The fires across Australia are taking a terrible toll. For those who have lost their loved ones and for those who have lost their homes.

For those who suffer weeks and months of fear, and for the firefighters working beyond exhaustion.

For the millions who breathe harmful smoke with the risk of future illness, and for the many businesses that go broke.

And for nature: we are losing animals and their habitat, biological diversity and natural beauty at massive scale.

The physical and mental scars will be with us for years. Every drive or walk in the woods will be a reminder. Spring will bring fear of the summer.

The bushfire emergency, arising from the drought, has become a national crisis.

You need to lead

It could be the turning point for Australia's climate change politics and policy that is so deeply in the ditch.

It could allow Government politicians to discard their past destructive stance on climate change, and give the opposition an opportunity to look to the future.

So dear Prime Minister and Cabinet, please find it within yourselves to drop the old anti-climate change stance.

Read the full article by Prof Frank Jotzo on the ABC website