I emailed my (Tory) MP today to ask that he lobby Parliament to provide Australia aid in their time of crisis - they've not helped out so far. I was thinking of writing a post on MN to encourage others to do the same, but didn't know where to put it. But I saw JanesKettle's post in another thread today (the thread asking MN to change their pinned "be careful of what you say about trans etc" post) where she said;
"I'll tell you, when the planet fucking burns and drowns, alternately, and civil society breaks down, it's women and girls whose sex will put them at the greatest risk."
So I thought I would post this here. Janes is right. It's already happening - especially for indigenous women, living on the outskirts of towns, with no financial support, and nowhere to go.
This is what we wrote (omitting personal info).
Could people please write to their MPs asking the same?
*To the Rt Hon xyz,
Australia is burning. The death toll for wildlife stands to exceed unprecedented numbers. Communities outside major cities are on fire, cut off and struggling for basic supplies. My Australian family have lost xyz, people are losing their homes, their livelihoods and their lives. Farmers are euthanising their livestock in droves. Endangered wildlife face becoming extinct. Habitats which have been nursed back from the brink of destruction in reserves have been wiped out. Visiting home for Christmas, my daughter and I saw first-hand the smoldering remains of what was my beloved national park playground as a child. The fire there was so extreme scientists think even the flora which have adapted to thrive from bush-fires have been wiped out.
There is a shortage of P2 masks currently, with no postal service to help deliver. People are struggling to breathe. Across the country airports, universities and businesses have shut. Air quality is so severe it is deemed not safe to venture out. People have been cut off from accessing any services as roads have been inaccessible. My friends have been camping on the beach as their homes burn down, wondering if their friends and family are alive.
We know that New Zealand have been sending firefighters to work in rotation to tackle the fires for the past three months. The NZ defense minister Ron Mark announced NZ would send three NH90 helicopters and crew, two NZ Army combat engineer sections, and a command element to support the ADF. Even Vanuatu, a tiny country in the South Pacific, have donated $250,00. Singapore have offered military capabilities.
The UK government as of yet, has not pledged any foreign aid.
Australia, a Commonwealth country, needs our help.
If you agree that the UK Government holds moral responsibility to help our allies in their desperate hour of need, then please could you lobby Parliament to this effect.
The sooner we are able to stem the fires, the better chance we have of saving lives, ecosystems and species from extinction.
Thank you.*