Earlier this year the Shepparton-based Federal Seat of Nicholls had been declared as the most risk in Australia from riverine flooding and recent floods illustrated, clearly, that reality.
Murchison, Rochester, Shepparton and Echuca, along with its nearby interstate neighbour Moama, all felt the impact of that declaration.
Those centres received the most media coverage, but of course many others away from those urban centres were equally troubled by the recent floods.
A friend living in a rural area just above the recent flooding, described his home, which had water views from every perspective, as “Lizard Island”, for it had become a retreat of last resort for the area’s wildlife.
And as is always the case in such urgent and difficult moments, the altruism and generosity of many, often complete strangers, shakes itself free of the individualism demanded by the prevailing economic apparatus.
Confronting, dealing with and cleaning up after the recent floods has been the endless and dedicated work of many, reflecting what Canadian climate activist said: “To change everything, we are going to need everyone”.
The Climate Council identified the Seat of Nicholls as the most at-risk electorate in Australia from the effects of climate change, with a quarter of the region’s homes projected to be uninsurable within a decade.
The recent floods gave us a preview of that dilemma.
Can we attribute the flooding we saw directly to climate change, of course not.
However, we do know that climate change makes the problem more likely and when they arise, the troubles are worsened.
Some facts:
- A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. In fact, for every degree of warming the atmosphere can hold around seven per cent more moisture.
- More moisture can then mean that more rainfall comes in short, intense downpours. This can increase the risk of flash flooding.
- The extra heat in the atmosphere means there’s more energy for weather systems that generate intense rainfall.
It’s worth noting that our atmosphere is already beyond that one degree of warming and unless things change dramatically we are headed toward at least 2.5 degrees of warming this century, and maybe temperatures in excess of three degrees.
In his new book, Planet in Peril: Planetary Solutions: Humanity's Four Greatest Challenges and How We Can Overcome Them, Michael D. Bess, says, in writing about climate change, “The problem is urgent, but humankind thus far has been tragically feckless in its response.”
The Chancellor's Professor of History at Vanderbilt University who has been teaching award-winning courses on science, technology, environmentalism, and global catastrophic threats since 1989, also said: “Our species became quite adept at managing the behaviours of animals and material things, and has risen to dominance on the planet as a result. Where we have always struggled, and still struggle today, is in controlling ourselves and others”.
The community response to flooding throughout the Goulburn Valley, and other parts of Victoria and NSW, was thrilling to watch and it was precisely what Naomi Klein meant when she said: “To change everything, we need everyone”.
The generosity, altruism, selflessness and kindness among people evident during this community catastrophe will almost certainly vanish almost equally as quickly back into the faceless, and sometimes heartless, individuality demanded by our prevailing economic system.
Yes, it is possible we can all lend a hand to our fellows, even if it means some personal discomfort, and that was clearly on show throughout the floods of 2022.
And that “lending a hand” is not just at a personal level, but is something which can be effectively orchestrated on a federal basis.
The Shepparton-based Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell appeared last week in the columns of this newspaper calling on the authorities to do more to help people deal with the implications of the flooding throughout his electorate; I can’t help but point out that he represents one of those authorities.
What he could do, and this won’t stop or ease flooding, or change anything about the climate or weather, but will play a huge role in the physical comfort, mental wellbeing and overall security of those, not only in Nicholls, but throughout Australia, is press with purpose for the introduction of an unconditional Universal Basic Income.
And we can easily afford this — Australia is one of the richest countries in the world at humanity’s richest ever moment — and laments about debt need to be examined forensically for navigation through this dilemma is about choice and the making of decisions about whether or not we care about people, or “things”.
A recent three-day international conference organised by the Basic Income Earth Network saw attendees being told, repeatedly, that the world’s nations couldn’t afford to not embrace the UBI and so if Mr Birrell seriously wants to do something for his electors, he will not complain about authorities (of which he is one) failing to support flood victims, rather he will press to see the embrace and implementation of the UBI.
And of course to have practical impact on his electorate’s flooding issues, Mr Birrell should back any plausible plan aimed at slowing climate change, such as stepping away from all projects involving fossil fuels.