Yes, it is certainly a very hot day. The temperature is hovering around 40°C.
Yesterday and the day before were
very much the same, so I guess we are experiencing a heat wave.
People, especially the older ones,
will be feeling very uncomfortable in these conditions. If they are wise, they will be taking steps
to keep as cool as possible.
Heat-related deaths can occur.
But someone else is experiencing
discomfort in this heat. Two magpies
have found a shady spot and now stand almost motionless. Their beaks are held in an open position,
conveying very clearly how distressed they feel.
At other, cooler times from those
beaks a beautiful carolling melody could be emanating. But not now.
Is there a message here for
us? Is this a taste of what many more
days will be like in the future?
Respected voices are suggesting
that it is.
According to the Japanese
Meteorological Agency 2014 has been the hottest year recorded since reliable
measurements began in 1890.
This view is supported by climate
scientists in the USA.
Our own Bureau of Meteorology has
pointed to higher temperatures and drier soils leading to heatwaves now
starting earlier across southern Australia and effectively expanding the
bushfire season.
Concern for the planet's climate
is deepening and 2015 is likely to be a crucial year for our future.
Encyclicals are the most
authorative documents a pope can issue
and it is thought that Pope Francis will soon issue such a document focussing
on the impact of climate change.
And the United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited the Pope to address the General
Assembly in September on the climate issue.
This will be an important
forerunner to November's UN Climate Change Conference in Paris where a global
and binding agreement on limiting greenhouse gas emissions will hopefully be
built.
Success at this conference will
give hope for future generations – and magpies in the future may not have a
greatly increased need to hold their beaks in an open position.
-
Stan Mussared
This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on February 2, 2015.
