Suzanne Carillo

Environmental Emergency

Everywhere you look there are signs of climate change. From the melting ice caps and loss of polar bears, wildlife and their habitats to the warming of the oceans and with it the subsequent demise of coral reefs and sea life.  Our world has been irrevocably changed by mankind’s greed. 

Some of the latest catastrophic losses are occurring in Australia.  

What Have We Done? Environmental Emergency – Wild Fires Burning In Australia 

The apocalyptic fires have killed 24 people and have destroyed more than 1,500 homes, ravaging through over fifteen million hectares of land (over three times as much land as the Amazon fire).  

Half a billion animals have been killed including over 8,000 koalas.

The numbers are so staggering it is difficult to comprehend.

Realizing we’ve permanently altered our planet and its future is heartbreaking. The planet doesn’t belong to us. We are but one species living here and we have ruined it for all. 

Before The Fires

I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in southern Australia in 2006. Seeing the devastation incurred throughout the region is beyond heartbreaking. The sense of loss is overwhelming.  

At a time like this I feel showing photos of myself or what I’m wearing is irrelevant, inappropriate and indecent.  

Instead, I am sharing some photos from a scrapbook I created of our trip in tribute to the extreme losses incurred by the animals, land and people of Australia.

The photos below were taken on Kangaroo Island, a refuge for some of the country’s most endangered creatures, located just off the coast of southern Australia. At this point over 30% of Kangaroo Island has burned. 

Kangaroos were abundant on the Island when we were there. With wild fires raging they will have nowhere to escape. 

Teams arrived to Kangaroo Island today to help euthanize livestock and wild animals injured in the blazes. 

This little koala above was hanging out near a cabin where we stayed on the Island.

Koalas are not able to move quickly to escape the fires which is why so many have succumb to the flames. 

The koala above has been severely burned.  It will take extra efforts and care to ensure he lives. 

How Can You Help?

If you are looking for ways to help you can donate to WIRES Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organization, WIRES (New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.), to help animals in the midst of the bushfires.

In addition to WIRES we helped the koalas at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in New South Wales.   You can contribute to a GoFundMe campaign to rescue koalas by rehydrating them and treating their burns in the hospital.

Life Changes

Ultimately to slow down and ideally stop climate change we need to change our habits and lifestyle.  I’ve written previously about some easy changes I’ve made to my life in an effort to fight climate change on a personal level.

Vote For Change

It is up to us to choose governments that will impose regulations and fines on industries that pollute and exploit the planet’s resources.  Gas and oil companies whose carbon pollution has helped cause the climate crisis, and in turn created these extreme fire conditions in Australia, need to be held accountable.  They need to pay for the loss of life and land out of their earnings.  

We are in the midst of an emergency that requires actions, not words.

Educate yourself and take responsibility for your choices. Stand up for the animals and the earth.  It’s the only home we have.

Some films I recommend to educate yourself about climate change are; Before The Flood, The True Cost, River Blue, An Inconvenient Truth , A Plastic Ocean.

I would like to recommend this video of Dr. David Suzuki, a Canadian environmentalist explaining the facts about climate change below.  It will change you forever.

Linking up with Visible Monday, Turning Heads Tuesday, Fancy Friday, and Spy Girl

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