This guest post is from Geoff Curtis, better known among the Wheat and Tares community as longtime commenter Geoff-Aus.
How many members believe that man-made climate change is happening? In Australia at present the country is burning. Much of the country has been in drought for up to 8 years. Most of our capital cities are shrouded in smoke from the bush fires. This has never happened before.
For the first time our fire season started in winter, by spring we had rain forests burning. Rain forests do not burn because they are wet. They are no longer wet. There are fires with fire fronts hundreds of kilometers long. Over 1000 homes have been lost, and 6 lives so far and summer started 2 weeks ago, normally no houses are lost. An area 15% of Utah is presently burning.
I have a daughter who is a rural fire officer. She tells me the soil moisture is the lowest recorded, at around 8%. At this level, in a bush fire, not only do the trees burst into flame (most of our forests are eucalypt) but the roots burn and stay burning, so fires restart days after they appear to be out. Also with wind you have a fire storm, including embers starting fires 5k ahead of the fire front.
Our scientists say this is as a result of climate change. They have been predicting it for years. The fire experts keep saying this is unprecedented. Australia is the driest continent already, and this is being made more extreme. There is little rain forecast till at least February.
Our main inland river system, (like the Mississippi) is no longer flowing. Dry in places, thousands of fish dying. Never happened before. Our pacific island neighbours are asking for our help with rising sea levels.
We have a group in our governing conservative party, who most members vote for, who are climate deniers, so not only do we not have a climate policy or energy policy that are credible, the party have trouble saying climate change.
Because many members believe they should follow their church leaders and be good Republicans, which in the Australian context means extremely right wing. This is confirmed by the church teaching against gay marriage, and equality for women. We had a vote on gay marriage a couple of years ago, and after that members were recruited by the extreme right group. So the consequences of our position on gay marriage is that we are on the extreme right and part of this is that most members are also climate deniers. This group is also anti-Muslim, and see refugees as threats.
I was at a 50th birthday party last week and someone at our table asked if the daughter was fighting the fires. During the following discussion all the other members at the table repeated the climate deniers line that the reason the fires were not behaving like usual was the greenies were not allowing the firies to burn off in the off-season. In our state there is no restriction on burning off but there was only a month this year that there were not wildfires. So no time to burn off. These were people I thought were more moderate.
I had assumed it was obvious to all that we were experiencing a climate emergency. I was amazed to find the extreme right (my fellow members) are blaming the left wing, not their lack of policies/action. False news spread by the right, so they don’t have to take responsibility and act. Ideology is powerful and scary.
We also have Trump refusing to help the world deal with this problem, and members will probably vote for him again.
Do I really want to associate with these people? They are not my kind of people. There is an emergency and they refuse to act. Pass by on the other side, with whatever excuse.
It is very difficult to worry about church issues or other blogs, when you are under threat from bush fires, and so much of your country is burning. Climate crisis is so much more important to those that are living with it.
There were also droughts heat waves and extreme weather across much of the world this last summer, including fires in California.
We used to teach that all truth was part of the gospel. Climate science is science = truth. Climate change is making the world less habitable, surely the prophet should be a voice of warning. Has the extreme weather reached Utah yet? Maybe then?
Featured image from The Atlantic website, credited to Dean Lewins / AAP Image via Reuters. Caption: Rural Fire Service volunteers and New South Wales Fire and Rescue officers protect a home on Wheelbarrow Ridge Road during the Gospers Mountain fire near Colo Heights, southwest of Sydney, Australia, on November 19, 2019.
Wheat & Tares 
I’m in Southern California where we’ve also seen worse and more frequent wild fires, crippling drought and where our fire fighters train with and have mutual assistance agreements with your fire fighters, Geoff, because of the extreme resinous environmental conditions we share. (…not that our fire fighters and yours aren’t so overburdened that they’re available for so much mutual assistance these days.)
I don’t know whether we have this situation in common as well or not but, here in the Los Angeles area we have canyons that have been developed as residential areas where fire fighters simply will not go to respond to fires because they can’t risk their personnel and equipment when entire areas go up in instantaneous conflagrations they can’t evacuate from. I have neighbors whose fire insurance premiums tripled between their last premium due date and the current one. Others can no longer get insurance at any price from conventional insurance companies and are having to appeal for coverage from the state.
To deny our contributions to the peril we face and to neglect our opportunities to ameliorate the situation is wholly irresponsible. Even if the human factor only accounts for a part of the situation we find ourselves in our responsibility to one another and to the future is clear and imperative. Meanwhile, it’s clear we need major infrastructural changes to meet increasing risks but the leadership for that fails when the climate change deniers sap the will to initiate big projects
I can only say that when exhausted fire fighters in the field are sleeping on rocks because they, at least, aren’t flammable and responding to new fires before they’ve really recuperated from the efforts of the last one, that the rest of us who depend on them for our own safety and the safety of our property, better be doing everything we can to mitigate climate change with or without political leadership. To hide behind the bluster of climate deniers, their paid “scientists” and scam artists like Trump is nothing short of craven when the real world consequences will come due whether we’re prepared for them or not.
It is hard to change other people. But all things are possible.
– Forgive them…
– Do your best to set a good example…
– Pray…
– Call your MP and/or write a letter to your newspaper…
Best wishes! I hope to visit Australia someday. I met a very nice Australian couple on a recent business trip to Washington D.C., and many nice Australian youth at a Scout jamboree in Ulanbaatar a couple of years ago.
It doesn’t really matter if you believe in climate change or not, the realities are the no amount of reducing carbon emissions will have any effect. The biggest greenhouse gas is water vapor by a large amount. Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas, but most all of the carbon dioxide does not come from mankind. If we eliminated all of our carbon emissions there would be almost no effect on the climate. Beside the planet benefits in a big way with increased CO2. The plants now are suffering because of the lack of CO2. The only plants that can grow now are those that are adapted to low CO2 levels.
I’m so sorry about what your country and citizens are experiencing. I have been a believer and a proponent of climate change for years, and I have been confused at the attitude of many Christians and members of our church who deny that it exists. Aren’t we commanded to be stewards of the earth?
There is an interesting book I read several years ago, called Merchants of Doubt by American historians of science Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway. Just a quick blurb to give you an idea of what it’s about and that might explain why so many people deny climate change:
“[The book] identifies parallels between the global warming controversy and earlier controversies over tobacco smoking, acid rain, DDT, and the hole in the ozone layer. Oreskes and Conway write that in each case “keeping the controversy alive” by spreading doubt and confusion after a scientific consensus had been reached was the basic strategy of those opposing action. In particular, they show that Fred Seitz, Fred Singer, and a few other contrarian scientists joined forces with conservative think tanks and private corporations to challenge the scientific consensus on many contemporary issues.”
Geoff,
Why do you attack President Trump when he has absolutely nothing to do with, and can’t impact global warming in any way? China and India produce the vast majority of man-made carbon emissions. Why don’t you attack them instead?
I’ll take global warming alarmists more seriously when they focus their message and complaints towards China and India, instead of at the easy targets of President Trump and conservative voters.
Cachemagic,
I love that this site includes people of differing opinions. Don’t mind the down votes in your comment; your view is in the minority here, but other than that there is nothing wrong with your comment.
I find your beliefs interesting. I’m assuming you would agree with that among climate scientists your beliefs would be in the minority. I would be interested in exploring the basis of your beliefs and your confidence in then
You stated several beliefs (doubt in climate change, doubt that humans can cause it, among others). I wonder what is the most significant reason that you would doubt humans can change climate, and what is your basis for this belief?
A little over a year ago, the Church published a news release highlighting the comments of Elder Steven R Snow to an environmental symposium. In his remarks (linked in the news release) Elder Snow proclaimed that climate change was real and that it is our responsibility to limit the damage. The group LDS Earth Stewardship has compiled a number of talks and other Church materials extolling the virtues of care for the environment. The Church considers sustainability and environmental impact in its construction projects. Church employees are encouraged to take mass transit, and BYU has been instrumental in creating a bus rapid transit system in Provo.
What you are really witnessing, Geoff, is political polarization that ends up lumping unrelated things together. Environmentalism, for whatever reason, has become associated with certain manifestly immoral positions (such as abortion). The result is that people opposed to one immoral political position are often practically forced to adopt other immoral political positions.
Do I believe that climate change is real and is man made??? Yes Yes Yes. Am I frustrated by the far right and their denial?? Yes Yes Yes. I am sorry to hear what is happening in your country. In our country, trump and the republicans are speeding up the process with their policies. We need to work against these folks and not rely on God to come save us.
As a resident of Alaska, whose community was suffocated in smoke and nearly burned out by wild fires this summer (we had to evacuate) – a summer which shattered all records, all models, all assumptions about our Alaskan weather – I hear you and feel I could have written the same post (although not as eloquently!). My devout Mormon grandparents finally have stopped thinking that I am lying when I talk about the dramatic and devastating climate changes we see in our state, and now they accept that things are changing but insist that it is not humanity’s fault or responsibility. And this is deeply interwoven with their religious beliefs, which are in turn completely interwined with the Republic far-right-wing talking points/agenda.
Some Mormons are my people by blood, most are my people by heritage, but very few Mormons feel like my people in any other way. I used to be deeply, devoutly, devotedly Mormon, but living in Alaska, seeing the front line of climate change right before my eyes, and witnessing my religious community in denial, caused such painful cognitive dissonance (other reasons for the dissonance too, of course), that I have mostly separated myself from the Church and most of its beliefs. Climate change denial is one part of many, but it is not an insignificant reason why I do not feel at home in Mormonism right now. Funny that when I would talk about Alaska’s changing climate with said grandparents, they would react as if they felt my testimony of the gospel were in jeopardy because I believed what I saw right out my window. Well, if they define the gospel as firm adherence to far-right-wing political conservatism, they were right.
Wishing you the best in these dire circumstances. I also have dear friends who have had to evacuate their home a couple hours NW of Sydney, and fear to lose everything. And other friends in Sydney who cannot breathe some days, due to the smoke. I wish that my similar experiences of this past summer, and thus empathy, could do something for them. As is, we are all at the mercy of political leaders more interested in power than truth. God help us all.
The problem is that we can’t live the way we do if we want change.
Also a problem is that a significant number of Christians and Muslims hope and pray these are the last days and that the second coming will save us all.
What if it is not coming?
What if Latter days will last a long time?
Earlier this year, I wanted to know what the young men would like to cover in their quorum meetings. I asked what they thought the biggest problems in the world were. After various forms of violence, environmental issues were next on their list. Climate change was a big deal to them. In the months following, we addressed various topics that they had suggested. When it came time to cover environmental issues, I was pleased to find a gospel topics essay on Environmental Stewardship and Conservation (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/environmental-stewardship-and-conservation?lang=eng). It was very general, and could be applied to various environmental issues. The young men filled in the gaps. They all knew about climate change and had idea’s about things people could do to reduce emissions or pollution or other things. The tricky part was discussing what they could do as a quorum.
Brian G,
“Also a problem is that a significant number of Christians and Muslims hope and pray these are the last days and that the second coming will save us all.”
Yes, this is very much the basis of climate change denial for so many LDS (and others). They may be able to acknowledge changes happening, but refuse to accept human responsibility or take action because they see it as God’s plan, a sign of the times, and that everything has to get worse before it gets better, and – hallelujah! – God is on the verge of saving us all, so let’s just sit back righteously and watch the wicked burn….
Watch out, fire doesn’t discriminate like you think it does.
Alice S, As far as I am aware Australia and America are the only countries whose leaders have wound back the efforts of their predecessors to address climate change. In most other countries the science is accepted and the climate emergency is not a political issue. All sides agree to work for the common good. That is why Trump, along with the Australian gov get special mention.
As far as your assertion that America is not the problem, it is in the top 3 in all areas, China is ahead on current emmisions, but America is next and India a distant third.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/apr/21/countries-responsible-climate-change
Per capita , historical, and consumption footprint. As this has been building up for decades and china is a latecomer, America has contributed much more, and is now not accepting its responsibility to help fix it.
Was not aware of church saying anything about the climate crisis. Would be good to hear from the leaders.
Don’t know what to do about people who deny science, because of ideology.
Because Australia is 18 hours ahead of Utah I am not responding in your time.
@cachemagic you are correct that we need CO2. But the planet works on equilibrium. In the last 200 years CO2 levels have raised 40% to 280ppm a limit that hasn’t been experienced for several million years. But what we also have is world wide deforestation with 46% of trees having been felled since 1990.
So we are literally destroying the natural equilibrium creator our planet has in place.
You are also correct that CO2 isn’t the worse greenhouse gas. Methane is 10x worse than CO2. With agriculture being a major factor in methane production and deforestation our consumption of beef and other animal products is an environmental nightmare (….that must have been that WOW thing about eat meat sparingly).
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) are also a greenhouse gas that is 4,930x worse than CO2. You find HFCs in refrigeration units and air conditioning etc. Literally the item you are using to cool yourself is heating up the planet.
There is no silver bullet for this. But eyes wide shut is the plan for most people.
Much like the light the world article, being charitable is something you need to plan.
Making active environmental decisions around your consumption habits you also need to plan.
Food, Travel, Energy. A couple of small changes makes a big effect.
If you look at the photo at the beginning of this article you see a new phenomenon. Usually with these type of trees the fire burn in the litter on the ground, and with wind can crown so the leaves in the top of the trees burn
In this photo the trunks of living trees are burning.
Eucalipt forests can cope with fire in the undergroth, and even in the leaves. Not sure whether they can recover from this new phenomenon.
On my facebook is a picture of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, with no water going over the falls. The main industry there is tourism, to see the falls, and to white water raft on the zambezi river starting at the botton of the falls. So lots of unemployed tourist providers. What about the hippos if the zambezi has no water. The consequences of climate change are being felt all over the world, but the poorer you are the less likely you are to be able to adapt, or survive.
And the poorer you are the less likely you are to have contributed to the problem.
Looking at the figures I find it helpfull that countries like Germany have big industries, and good standard of living but small footprint. I was impressed when I was there 15 years ago that most of the sound barriers along the highway were solar panels, connected to the grid instead of a power station.
Jessica, With our obedience training, all we need is a statement from the first presidency, or one of them in conference telling us to help with the climate emergency. Might have to choose whether they are political or members first. Did it on immigration.
Geoff,
I admire your faith in people’s changing their minds on immigration, but I didn’t see that. Most of the comments in my Facebook feed run along the lines of “We’ll help immigrants and refugees, but nothing for illegals!” I am close to several people who can’t understand why the Church helps these people who are clearly breaking the law.
I had always seen the endowment films as a reminder of our stewardship to the earth: “It is glorious and beautiful.” And I’m not aware that the command to “till, and take care of it” has been revoked. Maybe if we spent less time Defending the Family and more time taking care of the earth and the people in it, we would all be better off.
Geoff,
Here we had a situation similar to your eucalyptus trunks burning. Where fire normally gets impeded in our area – in hardwoods (as compared to spruce), in high elevation tundra, on the tops of mountains – it just kept going and going. The moisture content of our vegetation was lower than ever recorded, after only a few months of drought! (I can’t imagine 8 years!) The lichens and mosses on the tops of our mountains burned, and fire came at us through areas that would normally form a natural barrier! Every model and expectation shattered. Also, salmon died mid-swim in rivers that were too warm and too shallow. Towns that never lack for water had their wells and reservoirs go completely dry. And here we are, about a week from winter solstice, and it is almost balmy outside at my home – I even encountered a fly buzzing around yesterday! This is a new world we live in, and I am several hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle. North of the Arcric Circle the changes are much, much worse. It feels like we are past the point of no return. I sure hope not.
I do hope SLC will speak up, but I don’t believe they will. This all fits into RMNs fear-mongering about the last days being fast upon us. The world burning fits his agenda.
Geoff, thanks for the write-up on Australia. I had no idea there was so much denialism there. Crazy how deniers give the same ludicrous reasons for fires in California: the environmentalists aren’t allowing brush clean-up to prevent fires. There is absolutely no evidence that radical environmentalists are restricting brush clean-up. Furthermore, hotter temperatures dry out more shrubbery and population growth creates a greater likelihood of human-caused fires. There are a few conservatives I know that accept climate change as a fact and encourage entrepreneurial action to fight climate change. I can certainly support that. But as was mentioned before, political polarization has left many conservatives thinking that it is incumbent upon them to reject climate change because it just doesn’t somehow belong in the package of conservative values. If anything, I would think that small-government conservative types would be among the first to call for a fight against climate change. For the more we don’t do anything, the worse things are going to get. And that will only usher in calls for strong government action and involvement to fight climate change.
“people opposed to one immoral political position are often practically forced to adopt other immoral political positions”
If I’m opposed to one immoral position, I’m forced to adopt other immoral positions? Doesn’t make any sense.
Crickets from cachemagic. I guess it was a drive-by comment. Oh well.
All you regulars probably know that I disagree with cachemagic, but I was genuinely interested in learning why they reject the scientific consensus. It’s something so many people do, but I don’t understand why.
John W,
“Forced” probably should have been in scare quotes. Of course no one is actually forced to adopt an entire set of policies, and there are many people who stand on principle rather than political affiliation. But the political pressure to adopt an entire platform instead of consider issues individually is strong, and it often leads to really baffling results.
AN UPDATE The fires continue. Australia had its hottest day on record on Tuesday the average temperature was 40.3 c (105f) Australia is close to the area of the continental US and this is the average temp. Where I live it was only 30c (86f)
On Thursday this record was broken by 1.5c. Saturday parts of Sydney are forcast to reach 47c (117f)(Parts of the country the overnight lows were over 30c (86). It is expected these records will be broken again as the hot part of the year is usually Jan or Feb.
The fire people keep saying this is unprecedented. Imagine wearing the protective gear they wear, when the air temp is way over 40c, plus the radiant heat from the fire?
Sydney is surrounded by fires. 40 houses have been lost in the last week. The rural fire fighters are volunteers, and they are becoming fatigued, and their employment situations becoming a problem. 3 fire fighters have been badly burned, 2 others killed, and 3 more injured.
Our prime minister has gone on holiday with his family overseas.
I am going to a Christmas party of members tonight, will see if attitudes to climate change come up.
What a dreadful Christmas, Geoff. I hope your family gets some peace and joy nevertheless.
Thanks for your concern Alice, For most people Christmas will not too much of a problem. We have a daughter who is employed as a federal police officer, but is also a volunteer fire officer, who was in charge of her station while not at work this week. It brings it home how dangerous her life is when others are killed or injured.
Another daughter with husband and children driving from Canberra 1400k through fire areas, leaving tonight. They will have checked the road is open.
To most it is obvious this is not normal, but the federal government have just been at the climate meeting in Madrid argueing they should not be required to do as much as others. It looks like climate change will affect us more than some others, so we should be leading the way and persuading others to do more too.
Will be an interesting summer. No rain forecast till at least February With no rain the fires will become even worse. Will the climate deniers be persuaded?
Brian G asks “What if Latter days will last a long time?”
Then we’ll suffer through nine more Star Wars prequels!
Rockwell notes “Crickets from cachemagic. I guess it was a drive-by comment. Oh well.”
Inasmuch as my contribution has vanished, I suspect so might his followup contribution and it may not even be possible to provide a contrary explanation here. His comment is correct so far as it goes, but a bit incomplete in some places. Water vapor is about 95 percent of the total greenhouse effect. This is why deserts get cold at night; the CO2 in the atmosphere holds little heat where humid areas tend to have almost the same night and day temperature.
But the part not mentioned is amplification effects; a little bit more heat can theoretically allow more water vapor to be contained in the atmosphere. CO2 is also one of the few things that can be modified by human beings; so if the only thermostat you possess is good for 2 percent of the total change, maybe that’s enough. Adding more CO2 will in theory always retain more heat but it is very complicated and in some situations won’t and might even lead to cooling. It isn’t a linear relationship.
The problem for conservatives, as others occasionally note, is that climate change mitigation proposals have been piled onto a wagon already overloaded with leftwing goodies. See “Green New Deal”. VFA Venezuela For All.
A more serious and immediate threat is simply running out of fuel. Never mind fuzzy uncertain climate changes; of course it changes. Very, very few people imagine that fuel magically recreates itself. We have a brief respite because of natural gas; “peak oil” has already come and gone. So far it takes more energy to produce a photovoltiac cell than it produces in its lifetime; which means that photovoltiac solar panel manufacturers cannot themselves be solar powered (although the actual reasons include rystal growth requires absolutely steady power for the entire duration of a “melt”). I expect efficiency to improve in the future but that’s a gamble.
So, 50 years or so from now, farming is going to be largely de-mechanized, de-fertilized, major cities are simply going to be vacated due to war, starvation and out-migration. French Time of Troubles anyone?
For what its worth, apparently Australia was as hot, or hotter, in 1939. It was pretty bad. https://realclimatescience.com/2019/12/record-heat-in-three-australian-capitals/
Michael 2, thanks for trying to engage where cachemagic left off. I’m not sure if discussing this with you serves my purpose. Your claims, and maybe your beliefs, are not the same as cachemagic. He made very broad and bold claims that disagreed with a scientific consensus. Your claims are from a slightly different mold. So I cannot have the conversation with you that I intended to have with someone else.
But this claim is interesting: “So far it takes more energy to produce a photovoltiac cell than it produces in its lifetime;”
I’ll just say I think your information is out of date on this claim. You’re welcome to fact check it or not.
Michael, Trust you to find a biologist from a right wing think tank, who believes climate scientist in the Bureau of meterology and CSIRO have a pro climate change agenda and are falsifying the figures. Note biologist not climate scientist.
Your claim about the production of solar panels seems out of date, and has not applied since 2011. https://m.phys.org/news/2016-12-solar-panels-repay-energy-debt.html
Perhaps as you are concerned about the end of fossil fuel, and those who believe climate science, are also wanting to replace them, we could agree that a change to renewables is the solution to both our problems.
There is also room to reduce our energy usage without reducing our quality of life https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_electricity_consumption USA 1377 watts/person, Australia 1112 but Gremany 753 and UK 547. Both Germany and UK have light and heavy industry but use half the electricity, and both produce more than half their energy from renewables. https://www.clickenergy.com.au/news-blog/12-countries-leading-the-way-in-renewable-energy/
So if we work together we can leave a livable world for our children and grandchildren.
Michael 2, my response to you has also vanished too.
Trust you to find an article by a biologist who works for a right wing think tank, who seeks to discredit the Beauru of Meterology, and CSIRO both of which she claims are faking their science to suit a climate change agenda. Her articles are from before this present climate emergency. I have never heard of her before, and would believe the scientists over her.
The point of my article was that climate change is here(not a fuzzy prediction)
As Rockwell says your information is out of date. Since 2011 pv panels are much more efficient and cover the energy to produce in less than 4 years.
You believe that life as we know it will be threatened by shortages of fossil fuel. So you have the same aim as climate science believers, to replace fossil fuel with renewables. So we can unite to get renewable energy replacing fossil fuel as soon as possible.
Countries like Australia and USA, could also improve the efficiency. While the average American uses 12,071 kilowat hours per person, and Australian 9,742, the same figure for Germany is 6602, and UK 547. Both Germany and UK have light and heavy industry, and both produce more than 50% of their energy from renewables. But both also have consensus on climate change, even their conservative parties support working to address it. Do you realise Germany produces more automobiles than America.
So if we could reduce our consumption to German levels as we change to renewables all good.
Geoff I’m pretty sure that UK figure is a lot lot lower than than reality… and I doubt we do better than Germany, where did you get it?
Well apparently the UK does use less per capita than Germany.. but not that much less. More like 2/3 – 3/4 of the German figure. But I can’t find the kWh figures only equivalent barrels of oil or whatever it gets used.
The fires in Australia are terrifying Geoff. I have a sister in Perth. The west seems to be faring better than the rest, but even so.
The affects of climate change fell in the UK have been primarily increased flooding, though there have been wildfires on moorland in dry weather as well. Nothing like the scale seen in Australia though.
Geoff-Aus – sorry, your comment got stuck in the filter.
Yes Hedgehog I left a number off UK s4hould be 5477. But still less than half US and nearly half Australia.
On a related note, the Pacific Area Presidency issued a newsroom statement asking Australian Saints to all fast for relief from the drought and fires this Sunday. Nothing about climate change in the statement, though.
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org.au/article/pacific-area-presidency-announce-january-national-fast
(31 December 2019)
As an Area Presidency we have been monitoring closely the devastating fires and the dreadful drought conditions in Australia, which show no signs of abating. Our Welfare and Self-Reliance teams have been monitoring the situation and have given excellent guidance to our local ecclesiastical leaders and the Area Presidency, for which we are grateful.
The Church has already responded to the two emergencies by donating thousands of dollars in humanitarian aid and stands ready to donate further funds. Local members have also responded by donating hundreds of hours of service to their fellow citizens.
With all that is unfolding in much of Australia, we invite the Australian Saints to unite with one another and the Pacific Area Presidency on the first Fast Sunday in January, 2020 (5 January) and dedicate a portion of their fast to petition the Lord for relief from the bushfires and drought conditions.
Should members wish to donate funds to be used to offer relief to those impacted by the fires and drought then such can be done by using the Church donation slip and noting the amount beside the category Humanitarian Aid.
Please know the prayers of the Area Presidency have been, and will continue on behalf of your nation during this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Pacific Area Presidency
Mary Ann, Yes we dis have the fast day, it was not mentioned in church, one of the prayers did. Thats our contribution.
Problem is rain could be a problem too. If you burn off the vegetation then get heavy rain the soil washes away. Much of the catchment area for Sydneys dam has burnt imagine the state of the runoff.
If you are interested Californian fires burnt about 250,000 acres
Amazon rainforest fires 2,500,000 acres.
Australian fires 6,000,000 acres and the fire season usually gets going in february.
This is extreme stuff, but the extreme right are still denying.