Sociological responses to the bushfire and climate crises

The political effects of emergency frames in sustainability

“…The intensity of the fires 111 and lack of national leadership on climate change triggered fractured political debates concerning climate policy, hazard reduction burning and the extent to which the fires were exacerbated by 'pro-environmental' policies. The fires increased concern among Australians about climate change 112 , and led to widespread protests and growing calls for the declaration of a climate emergency 98 . Government rhetoric on climate change shifted to emphasize resilience and adaptation but with limited discussion concerning mitigation 112 .…”

“…The fires increased concern among Australians about climate change 112 , and led to widespread protests and growing calls for the declaration of a climate emergency 98 . Government rhetoric on climate change shifted to emphasize resilience and adaptation but with limited discussion concerning mitigation 112 .…”

“…This case demonstrates both emergency-as-response and emergency-as-strategy. In multiple cities, people became aware of health impacts of smoke, leading to calls of a 'health emergency' under climate change 115 , and increasing public support for action 112 (engagement). Despite its reluctance, the Australian Defence Force was used for humanitarian and disaster relief, giving the military an increased role 81 (empowerment).…”

“…The emergency declaration powers of the national government are likely to increase following a post-disaster inquiry that recommended such powers would assist with signalling the severity of a crisis and making actions more transparent 5 (political authority). The national government sought to re-focus attention on resilience, adaptation and forest management rather than climate mitigation 81,112 , for example, by excluding the latter from the post-disaster inquiry. While the long-term effects are not yet known, public anger, frustration and trauma could create shifts in public discourse (discourse).…”

Citizens’ behaviours related to smoke in bushfires and their implications for computational models of evacuation

“…The recent Australian bushfires in 2019/2020 were the worst on record, with 46 million acres of forest and farmland burned, more than one billion animals killed, thousands of buildings, including homes, destroyed, and at least 34 lives lost [1] [2]. In the early 1990s, the state of Victoria in Australia adopted the bushfire response policy for civilians to 'prepare, stay and defend' or 'prepare and leave early'; known colloquially as the 'Stay or Go' policy [3].…”