I felt the intensity of this event as the air was filled with smoke making it difficult to breathe. My family and I had to wear masks purely because of the effect of the bushfires.
Gisborne South, VIC
Hi my name is Shaun, and I am a university student currently living in regional Victoria. I am 21 years old and for most of my life I lived in Melbourne, Victoria. Recently my family and I moved out to Gisborne South which is considered regional Victoria however is still somewhat close to Melbourne city. Personally, I have not felt any serious impact as a result of natural events causing harm, however I have definitely seen the repercussions of not acting to reduce climate change. It is something that I am deeply concerned by especially considering Australia’s current stance on it and their lack of action to prevent it from causing irreversible damage.
In 2020 – like many other Australians – I felt the first-hand severity of climate change. The bushfires happening around Australia were causing harm across the country, with Melbourne CBD covered in smoke. I felt the intensity of this event as the air was filled with smoke making it difficult to breathe. My family and I had to wear masks purely because of the effect of the bushfires. Because of this, I limited how often I left the house because I wanted to prevent breathing in such polluted air as much as I could. My dad has asthma and it was upsetting seeing him breathe with so much difficulty. I vividly remember scrolling through my phone and seeing so much media of people’s homes being burnt down and our natural habitat being destroyed. Most upsetting for
me was seeing all the innocent animals harmed by the bushfires. That period was definitely hard and I remember feeling so down every day that the fires continued.
The bushfires were the first time I really felt the disastrous consequences of climate change and it really made me think hard about what is coming next. My view is that there has not been much action taken to combat climate change and as a result catastrophic events like this will continue to occur. At times I feel overwhelmed about the future I will be living in and the future of generations to come. On top of all the problems university students like myself face every day, anxiousness about climate change and the certainty of our futures should not be one. Although I do think everyone has a part to play, I hold large corporations and the government most responsible and sincerely hope that they take necessary action to help secure our future.
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Everyone around the world is affected by Climate change, no one can escape the heartbreaking damage it has and will cause unless governments take action and create real change now, not later. In the UK we are experiencing drought, floods, storms, heatwaves, changes to nature and our ecosystems to name a few. This is without the mental toll the current climate has on you as an individual, fear for the future, what that will look like for my child and the rest of the world. I am aware that other countries have experienced even more devastating effects as a result of the climate crisis. Governments need be held to account for their decisions and actions as these affect millions of people and the entire future of the planet.
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