In case you haven’t looked at the news, Australia is going through a tough time. Bush fires are going out of control and are destroying forests and the wildlife along with it. The dry and hot climate has resulted in these fires that are causing severe damage to life and property.?
The bushfires stretch through the Eastern and the Southern Coast -- including major cities like Sydney and Adelaide straight in the crosshairs. And it is larger than the Amazon forest fires that we witnessed last year. Here's how severe the situation truly is.?
The fires that started since September of 2019 has burnt over 400 million acres of land -- around 40 lakh square kilometres. This is almost as large as the state of Kerela in India. In comparison, some 9000 square kilometres burned in the 2019 Amazon fires, and this fire is showing no signs of stopping.
While Australian authorities were prompt enough in conducting evacuation at the right time, the bushfires killed 19 people with many still missing. In Amazon, however, the number is unknown as it is home to the indigenous tribes that rely on the forests for food and shelter, completely uprooting them from their natural life.
New South Wales has witnessed the death of over 500 million animals, along with numerous cows and sheep. While animals that can run away from fire were able to save themselves, slow-paced animals like Koalas weren’t so lucky. However, what’s worse is the fact that the fire also destroys the habitat, making survival difficult for other animals.
The fires caused damage to over 2500 buildings across the Eastern and Southern coast. This has amounted to over $250 million in insurance claims, and the toll just keeps on rising.
Analysis by Nasa shows the Australian bushfires have emitted about a combined 306 million tons of carbon dioxide since 1 August. This is similar to emission from 60-65 million cars. The Amazon forest fires, on the other hand, released 140 million tons of carbon dioxide.