Australia Wildfires Investigation Calls for Climate Risk Assessment
2020-11-03
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Wildfires destroyed large parts of southeast Australia during the second half of 2019 and early in 2020.
2Late last week, Australian investigators released an official report on the fires.
3The investigators for greater efforts to predict the effects of climate change on the country.
4The report noted that fire behavior was becoming more extreme.
5The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements began studying the fires in February.
6The fire season was so destructive that it is now known as Black Summer.
7The fires killed at least 33 people, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and burned 19 million hectares.
8Thousands of people were forced to leave affected areas.
9The Royal Commission said the smoke that covered much of the country, including major Australian cities, was partly to blame for hundreds of deaths.
10The commission's 578-page report made 80 suggestions.
11They include greater sharing of information across Australia on climate and disaster risks.
12The report said federal and state governments should make climate projections and agree on trajectories and timelines for likely climate change.
13It called on states to create fire maps that are shared nationally.
14Without this cooperation, the report said, it is "difficult to measure risk at a national scale."
15These measures will "improve the ability to predict or estimate the likelihood of extreme" wildfires, the report said.
16Mark Howden is a professor at the Australian National University's Climate Change Institute.
17He said the fire risk in some areas was a result of both fuel loads and climate.
18A fuel load is the amount of dead wood that can easily burn.
19Climate models were "a guide to future change and risk, but it's very clear across Australia that that change in risk is upward," Howden said.
20"So, it's a question...how quickly and how much that fire danger increases."
21Lawmakers in Australia's government have argued against the effect of climate change on the fire emergency.
22Some said the fires were set by arsonists.
23The report also said there was no question that more climate change is likely over the next 20 years.
24It also said the number of floods and fires will increase.
25Former New South Wales state Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins agreed with the report's look at climate change.
26"The main point made in this report is that the Black Summer bushfires would not have happened if not for the effects of climate change and a warming planet," he said.
27The report also recommended that Australia develop its own aerial firefighting abilities and send water bombers to where they are needed most.
28The country now brings in firefighting airplanes from the Northern Hemisphere during its fire season.
29But, as a result of climate change, fire seasons in the two hemispheres often happen at the same time now.
30The report said that the prime minister should be given new legal power to declare a state of emergency.
31This, it said, would make it easier for the federal government to act during the wildfire season.
32I'm Susan Shand.
1Wildfires destroyed large parts of southeast Australia during the second half of 2019 and early in 2020. Late last week, Australian investigators released an official report on the fires. The investigators for greater efforts to predict the effects of climate change on the country. The report noted that fire behavior was becoming more extreme. 2The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements began studying the fires in February. 3The fire season was so destructive that it is now known as Black Summer. The fires killed at least 33 people, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and burned 19 million hectares. Thousands of people were forced to leave affected areas. 4The Royal Commission said the smoke that covered much of the country, including major Australian cities, was partly to blame for hundreds of deaths. 5The commission's 578-page report made 80 suggestions. They include greater sharing of information across Australia on climate and disaster risks. 6The report said federal and state governments should make climate projections and agree on trajectories and timelines for likely climate change. It called on states to create fire maps that are shared nationally. Without this cooperation, the report said, it is "difficult to measure risk at a national scale." 7These measures will "improve the ability to predict or estimate the likelihood of extreme" wildfires, the report said. 8Mark Howden is a professor at the Australian National University's Climate Change Institute. He said the fire risk in some areas was a result of both fuel loads and climate. A fuel load is the amount of dead wood that can easily burn. 9Climate models were "a guide to future change and risk, but it's very clear across Australia that that change in risk is upward," Howden said. "So, it's a question...how quickly and how much that fire danger increases." 10Lawmakers in Australia's government have argued against the effect of climate change on the fire emergency. Some said the fires were set by arsonists. 11The report also said there was no question that more climate change is likely over the next 20 years. It also said the number of floods and fires will increase. 12Former New South Wales state Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins agreed with the report's look at climate change. 13"The main point made in this report is that the Black Summer bushfires would not have happened if not for the effects of climate change and a warming planet," he said. 14The report also recommended that Australia develop its own aerial firefighting abilities and send water bombers to where they are needed most. The country now brings in firefighting airplanes from the Northern Hemisphere during its fire season. But, as a result of climate change, fire seasons in the two hemispheres often happen at the same time now. 15The report said that the prime minister should be given new legal power to declare a state of emergency. This, it said, would make it easier for the federal government to act during the wildfire season. 16I'm Susan Shand. 17The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 18_________________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20page - n. each piece of paper in a book or report 21trajectory - n. the direction 22arsonist - n. someone who deliberately sets a fire 23scale - n. the weight of something or its importance 24aerial - adj. pertaining to flight or the skies 25hemisphere - n. one half of the earth, either southern or northern