For over a month, Australia has been fighting raging bushfires. An estimated 1 billion animals and 25 people are dead. The fires are concentrated in the southeast region of the continent, and are due to both climate change and weather.

However, more importantly, the Australian government refuses to place even partial blame on the nation's active coal industry -- Australia is the largest producer of coal. As a result, many more species are now endangered. Koalas in particular are now functionally extinct.

Where does this place us? The public and the fate of the planet is once again at the mercy of irresponsible, self-interested politicians who only see Earth's resources as economic opportunity. We've seen this in the case of the Amazon Rainforest and President Bolsonaro.

The recurring theme of inadequate governments is frustrating and makes one feel helpless. This is not to say that other nations' governments are not doing great work. Yet the overall lack of emergency and desperation amongst the greater political world toward climate change is dangerous for the almost irreversible situation we are in.

This is a time to make climate change the most important issue in any election, not just American. What other issue could be more important if the human race ceases to exist? Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison continues to be an avid supporter of the coal industry, which shows the country may find its situation worsening or repeating if changes are not made.

Perhaps what 2020 is showing us is that it is time to hold our leaders responsible for what is happening to our planet -- to our home. The Amazon Rainforest was the first victim, and now Australia's wildlife is the next. Here is to a new year of making climate change a priority, and of making responsible leaders a priority.