Australian Firefighters Urge Passage of Climate Bill

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Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Australian firefighters, spurred on by what they say are record temperatures contributing to “catastrophic code red” fire-danger warning, urged lawmakers to pass climate change legislation under debate by Senators.

Politicians threatening to block or weaken the proposed carbon reduction scheme are putting lives and properties at risk, Peter Marshall, national secretary of the United Firefighters Union, said in a statement today. The body represents 13,500 professional firefighters.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants a vote on the legislation by the end of next week, when parliament’s final sitting for the year concludes. Australia’s upper house of parliament is debating the draft carbon-reduction laws for a second time after the bill was approved this week by the House of Representatives, where the ruling Labor Party holds a majority.

“The science has become increasingly clear that we face an exponential increase in bushfire risks with growing temperatures,” John Connor, chief executive of the Climate Institute, an independent research organization, said by phone from Sydney today.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601203&sid=aKC9GCP4BkyE