REPORT FROM DOWN UNDER

- Frances Hingston, Contibuting Writer

I was born and raised in a small town in Australia, but I’ve lived all over the world, and I spent the better part of the past four decades living in the United States.  I’ve always gone back home to visit my family and friends, but recently I’ve been thinking about making a more permanent move back “Down Under.”  In anticipation of this, I spent almost a year in Australia, lining things up for my move back.

I was thrilled to come back to the States.  I’d been missing my friends and was looking forward to reconnecting with everyone.  Since I’ve had dual-residency in America for so long, I wasn’t prepared for the culture shock I experienced upon turning up in Los Angeles.

Australia is in the midst of a very serious climate crisis.  I know that the entire world is starting to become aware of the weather changes that are happening all over the globe, thanks to Global Warming and other planetary changes.  However, I don’t think most Americans are aware of how dire the situation is in Australia and New Zealand.

The extreme drought we have been experiencing for some time has taken a serious toll on the once-beautiful, green country I grew up in.  The entire continent is in the grips of an utter catastrophe, and every resident is constantly, painfully aware of it. 

Every drop of water we use for bathing or gardening is savored.  People collect water from their rain gutters (on the rare occasions that it actually rains) to re-use.  Wild animals are dying by the side of the road (not “road-kill,” but victims of dehydration and starvation) and more than a few Australian farmers have committed suicide as a result of not being able to grow crops.

In short, Australia is experiencing an ominous state of emergency.

When I arrived in LA, I was hit with the intense realization that we (as I do consider myself to be American in most ways!) are so fortunate.  The hills above Malibu are green.  Supermarkets and Farmers Markets are stocked with glorious-looking fruits and vegetables.  A drive through Oxnard confirmed that agriculture here is still a viable business.  It is the first time that I’ve taken a satisfying shower in a year – especially since I know the friends whose house I’m staying at recycle their household water with a special Grey-Water System.

We have all been told that the effects of Global Warming are spreading.  Australia may be among the first serious victims, but we all share one planet, and the weather crisis south of the equator will move north.  There is an old saying that one doesn’t appreciate things until they are gone, and I worry that this will be the sad lesson the world will learn one day soon. 

Just before I left Australia, it rained for a few days.  Almost immediately, the arid landscape began to turn green again, and barren branches on trees began spouting.  That’s when the full force of it hit me: it’s not too late!  If the effects on Australia can still be reversed, then maybe the Earth stands a chance.  Let’s hope the world wakes up to this before it’s too late.