More than one billion animals have been killed by the Australian fires.

While mild, natural bushfires in Australia are familiar to the nation’s diverse group of wildlife, Australia has never seen fires at this large of a scale or this early in the year. When this nation is home to species that can’t live sustainably anywhere else in the world, the effect of the massive fires becomes all-the-more prevalent. Not only do the fires hurt the country’s economy but it curtails the biodiversity of its species, especially internationally famous species like koalas, and increases the chance of species extinction.

A leading factor of the rapid fires and its irreversible effects is climate change. Although climate change has been brushed over in the past, it is hard to look away from a burning country and the hundreds of thousands of species it inhabits. Here is what people can do if they are wondering what they can do to relieve the pain that the nation and its animals are enduring:

1. Donate money to organizations assisting wildlife. Although donating money may not feel like that is doing enough, it definitely helps. The Victorian Country Fire Authority in Australia has stated that donating goods and supplies can help but donating money is the most effective since it gives them more flexibility on what to direct that funding to. Organizations need funding to provide ailments and medical support for injured animals. Some groups that accept donations are listed below.
   1. RSPCA New South Wales
   2. Australian Koala Foundation
   3. World Wildlife Fund Australia
   4. Koalas In Care Inc.
   5. Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
2. Spread awareness on social media. First, make sure that people are educated on the current events circled around the Australian fires and the extent to which they have been impacting Australian citizens and animals alike. Spreading awareness can be as simple as posting recent updates of the Australian bush fires or sharing a link for donations.
3. Write to their congressmen and women. Currently, the United States is undergoing changes in environmental policy under the current administration. Laws put in place to protect the environment are being rolled back since the president believes federal environmental regulation hurts the fossil fuel industry and other large businesses. The fossil fuel industry is one of the major causes of climate change and this environmentally harmful business is supported by President Trump. To help reverse climate change, we must first urge our local and state politicians to create stronger environmental regulation. Although the bush fires are happening in Australia, climate change does not discriminate. The United States’ contribution to climate change is drastic and policy measures must be taken in order to ensure that other nations don’t have to endure the same pain that Australia is experiencing.
4. Make more environmentally conscious decisions. The root of this issue is caused by climate change, a global problem created by humans. Small changes in people’s average lifestyles can still make an impact. Use less water. Reduce the number of products people buy. Be mindful of where people spend their money.