Thread by @David_Ritter

The sun is red and the #sydneysmoke is thick in the sky this morning. Vast areas of the country are ablaze.

So, what should our political leaders do in the crisis?

Here are seven suggestions:

1. Protecting Sydney's kids shouldn’t be a lottery of who happened to get to Bunnings first. The government should be procuring and distributing free face masks to all children.
abc.net.au/news/2019-12-1…

2. The heat and smoke is a direct threat to the lives and wellbeing of the homeless, aged and sick. There needs to be urgent provision of extra care for the most vulnerable. We must look after our own.

3. Our political leaders should be scenario planning for the worst. The fires could continue all summer. Rural towns are nearing water day zero. Sydney’s storages could be at ‘emergency levels’ by May. Plans must be in place. We must be prepared. theguardian.com/environment/20…

4. The dedication of our firies and other emergency workers is magnificent - but we need to invest at a higher level to match the increased need and threat. More resources are needed. Instead of ignoring those who know best, the politicians should listen to the experts on this.

5. Now is the time for our political leaders to come clean about cause & effect. Catastrophic fire conditions were a predicted consequence of climate change. The number one driver in Australia is coal.
It's time for our political leaders to #tellthetruth.

6. There is no business as usual in a #ClimateEmergency. We urgently need government to develop a national resilience framework to look after our people and our country as the climate damage worsens. This needs to cover every community and every sector.

7. The only way to avoid a future of catastrophe is going 100% clean energy ASAP. A real leader would announce a plan to transform Australia into a clean energy superpower within a decade. Then the spring of fire would be remembered as a moment of national regeneration.

My heart goes out to everyone who has faced loss or suffering in the crisis - and my immense gratitude to all doing the work of resilience; fighting the fires, caring for the harmed, repairing damage, looking out for each other.

Stay safe and be kind today Sydney.

8. And, postscript, this national emergency summit is necessary and should be backed to happen ASAP.
#ClimateEmergency
theguardian.com/australia-news…