Australian WildfresBCHMUNXXIX

Chair: Ben Galvin Co Chair: Matthew Hurley

1 BCHMUNXXIX Table of Content

I. Letter from the Chair and Co Chair ...... 3

II. Introduction to Committee...... 5

III. Historical Background ...... 6

IV. PresentSituation...... 8

V. Positions...... 9

VI. Bibliography...... 11

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I. Letters from Chairs

Opening Letters

Greetings Delegates!

Welcome to the Australian Committee of the 29th BCHigh Model UN conference! My name is Donald Le and I am a junior. This is my third year participating in

Model UN. Seeing as this issue holds much prevalence today, I look forward to seeing your insights and discussions. Throughout this background guide, there will be guiding questions, which will help direct you in your preparation. Outside research is very beneficial, but is nonetheless optional. Preliminary background on the subject at hand will be provided in this guide, which should give you a foundational understanding of the fires and the impact they have had. If you have any concerns or questions please feel free to reach out !

{Donald Le ‘22’: [email protected] }

Hello delegates,

My name is Matthew Hurley, I am a current sophomore at BC High, and I will be the Co-Chair for today’s committee. This is my second year doing Model UN and my first time Co-Chairing.

Along with Model UN I participate in philosophy club and political discussion. I am also a Co-

Moderator of the Asian culture club and a Life Scout in the Boy Scouts. As both a leader and a debater, I like to listen and engage in fruitful conversations. I am excited to meet all of you as we

3 BCHMUNXXIX come together and discuss these important topics. I look forward to hearing both sides of the conversation and seeing what each of you bring to the table.

{Matthew Hurley ‘23’ [email protected]}

Hello delegates,

Welcome to the Australian Wildfire Committee of the 29th BC High Model UN conference!

My name is Ben Galvin and I am a junior. This is my first time Chairing a Model UN

Conference. The issue that calls us here today is one of great importance. I am very excited to see your insights and in-depth discussion. If you have any questions about our topic of discussion. You can contact me via email. With that being said, I can not wait to see what you all have come up with.

{Ben Galvin ‘22’: [email protected]}

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II. Introduction to Committee

Australian

The Australian Wildfires have been deemed one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history.

The Australian government lists the damage of 46 million acres of land burned and 1.25 billion animals lost. Blazes have torn through bushland, wooded areas, and national parks. Some of

Australia's largest cities have also been affected, including and -- where fires have damaged homes in the outer suburbs and thick plumes of smoke have blanketed the urban center. This environmental crisis is more prevalent than ever as with homes destroyed, people killed, and the air clogged with deadly pollutants. With the rise of , these fires do not look to be leaving anytime soon.

Questions to Consider:

1. What course of action should be taken by UN member nations?

2. How can aid be offered to both animals and people being harmed by the fires?

3. Should corporations polluting the environment be held accountable ?

4. How can the UN prevent a repeat of the Australian Wildfires?

5. Can the UN reach international cooperation to agree to limit climatological disasters such as the Australian Wildfires?

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III. Historical Background

- is the smallest continent and the fourth largest country by landmass on Earth. It is situated between the Pacific and Indian oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. There are four seasons across most of Australia, with the tropical north experiencing a wet and dry season.

Summer runs from December to March (average temperature 84°F), autumn throughout March to May, winter runs from June to August (average 55°F) and spring from September to

November.

- Australia has a long history of devastating wildfires, including one of the largest known in world history: The Black Friday Bushfire and Australia’s most deadly: the Black Saturday Fire.

The Black Friday Bushfire burned across Australia’s State peaking on January 13, 1939.

Some 4.5-5 million acres were scorched (7,800 square miles) and 71 died. Ash from the fires fell in New Zealand some 2000 miles to the east. Extreme heat preceded the fire, including the hottest temperature ever measured in --49.7°C (121.5°F) on January 10th at

Menindee.

- The Black Saturday Fire ranged from February to March of 2009. The fires burned 1.1 million acres (1720 square miles), killed 180, and burned 3,500 structures across the state of Victoria.

There were a variety of causes of the fires: trees falling on power lines, lightning, sparks from machinery, and arson. Climate change has also played a critical role in the expansion of

6 BCHMUNXXIX wildfires. and more intense summers cause drier conditions. The dry brush makes great fuel for ongoing fires and the lack of precipitation leads to an increased spread and harder management of the wildfires.

Australia's climate has warmed by more than one degree Celsius over the past century, causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves and . Eight of Australia's ten warmest years on record have occurred since 2005. A study in 2018 conducted at Melbourne

University found that the major droughts of the late 20th century and early in are "likely without precedent over the past 400 years". Across the country, the average summer temperatures have increased leading to record-breaking hot weather, with the early summer of 2019 the hottest on record. 2019 was also Australia's driest ever year since 1900 with rainfall 40% lower than average.

- A study by an international group of scientists called World Weather Attribution analyzed the influence of climate change on the extreme heat that Australia experienced during the fire season, and on the lack of rainfall during the same period. It found that extremely hot weeks like the fourth week of December, the country’s hottest on record, were at least twice as likely now than before 1900.

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IV. Present Situation

The wildfires are concentrated along Australia's southeast coast, in the states of New South

Wales and Victoria. The southeast is the most severely affected, but fires have also hit every

Australian state and territory.

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The Australian Wildfire Committee Members -

-

-

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VI. Biography

Johnson, Ed. “Australia’s Vast Wildfires Foretold in 2007 UN Climate Warning.”

Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-09/australia-s-

vast-wildfires-foretold-in-2007-un-climate-warning.

Nations, United. “Australia Wildfires: Communities Must Stay Vigilant, Urges UN Weather

Agency | | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, news.un.org/en/story/

2019/11/1051131.

Nations, United. “Australia Wildfires: Communities Must Stay Vigilant, Urges UN Weather

Agency – United Nations Sustainable Development.” United Nations, United Nations,

www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/11/australia-wildfires-communities-

must-stay-vigilant-urges-un-weather-agency/.

Yeung, Jessie. “What You Need to Know about Australia's Deadly Wildfires.” CNN, Cable News

Network, 14 Jan. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/australia-fires-explainer-intl-

hnk-scli/index.html.

“Bushfires in Australia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Bushfires_in_Australia#.

Burt, Christopher. “Australian Bushfire (Wildfire) History.” Weather Underground,

www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/australian-bushfire-wildfire-history.html.

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Ross, Monique, and Annabelle Quince. “1851, 1939, 1961 And 2009: Four Devastating Fires

That Offer Lessons We Can't Afford to Forget.” ABC News, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2020,

www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-10/fires-bushfires-in-australia-history-lessons-for-future/

11937652.

“Australian Climate Zones.” Go Study Australia, 30 May 2019, www.gostudy.com.au/australia/

climate-australia/.

Digital Transformation Agency. “The Australian Continent.” Australia.gov.au, Digital

Transformation Agency, 12 May 2015, info.australia.gov.au/about-australia/our-country/

the-australian-continent.

Fountain, Henry. “Climate Change Affected Australia's Wildfires, Scientists Confirm.” The New

York Times, The New York Times, 4 Mar. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/climate/

australia-wildfires-climate-change.html.

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