range of threats including land clearance, exotic pests and more recently Climate Change and wide-scale bushfires.
The wildfires of 2019-20 demonstrated to the world their potential for enormous and rapid destruction. They can kill trees within hours, drastically alter landscapes on a broad scale and have profound impacts on biodiversity. There is urgent need to the Australian government – for humanity as a whole – to recognize the risks of rapid broad-scale change associated with Climate Change caused by anthropometric greenhouse gas emissions.29
“There is no scientific evidence that cutting carbon emissions could reduce the severity of the fires.”4
Yet, even as the fires raged across Australia killing people and destroying communities Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, declared that there was no direct link between the wildfires and the nations carbon emissions.4 Even as vast areas of Australia were destroyed and millions of animals killed, he argued against any reduction of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.23 Well – quite simply – he is wrong. What’s urgently needed is coordinated action to try and stem the loss of biodiversity. This should include vastly improved conservation actions and the creation of immense protected areas.30 Above all action is required to stem the damage caused by Climate Change. This needs to include the reduction, and ultimate elimination, of all greenhouse gas emissions and the transition to a renewable energy economy. Australia – humanity as a whole – needs to act to reverse the causes of Climate Change and fast.
“Climate change is expected to lead to an increased rate of [koala] population reduction over the next 20-30 years.“7
The bushfires that ravaged extensive areas of Australia over the 2019-20 fire season took an enormous toll on wildlife with huge numbers of mammals, birds, insects and other species killed.27 Koalas cannot outrun fires and unknown thousands died. We are lucky that there are populations in other parts of the country that were unaffected by the fires, so this iconic species is not yet forced into extinction. The koala only exists in Australia and once gone this distinctive species will be lost forever.27
But perhaps the most moving image to emerge from the bushfire crisis was of injured and distressed Lewis. His plaintive whimpering received international coverage and became the symbol for the plight of wildlife across the continent.27 Maybe – just maybe – the people of Australia and humanity as a whole might take notice and act to save the remnants of his species.
“As the embers cool, and the smoke begins to clear the harsh reality sets in.
This is far worse than we could have ever imagined.”1
