Along with the rest of the world, we’ve watched in horror as climate-change-fueled bushfires continue to ravage Australia. The damage has been incalculable.
Over fifteen million acres have burned to the ground. That’s an area half the size of Pennsylvania.
Thousands of people have lost their homes, while choking smoke spreads across the continent – and even as far away as New Zealand.
It’s estimated that a billion animals have been killed, and countless more have lost unique and irreplaceable habitats. The damage to some populations may be irreversible.
“The new normal” is a term you might have heard used to describe the catastrophic effects of anthropogenic climate change. As individuals and as a global community, we must resist this “norm”.
We are not separate from the earth we walk on, the air we breathe, and the other people and animals with whom we share our planet – even if those people and animals are on the other side of the world.
We can only transform “the new normal” when we work together. Our survival, and the survival of all that we love and cherish, depends on it.
Many of the people working to combat the devastation in Australia are volunteers. If you’re looking for ways to help, the following organizations are excellent candidates for your support.
Australian Red Cross
https://fundraise.redcross.org.au/drr
Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund
https://www.gerf.org.au/fundraising/
New South Wales Rural Fire Service
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade
RSPCA New South Wales
https://www.rspcansw.org.au/bushfire-appeal/
VIC Bushfire Disaster Appeal
https://www.communityenterprisefoundation.com.au/make-a-donation/bushfire-disaster-appeal/
Victoria Country Fire Authority
https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supporting-cfa
WIRES Wildlife Rescue
https://www.wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund
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