Australian Wildfires - Chair: Ben Galvin Co Chair: Matthew Hurley - BCHMUNXXIX - BC High
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Australian Wild res BCHMUNXXIX
Chair: Ben Galvin
Co Chair: Matthew
Hurley
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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 Wildfire 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’: d.le22@students.bchigh.edu }
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
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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’ mj.hurley23@students.bchigh.edu}
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’: bc.galvin22@students.bchigh.edu}
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II. Introduction to Committee
Australian Wildfires
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 Melbourne and Sydney -- 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 climate change, 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
- Australia 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 Victoria 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 New South Wales--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
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wildfires. Drought 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 droughts. 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 21st century in
southern Australia 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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V. Positions
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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