Angel Owen

Bushfire Survivor, Agnes Water, Queensland

Back in 2007, my family and I woke to the sound of eucalyptus leaves crackling and the smell of smoke. Initially, we thought it was a back burn but were we wrong. We stood on our veranda and watched this mammoth fire jump our drive way and make way towards our house with no remorse.

Within 15 minutes two cars had been engulfed and a tree fell on our only tank, crushing it. My parents went on to fight the fire for what felt like hours while me and my siblings tried to find a safe space to wait while all we could hear was the power of the fire that surrounded our house.

Around 15 fire brigades from as far as Turkey Beach and Gladstone arrived to try and put out this fire which had, by this time, extended past our property into Deepwater National Park.

Hours later, the 3 metre flames had been put out with just smouldering trees and logs remaining. My parents then began to look at the water pipes which, to no one’s surprise, melted. We had no water and our dam wasn’t far from empty. It took my family years to recover both mentally, physically and financially from this bush fire.

Climate Change is more than just the stereotypical ‘melting ice caps and sad polar bears’. Climate Change is more extreme weather events (bushfires, flooding, cyclones), it is rising sea levels that will impact people who have contributed the least to the issue (our brothers and sisters in the Pacific Islands and other low lying island nations). It is the dispossession and destruction of First Nations people country and culture all over the world! CLIMATE CHANGE IS A PEOPLE PROBLEM! These issues will not go away if we follow business as usual.

Australia is one of the sunniest and windiest countries in the world! We have everything it takes to move beyond coal and gas and transition to a future powered by 100% renewable energy. It is time to step up to the plate and deal with this global issue or step down from this position of power, you’re out of touch.