Australia’s billion of animal deaths – conservationists must not give up
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Conservation scientists are grieving after the bushfires – but we must
not give up, The Conversation, January 21, 2020 Stephen Garnett,
Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin
John Woinarski, Professor (conservation biology), Charles Darwin University,
Sarah Legge, Professor, Australian National University
That a billion animals may die as a result of this summer’s fires has horrified the world. For many conservation biologists and managers, however, the unprecedented extent and ferocity of the fires has incinerated much more than koalas and their kin.The scale of the destruction has challenged what is fundamentally an optimistic worldview held by conservationists: that with sufficient time, love and money, every species threatened by Australia’s 250 years of colonial transformation cannot just be saved from extinction, but can flourish once again. The nation’s silent, apocalyptic firescapes have left many conservation biologists grieving – for the animals, the species, their optimism, and for some, lifetimes of diligent work. So many of us are wondering: have lives spent furthering conservation been wasted? Should we give up on conservation work, when destructioncan be wrought on the environment at such unprecedented scales? The answer is, simply, no. Acknowledge the grief Federal government figures released on Monday showed more than half of the area occupied by about 115 threatened species has been affected by fire. Some of these species will now be at significantly greater threat of extinction. They include the long-footed potoroo, Kangaroo Island’s glossy black-cockatoo and the East Lynne midge orchid………. 1.action is an effective therapy for grief. There is plenty to do: assess the extent of damage, find and nurture the unburned fragments, and feed the survivors. The official recovery response has been swift. Victoria, New South Wales and now the Commonwealth have all issued clear statements about what’s happened and how they’re responding. The determination and unity among government agencies, researchers and conservation groups has been remarkable……. |
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1.This month
For international nuclear news go to https://nuclear-news.net/
of the week
EVENTS
22 February – Sydney – Climate Crisis: National Day of Action–
more at Action Australia
Victorian Government INQUIRY INTO NUCLEAR PROHIBITIONThe submission closing date is Friday 28 February 2020. more – https://antinuclear.net/2019/11/07/victorian-government-inquiry-into-nuclear-prohibition/
Climate Action (Nuclear has no role)- theme for February 2020
Climate Action Network https://www.cana.net.au/
OUR VISION
A fair and sustainable Australia free of climate pollution, where people and nature are protected from dangerous climate change.
OUR MISSION
Is to support our members and their allies to take actions to protect people at home and abroad from climate change, to safeguard our natural environment, and to build a fair, clean, healthy Australia for everyone.
To do this we will create a diverse network with distributed leadership that links people and organisations working toward our vision. The network will support the setting and achievement of shared goals and be the underlying infrastructure that supports us to work together.
TOGETHER WE WORK TO
- Reduce Australia’s climate pollution to zero, and beyond.
- Transition to a society and economy powered by clean energy and clean exports.
- Protect people, water, air, land, and nature from the impacts of fossil fuel extraction.
- Build climate leadership and resilience in communities most affected by climate change.
- Ensure Australia does its fair-share in international efforts to confront the crisis.
WE WORK BY:
- Building and aligning strategies in common areas of our work.
- Co-designing and collaborating to deliver climate campaigns and projects.
- Co-operating on community-led transition projects.
- Engaging more people and diverse sectors to take action on campaigns connected to climate.
- Developing policies and proposals that will help deliver on our vision.
- Linking to international efforts, networks, and campaigns.
The Network provides infrastructure for ongoing communication between members, as well as convening meetings and working groups for particular regions, sectors, and issue areas.
The CANA Annual Report for 2018/19 details how our network members support each other to build a powerful, connected, diverse and innovative climate movement.
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FEDERAL. Inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia Read the published submissions on the Parliamentary website. Read the SUMMARIES of submissions here.
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