This is a pocket fox who survived an ongoing Australian wildfire. The land they live in has been ashed and burned unfortunately, but rescuers sacrificed their lives to save and protect them.
As I write this, climate catastrophe is still going on in Australia.
An unprecedented wildfire in Australia killed at least 28 people. Millions of people's homes have been burned. Wildlife, including the iconic Australian koala, is also being killed.
According to media reports, 10 million hectares (107,000 hectares) have been burned to date. This is larger than the Republic of Korea and larger than the damage of Amazon's wildfires in 2019, which was recorded as a serious fire.
Ecology scientists at the University of Sydney estimate that there are about 1 billion animals killed by the forest fire. This includes thousands of koalas that have burned while trying to escape.
Air pollution is also serious. Pollution levels in Sydney and Brisbane are among the worst in the world almost every day, exacerbating respiratory problems in children, the elderly and people with asthma.
Some parts of New Zealand, some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the fire site, were also covered with air pollution from wildfires. New Zealand's snow-covered glaciers are turning yellow due to the accumulation of dust and particles from Australia. Yellowish glaciers can't reflect sunlight and melt more quickly.
Australia has a wildfire season every year. But this season began earlier, would last longer, and is more serious and unpredictable. It's the impact of climate change. In addition, the changing weather makes it more difficult to control wildfires in the traditional way.
In 2019, Australia became the second largest exporter of coal in the world. The use of coal emits greenhouse gases, and despite these emissions exacerbate climate change, we are not giving up coal exports. Coal mined in Australia is also exported to China, Japan, and Korea for use.
Governments around the world, including Korea, must also recognize that climate emergencies have exacerbated the wildfire crisis in Australia. Only a quick reduction in the use of coal, oil and natural gas globally can prevent the catastrophe from global warming.