Australia urgently needs global assistance because our political leaders have proven to lack the empathy, intelligence and leadership to navigate us out of this epic disaster. Some have only just arrived back from holidays... (Our Prime Minister and the Minster for Emergency Services, New South Wales - yes, this is true!).

Our brave emergency services, both professional and volunteer, defence forces along with local civilians are faced with a battle of proportions never seen before. Since the bushfire season began in August 2019 in Australia, nearly 6 million hectares of land has been destroyed. Every single expert and experienced fire fighter says, they are seeing things that have never occurred before. And the fire season has only just begun...

We need more equipment, more people and resources to help immediately. Many of the people currently fighting these fires are volunteers, and they are exhausted, have made significant sacrifices and in some cases, have themselves lost their own property.

It is forecast that there will be no rain until March/April for much of the country. Our fire chiefs and emergency services leaders have since April 2019 been trying to alert the Coalition government about the serious risks, and roundly ignored, not even allowed to use the words, 'Climate Change.' As such, we can't have faith in those same political leaders being able to solve this problem by themselves.

Beyond the humanitarian issues, where there has been loss of life, with many people still missing, this has global significance. In just three months, Australia's fires are estimated to have released 350 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Experts warn a century or more will be needed to absorb the carbon dioxide released.

The estimates are that 500 million of our native animals have been killed, which again is globally significant.

Australia has a long and proud history of helping other countries in a crisis. We now need your help. Please put pressure on our political leaders to accept help, and prevent the mass destruction of life, property, native animals and of global significance, the extensive release of more carbon dioxide, which will exasperate the affects of climate change.

We will also need expertise to create plans to prevent this from happening again, and to have preventative measures in place, including correct land management, 'bug-out' centres, sprinkler systems to protect towns against flying ember attacks and any other innovative ideas/technologies to vastly lessen the damage next time there are bush fires.

Faithfully Yours,

The citizens of Australia.