Drought and human health costs on The Drum



The human health costs that can be attributed to our wounded atmosphere have been discussed in a first person account by Fleur McDonald.



Drought and its human costs.

Working with her husband, Fleur manages a large station near Esperance in Western Australia and wrote on The Drum in a story entitled “The human cost of drought can’t be counted”.

Fleur asks: “There are many questions being thrown around at the moment: Are agriculture resources being handled correctly? Is climate change causing these droughts and floods? Do we need drought plans? Is the farm viable and therefore entitled to help? And the big one - who, in fact, is responsible for helping which farmers at crisis time?”

Although she thought they were really good questions, she felt now was not the time to ask them, “Not while farmers in New South Wales and Queensland are suffering”.

The prompts, naturally, the response, “If not now, when?” and echoes with the question asked by Melbourne Greens MP Adam Brandt about the connection between the New South Wales bushfires and climate change.

Brandt was admonished by many, including Tony Abbott, for asking such a question when many people were obviously suffering massive privations.

Again, it was one of those moments that brings the response; “If not now, when”?