Australia: Bushfire crisis triggers mass protests

Thousands of protesters have blocked the main streets of major cities across the country. Climate scientists have warned the frequency and intensity of bushfires will worsen as Australia becomes hotter and drier.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Australia's major cities to rally against Scott Morrison's government's inaction on climate change and its handling of the ongoing bushfire crisis that has devastated the country, destroying wildlife and polluting the air.

Friday's protests marked the country's first major demonstration since the fire season began in late July. The nationwide rallies were organized by university students and broadcast live on social media platforms.

Masses gathered in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, blocking major roads in the cities as protesters chanted "ScoMo [Scott Morrison] has to go ," and armed with signs, placards and banners that read "There is no climate B," "Save us from Hell" and #sackScomo, a hashtag surfacing across social media in a dig against the prime minister.

Undeterred by heavy rain, a welcome change from the recent extreme dry weather, huge crowds in Melbourne came out shouting "Phase Out Fossil Fools," "Fire ScoMo" and "Make Fossil Fuels History."

Read more: Oceans play role in Australian bushfire drama, says experts

From paradise to most polluted places on earth

At least 26 people have lost their lives in the fires and more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) of land across Australia has burned since the bushfire season and several thousand homes have been destroyed.

Australian scientists claim at least one billion animals were killed in the recent bushfires.

"How can I be a vet if all the animals are gone" read one girl's placard in a Canberra protest.

Protests in the capital as well as Melbourne carried on despite air quality having deteriorated to such toxic levels  that the two cities featured among places with the most polluted air on earth.

Protesters took to the streets in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide

Morrison rejects criticism

Morrison and his conservative government have been condemned for their lack of efforts to combat climate change, which scientists have warned played a role in the bushfires.

On Friday, Morrison told Sydney radio 2GB that it was disappointing that people were correlating the bushfires with Australia's emission reduction targets.

"We don't want job-destroying, economy-destroying, economy-wrecking targets and goals, which won’t change the fact that there have been bushfires or anything like that in Australia," he said.

Morrison, a strong supporter of the coal industry, has blamed the country's three-year-long drought for causing the fires.

Australia stepped back in its commitment to the UN Paris climate accord last year. The country is the world's largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas.

Climate activists staged rallies outside the officers of German industrial manufacturing firm Siemens on Friday over its role in the Adani coal mine project in Australia. The activists called for an end to the project due to emissions from coal-fired plants that could contribute to global warming.

Read more: Wildfires: Climate change and deforestation increase the global risk

Protesting not 'appropriate'

Friday's events ignited controversy over the timing of the protests. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said the rallies were timed inappropriately and would divert police resources.

"Common sense tells you that there are other times to make your point," he told a televised briefing. "I respect people's right to have a view, I tend to agree with a lot of the points that are being made — climate change is real — but there is a time and a place for everything and I just don't think a protest tonight was the appropriate thing."

Teacher Denise Lavell said she attended the protests in Sydney because she believed the pleas were only a government ploy to keep civilians from protesting. "Our country is burning, our planet is dying and we need to show up," she said.

mvb/ng (AP, dpa, Reuters)

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‘Australia is going up in smoke’   

Amid Australian coal criticism, Siemens offers climate activist spot on board 

Siemens will decide on Australian mine role on Monday

As bushfires rage in Australia, the country's coal sector is in the firing line over its high carbon emissions. So too is Siemens over its role in a huge mine project that has courted much controversy.

  

German engineering conglomerate Siemens will decide on Monday whether or not it will continue its involvement in a planned Australian coal mine which has stirred major controversy.

Siemens has a contract worth €18 million ($20 million) to provide signalling technology to the Carmichael coal mine being built by India's Adani.

However as raging bushfires continue to wreak devastation in Australia, public anger in the country has turned towards the government and in particular, its policies on climate change. Australia is one of the world's largest carbon emitters per capita because of its reliance on coal-fired power plants.

Back in Germany, that has turned the spotlight on Siemens' involvement with the Adani mine. That was the backdrop to CEO Joe Kaeser's meeting on Friday with climate activist Luisa Neubauer, one of the main organizers of the Fridays for Future school strike climate movement in Germany.

Following the meeting, Kaeser confirmed that Siemens was reconsidering its involvement in the mine, with a final decision to come on Monday. He also indicated a degree of regret in entering into the deal last year. 

"We do a great many things, but we also make mistakes, that much is clear. We see that need to better understand and identify [problems] earlier, even with our indirect participation in critical projects," Kaeser said

A controversial mine
The Carmichael coal mine is being developed by Adani north of the Galilee Basin in Central Queensland.  It would be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the largest in the world.

However it has proven immensely controversial over its high costs and in particular, its negative environmental impacts. Its potential impact on the Great Barrier Reef has drawn a lot of attention as has the issue of the amount of carbon emissions it will be responsible for.

The bushfire crisis has cast Australia's entire coal sector in a negative light, given the link between the fires and global warming.

Siemens under pressure

Criticism of Siemens' involvement in the mine gained momentum last week when Nick Heubeck, a Fridays for Future activist, placed a petition on the website change.org over Siemens' role in the mine.

"Siemens has declared in Germany that it wants to become carbon neutral by 2030 and that it will live up to its responsibilities," he wrote. "In recent months, Siemens in Germany has not missed an opportunity to present itself as a climate pioneer. It would be hypocritical and unimaginably irresponsible to participate in the Adani Mine in Australia now. We cannot permit that!"

The petition has gained close to 60,000 signatures and has heaped further pressure on Siemens. Protests over the company's Australian role also took place across Germany on Friday.

Kaeser's meeting with Neubauer was aimed at defusing the controversy. To that end, the CEO offered the 23-year-old climate activist a seat on the supervisory board at Siemens Energy. It is not known if she has accepted.

Speaking ahead of the meeting on Friday, Siemens said it was listening to concerns over its role in the mine. "We take the issue very seriously and are taking the time necessary to hear and discuss different perspectives," a Siemens spokesman said.

aos/hg (AFP, dpa)

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Environmentalists vow to fight Carmichael coal mine in Australia

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WWW LINKS

https://www.change.org/p/eil-stoppt-die-siemens-beteiligung-am-australischen-mega-kohleprojekt-stopadani-joekaeser

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Siemens to deci

CAPITALISM IS NOT SUSTAINABLE MEMES

Fire crisis sees thousands protest around the world demanding climate action

 Harrison Jones

Friday 10 Jan 2020 

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/10/fire-crisis-sees-thousands-protest-around-world-demanding-climate-action-12037483/?ito=cbshare

Thousands of people across the world have taken to the streets to protest against the Australian government’s ‘inaction’ on the climate crisis. With bushfires burning huge parts of the country and estimates of a billion animals left dead, protesters called on prime minister Scott Morrison to urgently change course. 

Thousands of Australians, including a baby girl dressed a koala, took to the streets to demand stronger environmental policies, while demonstrators also turned out at Australian embassies around the world, including in London. 

Mr Morrison has faced criticism for downplaying the crisis but earlier today he rejected criticism of his government’s environment policies. He claimed it was ‘disappointing’ and ‘ridiculous’ that people were conflating the fires with Australia’s emission reduction targets, despite broad consensus from scientists that climate change has played a part in the catastrophe.

Australia also weakened its commitment to the landmark UN Paris climate agreement last year, while activists have heavily criticised a major proposed coal mine. 

Mr Morrison’s conservative government has taken heavy criticism for its handling of the wildfires, and the prime minister himself has faced a series of embarrassing episodes involving fire-hit communities and firefighters.

 Friday’s demonstrations came as authorities urged nearly a quarter of a million people to flee their homes and prepared military backup as soaring temperatures and erratic winds fanned bushfires across the east coast. 

Back in Sydney, major were blocked as protesters chanted ‘ScoMo has got to go’, while others held posters that read: ‘There is no climate B’ and ‘Save us from hell’. 12-month-old baby Juniper took part in the rally dressed as a koala, as concerns grow for the animal’s long-term future.

There were similar protests in Canberra, the capital, and Melbourne, where air quality turned so noxious this month that the two cities featured among places with the most polluted air on earth. Smoke has since spread as far as Brazil.  

In Melbourne, huge crowds braved heavy rain and a sharp drop in temperature to come out with placards, shouting ‘Phase Out Fossil Fools’, ‘Fire ScoMo’ and ‘Make Fossil Fuels History’. 

But Morrison has repeatedly rejected concerns that his government is not doing enough. He told Sydney radio 2GB: ‘We don’t want job-destroying, economy-destroying, economy-wrecking targets and goals, which won’t change the fact that there have been bushfires or anything like that in Australia.’ 

Today’s protests also provoked a backlash from Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews, who said they were wrongly timed and would divert police resources.He said it was ‘common sense’ that it was not ‘appropriate’ today as concern grows that the blazes are set to worsen. 

Teacher Denise Lavell said she attended the protests in Sydney because she believed the pleas were only a tactic to keep people from protesting. She told Reuters: ‘Our country is burning, our planet is dying and we need to show up.’ 

Climate scientists have warned the frequency and intensity of the fires will surge as Australia becomes hotter and drier. Australia has warmed by about 1C since records began in 1910, NASA climate scientist Kate Marvel said this week.

She tweeted: ‘This makes heat waves and fires more likely. ‘There is no explanation for this – none – that makes sense, besides emissions of heat-trapping gases.’ 

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters, including many from Extinction Rebellion, protested ‘against the Australian government’s failure to respond to the bushfires and the climate and ecological emergency,’ outside the Australian Embassy in London. 

Protesters held banners with the words ‘Burning Earth’, listened to speeches and used animal skeletons to draw attention to the plight of wildlife. Anna Moore, an NHS respiratory doctor, and mum-of-four, said: ‘I spoke to a doctor in Sydney yesterday – they’re used to coping with bushfires but the scale of these fires is unprecedented.

‘People who need oxygen to breathe have no choice except to come into hospital because their oxygen supplies need power. ‘Emergency departments are overwhelmed with people – especially babies and the elderly whose bodies just can’t cope with the heat.’ 

Activists also called on mobile manufacturing company Siemens to pull out of the Adani coal mine project in Australia’s Galilee Basin, which has provoked widespread criticism for its potential to produce huge carbon emissions.

Environmental activists and school strikers in Berlin demonstrated outside the company’s headquarters and at the German capital’s Australian Embassy. 

Extinction Rebellion say Australia-focussed protests are taking place in cities in more than 30 countries – including in Bristol, London and Sheffield in the UK – both today and on January 16. 

Extinction Rebellion campaigners protest outside Australia's London embassy demanding Prime Minister Scott Morrison is fired for his handling of the bushfire crisis

• Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Australian Embassy on the Strand
• Dozens of Extinction Rebellion activists wore kangaroo masks and held banners
• Catastrophic fires killed at least 26 since October with 2000 homes destroyed 

By FAITH RIDLER FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 10:10 EST, 10 January 2020 | UPDATED: 10:22 EST, 10 January 2020

MORE PHOTO SETS/GOOGLE MAPS HERE

Extinction Rebellion campaigners gathered outside Australia's London embassy this afternoon to demand Prime Minister Scott Morrison is fired for his handling of the bushfire crisis.

The catastrophic fires have killed at least 26 since they began in October, with an estimated 2000 homes destroyed in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Morrison, who opted to go on holiday to Hawaii in the midst of the crisis in December, has been widely criticised for his lack of action in the catastrophe.

Hundreds of protesters arrived outside the Australian Embassy on the Strand in London this afternoon to urge the Australian government to 'act now' in response to the 'ecological emergency'.

Dozens of activists dressed in kangaroo masks or held signs reading 'How 'bout no, Scott?' and 'Denial is not a policy' as they were supported by Extinction Rebellion's Red Rebels.

Others held a banner reading 'BURNING EARTH' as they joined the protest, which was one of many to take place across the world today. Rallies were also held in Sheffield, Bristol and Lambeth, as well as in 30 countries worldwide from Argentina to Zambia.

The protest was held to draw attention to the 'betrayal of the Australian government in failing to protect Australians from the bushfires', according to Extinction Rebellion.

Ms Hackman said: 'I am just so very sad for people and wildlife in Australia.

'The bushfires around Canberra in 2003 showed us what to expect and there have been warnings about the consequences for Australia of climate change, yet the government did not prepare.

'We need to see the Australian government acknowledge the connection between climate change and these bushfires, and declare a climate and ecological emergency now and take action.'

The catastrophic fires have been blazing across Australia since October, when Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwen Hyde, 68, were found dead in their burned out home in Coongbar near Casino.

Today, firefighters were photographed conducting property protection patrols at the Dunns Road fire in Mount Adrah, as New South Wales braced for severe fires across the state with high temperatures and strong winds forecast.

There are currently 37 fires burning across NSW - 66 of which are not contained.

The NSW Rural Fire Service said conditions were 'difficult' thanks to a gusty southerly change which would cause 'erratic fire behaviour'.   

Similar crowds were seen in Brisbane and Canberra - where hundreds were heard chanting 'sack ScoMo'. 

Another popular chant was 'the liar from the shire, the country is on fire'. 

Organisers in Sydney were hoping to rival the crowds of 20,000 seen in December protests. 

The East Ournie Creek and Dunns Road fires near the Victoria border were upgraded to watch and act level this morning.

But by lunchtime they had merged as temperatures hit 37C and 20kmh winds fanned the flames.

Together the blazes, including sections that have burnt out, cover half-a-million hectares - about five times the size of Canberra.

The Rural Fire Service forecast extreme danger for the fireground and warned of 'erratic behaviour' meaning the flames can move and change direction quickly.

The fire has already passed through the towns of Talbingo, Wondalga, Kunama and Batlow.

Later on Friday, an emergency warning was issued for the Green Valley Fire, with those in Lankeys Creek, River Road and between Jingellic and Welaregang told it was too late to leave.

'Out of control bushfires are sweeping across the state - destroying thousands of hectares, houses, and lives,' organisers said on Facebook.

'These fires, heatwaves, and droughts are not just unprecedented - they're the direct result of decades of climate destruction at the hands of fossil fuel loving politicians. 

'The climate crisis has compounded hundreds of years of land mismanagement since invasion and decades of profiteering on water which has left much of the country in drought.'

The country-wide protests came as two giant bushfires raging on the NSW-Victoria border merged into a terrifying mega blaze spanning half-a-million hectares. 

2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL

The national death toll in Australia's 2019/2020 bushfire season was 26 as of Friday January 10, with 20 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and three in Victoria. 

OCTOBER

New South Wales: 

Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwen Hyde, 68, were found in their burned out Coongbar home near Casino on October 9th. 

NOVEMBER

New South Wales:

The body of 85-year-old George Nole was found in a burnt out car near his home in Wytaliba, near Glen Innes.

Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze.

The body of 63-year-old Julie Fletcher was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. 

Barry Parsons, 58, was found in a shed at Willawarrin, near Kempsey.

Chris Savva, 64, died after his 4WD overturned near burnt-out South Arm bridge, near Nambucca Heads.

A 59-year-old man was founded sheltered in a Yarrowitch water tank on November 7. He died of injuries on December 29.

DECEMBER

New South Wales:   

Firefighters Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney.

Samuel McPaul, 28, was battling a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, on December 30 when a 'fire tornado' caused his 10-tonne firetruck to roll. 

South Australia:

The body of 69-year-old Ron Selth was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. 

NEW YEAR'S EVE FIRES 

New South Wales: 

Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega, on December 31. 

A 70-year-old man, named by local media as Laurie Andrew, was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola.

The body of a 70-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah on the morning of New Year's Day.

The body of a 62-year-old man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am on New Year's Day.

A body, believed to be a 56-year-old man, found outside a home at Coolagolite, east of Cobargo on New Year's Day.

An off-duty RFS firefighter, believed to be 72-year-old Colin Burns, was found near a car in Belowra after the New Year's Eve fires swept through. 

Victoria: 

Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on the morning of New Year's Day. 

Fred Becker, 75, was the second person to die in Victoria. He suffered a heart attack while trying to defend his Maramingo Creek home.

JANUARY

New South Wales:

David Harrison, a 47-year-old man from Canberra, suffered a heart attack defending his friend's home near Batlow on Saturday, January 4. 

A 71-year-old man was found on January 6. Police have been told the man was last sighted on December 31, 2019 and was moving equipment on his property in Nerrigundah. 

Victoria:

Forest Fire Management firefighter Mat Kavanagh, 43, was killed Friday January 3 when he was involved in a two-car crash on the Goulburn Valley Highway.

South Australia: 

Well-known outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son, Adelaide surgeon Clayton Lang, died in the Kangaroo Island bushfire after their car was trapped by flames.  

Bollywood backing grows for students in anti-Modi protests
Deepika Padukone among stars to show solidarity with those protesting over citizenship law

Amrit Dhillon in Delhi
Thu 9 Jan 2020 

The actor Deepika Padukone, centre, visits students protesting at 
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images

Opposition to the policies of the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, is gathering strength in Bollywood as a growing number of actors voice their support for student protesters.

A day after one of Bollywood’s highest-paid stars, Deepika Padukone, showed her solidarity with young protesters by appearing alongside them, a host of high-profile actors and directors have backed the students, who have been demonstrating against a new citizenship law observers say discriminates against Muslims.

Those speaking out include Sonakshi Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Varun Dhawan, Sonam Kapoor, Suniel Shetty and Nikkhil Advani. The protests have been met with violence from police and rival student groups.

Padukone visited Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi on Tuesday to show her support for students injured by masked groups of people who stormed the campus on Sunday. The assailants are believed to be members of a student group close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata party.

The latest protest in Delhi resulted in yet another clash with police. A march by JNU students and leftwing politicians was stopped midway by police. On hearing that the students might be heading towards the presidential palace, officers bundled them into police vans and took them away.

The actor Nimrat Kaur praised Padukone, saying: “Leading from the front, the tallest Deepika Padukone.”

Kashyap said Padukone’s gesture had opened the gates for those who were apprehensive about speaking out over the controversial citizenship law or the use of excessive force by police against protesters.

“Deepika has managed to negate that fear and give courage to many others who were probably waiting for someone else to take the lead,” the director said.

Though brief, her appearance triggered a social media frenzy. Some Indians hailed her courage and integrity, while others claimed her JNU visit was a PR stunt to promote her new film, which is released on Friday.

The film industry traditionally stays out of such controversy with actors avoiding commenting on political issues for fear of damaging their careers and adversely affecting box office receipts. Initially, there was little comment from Bollywood, despite calls for those with a high profile to speak out.

Amitabh Bachchan, one of the industry’s most famous names, has remained silent. Three of Bollywood’s top male stars, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan who all happen to be Muslims, have also not spoken out since nationwide protests over the citizenship law began on 15 December.

Gradually though signs of distinct unease in Bollywood over the BJP’s agenda have emerged. On Monday, actors and directors such as Zoya Akhtar, Vishal Bhardwaj, Taapsee Pannu, Anubhav Sinha, Dia Mirza and Rahul Bose joined a protest in Mumbai.

Kashyap, along with the actors Richa Chadda and Varun Dhawan, gave television interviews on the issue earlier this week.

Another indication of the current mood in Bollywood was the turnout for the private meeting arranged by the BJP to explain the citizenship law to the industry. “It was very poorly attended with zero star presence … basically a bunch of producers and some B-listers which I guess tells its own story,” said a director who did not wish to be named.

As well as the number of people speaking out, the tone has become sharper. “India, where cows seem to receive more protection than students, is also a country that now refuses to be cowed,” tweeted the actor Twinkle Khanna after Sunday’s attack at the JNU campus.

Fellow actor Sonakshi Sinha was equally outspoken, tweeting: “No matter which political party you support, do you support violence? Don’t visuals of bleeding students and teachers shake you up? We can’t sit on the fence any longer.”

The director Sudhir Mishra is in no doubt about the current mood within Bollywood.

“The majority of the industry is pretty disturbed by recent developments. It’s not just students being injured, they are questioning a citizenship law that could affect people they know, people they work with. It’s no longer abstract, it’s real,” he said.

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HONG KONG PROTEST COVERAGE  

Nearly 2 million adults are estimated to have shown symptoms of PTSD during Hong Kong protests, study finds

By Nectar Gan, CNN
Updated Fri January 10,2020

Play Video
 Hong Kong risks losing a generation of future leaders 03:54

Hong Kong (CNN)Almost 2 million people in Hong Kong --- about a third its adult population -- are estimated to have experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during months of social unrest in the city, according to research published Friday in The Lancet medical journal.
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong surveyed 18,000 people between 2009 and 2019 in what they said was the world's largest and longest study of the population-wide impact of social unrest on mental health.
Of those surveyed, 32% reported signs of PTSD in recent months, according to the researchers. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that manifests after a traumatic experience and can cause sleeplessness, irritability and traumatic nightmares.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy supporters take part in an anti-government

 march on New Years Day.

Protests erupted in Hong Kong in June over a now-scrapped extradition bill that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China. The demonstrations have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement calling for greater civil liberties and police accountability.

As the protests have continued, they have grown more violent and disruptive. Two protesters have been shot with live rounds, a man was set on fire, and another man died after being hit with a brick during clashes. More than 16,000 rounds of tear gas have been fired by police, with about 7,000 people arrested.

Police arrive to clear pro-democracy protesters in the

 Kowloon district of Hong Kong on New Year's Eve.

Of Hong Kong's 7.5 million population, 6.3 million are adults. Compared to 2009, when the research began, the study found there are now an estimated 1.9 million more adults in the city with PTSD symptoms, and 590,000 more with probable depression.
"Hong Kong is under-resourced to deal with this excess mental health burden," Professor Gabriel Leung from the University of Hong Kong, who co-led the research, said in statement.

"With only around half the per-capita psychiatry capacity of the UK, and pre-existing average public sector outpatient waiting times of up to 64 weeks, it is important that we enhance mental health and social care provision so that all those in need are able to access high-quality services."

According to the study, the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in the adult population was six times higher in 2019 than after the city's so-called Umbrella Movement -- a 79-day, largely peaceful civil disobedience campaign calling for universal suffrage -- rising from about 5% in March 2015 to nearly 32% in September to November 2019.

They acknowledged that their findings provide observational associations rather than prove any cause and effect. They also warned that their findings may underestimate the extent of mental health problems because they did not include individuals younger than 18, who make up a substantial proportion of protesters.

---30---