Climate change trumps the feral cat problem in Australia

If you believe it climate change, the apocalyptic NSW bush fires of Australia provide a foretaste of what is to come; a near uninhabitable country because of constant 40 degree celsius temperatures and never ending bushfires which destroy Australian’s precious flora and fauna.

Thirsty koala emerges from bushfires. Photo: Reuters.

For years the Australians have been concerned about their ‘feral cat problem’. Actually, it’s more a ‘human behaviour problem’. They believe that feral cats destroy precious native species of small mammals but they put them there out of carelessness.

Now the ‘human behaviour problem’ has caused climate change which is destroying everything. Finessing over how to limit the damage feral cats cause to their fauna pales into insignificance against the Armageddon of these never-ending and devastating bushfires. As the days pass the government takes ever more dramatic measures to try and put them out and save lives.

We see a firefighter with a hose pointed at a wall of flame and think, ‘that’s not going to work’. Seventeen have died and military ships and aircraft take supplies to desperate families stranded in areas surrounded by flames.

The indelible image of a koala slowly emerging from the charred forest with it’s legs blackened and part of its back on fire sums up the horror. Koalas live in trees and eat leaves. Both are being destroyed.

It is believed that up to a third of koalas have been killed by the bushfires. As I said, climate change trumps feral cats in terms of wildlife destruction.

A dehyhdrated koala begging a cyclist for water also sticks in the mind. It is desperate times for wild species and humans on this arid continent which wants to expand economically. It has to grow economically to compete with the rest of the world but this creates climate change and destroys habitat. There must be some fundamental changes to the way we all live. Constant ‘growth’ looks untenable.

The smoke from the fires is a massive health hazard for people. Canberra is blanketed in a dense smoke which is 21 times above the safe threshold. The last decade has been the hottest for Australians. They are in a three year draught.

Thinking of feral cats under these dire conditions seems futile and pointless. Australians have to think much bigger if climate change is the root cause of these fires. And they have to focus on themselves not feral cats if they want to create lasting change going forward to make their continent habitable.

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