Courage, selflessness, passion and co-operation! Such traits were on display in my regional community just before Christmas 2015. All this as an uncontrolled bushfire threatened Yackandandah and other small towns in Victoria’s north-east. As the flames drew closer, fears mounted. Our three-year-old, my wife, our dog and I collected our valued belongings, checked our neighbours and an exodus began.
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A threatening plume of smoke shaded the sun and the unmistakable smell of bushfire grabbed at our nostrils. Driving out of town, the streets were already emptied, and as the sirens wailed we wondered what would remain upon our return.
Disasters disrupt day-to-day activities. In a crisis, we must act thoughtfully, with no time to hesitate. But how can we extend this sense of haste to crises that are less tangible but still posing a catastrophic threat?
A wealth of climate science points to such a catastrophic threat, and the shift looms larger each passing day. We experience this already with longer bushfire seasons, more frequent, longer, hotter and drier spells and more uncharacteristic storm events.
What will it take for us to all respond to climate change now with courage, selflessness, passion and co-operation to avert the emerging crisis of climate change?
If we do respond, we will follow in the wake of the many volunteers, emergency workers and caring communities which have always responded in a heroic manner to events that threaten.
In December 2015, we thankfully returned to an intact town and home. A merciful wind change, with rain, did what was proving tough for emergency workers. Others nearby were less fortunate.
Matthew Charles-Jones is president of Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) – an innovative community group committed to powering the town with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2022.
