The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are still on their six week Christmas break. They are in Canada and decided to open up on the bushfire in Australia that has destroyed more than 12 million acres of land. It is an area bigger than the size of Croatia and millions of animals have been lost to the fires. The royal couple appealed for donations to Australia’s emergency services and shared links to fundraising pages on their Instagram account. They look at this as a global environmental crisis that amounts to ‘ecocide.’
Metro UK quotes the Instagram account saying – “Our thoughts and prayers are with those across Australia who are continuing to face the devastating fires that have been raging for months.” They mentioned about their visit to New South Wales in 2018, and to fires in other parts of the world like California, Amazon, and Africa.
They also noted the overlapping presence of environmental disasters of this nature and said those who feel they are helpless can help by donating to a cause. Harry and Meghan had donated to agencies like the fire service and Red Cross and urged others to do the same.
Bushfire in Australia is a crisis
The bushfire has been devastating lives and properties and is going out of control along the east coast of Australia. In the opinion of experts, the signs are ominous and they caution the “worst is still to come.” Temperatures in the region are in the range of 120F. This, coupled with winds of 50mph winds, fan the flames and the firefighting mechanism is put to test as firefighters struggle to save lives and property.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have warned the Australian bushfires are contributing to a global 'Ecocide', in a stark message that forms part of a coordinated response by three wings of the royal family to the unfolding disaster | @BevanShields https://t.co/qdIv5cSZjS #NSWFires
— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) January 5, 2020
Metro UK says so far, at least 23 people have lost their lives and more than 1,000 homes destroyed.
The fire has taken a heavy toll of kangaroos, koalas and other animals and it could wipe out some species. With this background, the royal couple has appealed for donations to help the fire services and medical teams to cope with the disaster. American singer Pink has set the tone by donating $500,000 to emergency services in Australia.
The situation adds up to ‘ecocide’
According to SMH Au, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken note of the bushfires that are raging across Australia. They have warned that disasters of this nature contribute to a global 'ecocide' and have a direct impact on the ecological balance. The royal couple visited New South Wales in 2018 and the fires have played havoc with the environment. They want to extend help to those who are directly involved in rescue missions and have urged their social media followers to donate to respective agencies. These are the NSW Rural Fire Service or the Australian Red Cross. Incidentally, the Duke and Duchess had undertaken some journeys last year on private jets.
That led to criticism from different quarters. Subsequently, Prince Harry said, "nobody is perfect" in terms of their ecological footprint. He also clarified that most of his travel is on commercial planes.
