The fires in Australia contained five times the size of Israel, and prayers for rain in the meantime are unanswered.

• At least 25 people have been killed so far. Gary Hinton outside his Burnt Farm in New South Wales State in Southeast Australia

  Photo:

  AFP

In 2013 and 2014, two comprehensive studies on climate change were published in Australia - one by the National Independent National Research Institute and the other by the Australian Meteorological Service. The studies have almost unequivocally determined that Australia's severe global warming, and the increasing frequency of climate disasters, originate from man-made exhaust gases.

The National Institute's research was in fact several independent studies, which operated independently and reached a similar result. They were part of a wave of research around the world that year, some of which did not attribute any natural disaster to human activity. But for Australia the results were pretty clear. Sophisticated computer simulations have shown that the severe heat wave of 2013 would not have been possible without the impact of human activity. The Australian government did act quickly. Against the studies.

Australia: Thousands of evacuees in huge fires // Photo: Reuters

A few years earlier, the Australian Labor government passed a controversial law that imposed heavy taxation on polluting companies. The law was passed after it became clear that Australia is the number one pollutant per capita relative to the size of its population in the OECD. The law was a major issue in the 2013 election campaign, in which the Liberal Party (the main right-wing party) defeated the Labor Party. The law did result in an 11 percent reduction in greenhouse gas production in Australia, but within a year the party fulfilled its promise. After a tough political debate, the Australian Senate decided to repeal the law.

At that time, Prime Minister Tony Abbott fulfilled his promise to the voter. During the election campaign he pointed out that energy taxation in Australia is among the highest in the world. In fact, it was low in the OECD countries. But the Australian voter decided. Extensive investments in renewable energy production have also been eliminated. The Australian government, and the Australian voter, rejected the apocalyptic prophecies of climate experts on natural disasters. They did not let the scientists decide for them. They took their fate in their hands. They have protected the economic growth of the Australian energy industry. Especially the coal industry.

And meanwhile, on the beach in Hawaii

Only now Australia is burning. 107,000 square miles caught fire. According to various estimates, at least 25 people were killed. More than 5,000 homes were burned. Half a billion animals perished. The area burned - 4-5 times Israel's size - may not be huge relative to the size of the country. But most of it is along the southeast coast of Australia, where most of the population is.

Australia, which is close to the United States, is of course an uninhabited desert rifle. The area burned is eight times larger than the area burned in California fires in 2018 and 1.5 times the fires in the Amazon, which sparked global outrage.

Image disaster. Morrison // Photo: Getty Images

An important difference: Unlike ecological disasters in a third world country like Brazil, there is no real world outrage against Australia. After all - a respectable and cultured society in the Anglophone peoples family.

Abbott, the Australian climate policy architect, received some praise this week. The ruling party has since replaced two prime ministers and has repeatedly been filmed as a volunteer in the Sydney Fire Brigade, including a daring operation in which firefighters saved an entire street on the outskirts of Sydney. The popularity of his views on climate in Australia has been less great, so he warned - precisely on an Israeli radio show - the world about the "climate sect." In Australia, its contribution to the public debate on climate change was a proposal to bet $ 100 on climate change over the next ten years. If Australia approaches another step to an unbearable life it will pay $ 100.

As is often the case in politics, the turmoil that one politician gives rise to is shortened to another. To Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the fires are an ongoing image disaster. It began with the fact that while Australia was burning, he chose to go on a short family vacation in Hawaii. His pictures of swimsuits on the tropical beaches will be the Australian equivalent of Emperor Neron playing the violin as Rome burns.

It doesn't end there. With the fire burning and rescue forces on the verge of exhaustion, Morrison refused to pay compensation to firefighters for loss of work days. In one disaster area he visited, Morrison admitted that there was no loss of mind. Someone corrected him and told him that two people had been killed. Morrison said he meant firefighters were not killed.

Facebook is fighting the rumors

Prime Minister Morrison, a believer, shared the public by praying for rain. On another visit to the disaster area, a firefighter asked him if he knew where his prayers had helped. Morrison, thirsty for good news, asked where. "Nowhere," answered the firefighter. The windshield and rainstorm does not work according to the schedule of politicians.

Some of the rain prayers were in previous years, the criticism was too venomous, but it is hard to say Morrison internalized the lessons when he hosted cricket teams at his home for the traditional New Year's game in Sydney. He told the burning nation that the game "will inspire people who are struggling with the difficulties."

But while enlisted, Australia is struggling with an almost delusional problem: a media disinformation attack on social networks. Climate deniers have reported "widespread arrests of firefighters" in an attempt to attribute the fires to eco-terrorism. In fact, in almost all cases there were complaints against people who committed offenses such as smoking where prohibited or having a barbecue contrary to instructions.

On the other hand, fabricated images of Australia are visible from space. They were, in fact, an artistic performance based on a whole month's pictures.

Another rumor that spread quickly is that the fires are apparently no worse than before - Australia does have a "regular season" of fires. In fact, an area similar to the one burned in the last 15 years has been burned. Another rumor was against the Green Party as if it opposed proactive fires - a useful tool for preventing the spread - the party had to deny it. Facebook has had to set up a special operation to fight the rumors. This is what the human race looks like during the apocalypse. That's what he does.