The Ball is in Your Court

Every January, I look forward to watching the start of the new tennis season with the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. I love watching great tennis. It is also fun to see the sunshine and beautiful landscapes and ocean scenes that are shown on tv when the camera breaks away from the courts.

Last January, during the tournament, much of Australia was burning. Extreme heat and prolonged drought conditions led to catastrophic bush fires. The cameras showed the raging fires and the aftermath. Footage of firefighters and citizens rescuing orphaned and burned koala bears and other animals tugged at the heartstrings of people watching from all over the world.

Photo by simon peel on Unsplash

Over 14 million acres of land were destroyed while 20 people and 1 billion animals were killed according to Insider. When and how the Australia bushfires started in 2019 — Insider

The tennis tournament opened the window to what was happening in Australia. Some of the top players including, Raphael Nadal, Roger Federer, Nick Krygios, Serena Williams, and Naomi Osaka, held an exhibition as a fundraiser for relief aid. Millions of people around the world watched.

The New South Wales Bushfire Inquiry formed in January 2020 to examine the worst fire season on record in Australia. The report details…