THE VICTORIAN
BUSHFIRES
Greens NSW members and supporters express their deep
sympathy for those affected by the Victorian
bushfires and wish them strength for the difficult
task ahead of rebuilding their lives. We extend our
support and congratulations to those working
tirelessly to assist with this difficult process.
Elements of the
conservative media have sought to exploit the
disaster to attack the Greens. The following points
help to explain The Greens' approach to fire
management:
- The Greens have
explicitly supported hazard reduction burns,
particularly works undertaken to protect human
life, where the scientific evidence indicates
they will reduce risk. The environment movement
has largely advocated the same level of
controlled burning as bushfire experts.
- The amount of
hazard reduction burning has been limited by the
number of days on which it would be safe to
conduct this activity, not by any policy
directive influenced or otherwise by the Greens.
- Dryness and
climatic conditions have a greater impact on
fire speed than fuel levels.
- Forestry
activities may promote dryness and hence the
speed of fires by thinning forest canopies
The fires in Victoria
are a warning of the scale of human suffering and
environmental devastation that climate change will
bring if greenhouse gas emissions are not massively
reduced.
