Australian fires: who is to blame?

Beyond Today

BBC

News

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2020

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned that the devastating bushfires raging in the country might go on for months. At least 26 people have died since the fires began in September. Air quality in the capital Canberra was, this weekend, rated the worst in the world. In this episode Beyond Today producer Heidi Pett tells us the personal cost of the fires in Merimbula, a coastal town in New South Wales. We also speak to climate scientist Michael Mann who explains how a specific climate phenomenon has exacerbated the fires and why America’s leaders have a role to play in Australia’s current plight. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Duncan Barber and Alicia Burrell Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: Philly Beaumont

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.
0:05.0	Hello, I'm Matthew Price.
0:07.0	This is Beyond Today from BBC Radio 4.
0:10.0	Every day we ask one big question about one big story.
0:14.0	Today who's to blame for Australia's fires?
0:20.0	Today, who's to blame for Australia's fires?
0:24.0	Good morning from Brisbane, Australia's
0:32.6	Good morning from Brisbane, Australia, Queensland. Lizzo's on tour in Australia.
0:35.1	Being over here in Australia has really given me a real-time view
0:39.9	into what's happening with these devastating fires.
0:44.1	And her Instagram's been the normal stuff,
0:46.4	until this post from a few days back.
0:48.5	For all of my followers who are mostly American,
0:50.9	I just want to say that this is a global crisis. You know that things are out of
0:55.7	control when the mega stars go political. These CO2 emissions will affect the entire Earth.
1:02.1	All of our atmosphere, all of our air. And I think sometimes we have a really like
1:08.0	micro and almost nationalist view of what's going on. And it's not just her actors including Joaquin Phoenix
1:15.8	and Kate Blanchit spoke out about the fires and climate change at the Golden Globes
1:21.2	over the weekend. When one country faces a climate disaster,
1:25.0	we all face a climate disaster,
1:28.0	so we're in it together, so thank you very much.
1:30.0	Turns out they're right when they say that everyone, including Americans, can play a big role
	...

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