the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison has apologised for his behavior during the Bush fires. Greta Thunberg on.

fire in Eden, Australia photo: Sean Davey/aap/dpa

CANBERRA taz | firefighters in the East of the Australian continent were able to breathe a sigh of relief on Sunday, at least. Significantly temperatures and rain in the cooler, made it possible for the use of forces to prevent the spread of dozens of major fires. Nevertheless, the country burned even on a Sunday evening, far about 150 fire.

On Saturday died in the state of Victoria, is a firefighter. The 60-year-old was on fire was killed by a falling tree. Thus, 27 people have become since September victims of the Bush fires. At least 2000 houses burned to the ground.

The danger is even banned in any way. Several fire settlements and villages continue to threaten. Two large-scale fire in the area of the Australian Alps had United on Saturday to a 6,000-square-kilometre mega-fire, more than twice as large as the Saarland.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised on Sunday for his behavior at the beginning of the disaster. He said that he would not take the holiday in Hawaii, had led to massive criticism. He also announced the creation of a Commission of inquiry to the emergence of the Bush fire in view. The role should be explored, the climate change in the emergence and intensity of fire may limits games.

Morrison, a staunch supporter of fossil fuels, was until recently an outspoken climate sceptics. Just two weeks ago, he said after intense pressure from critics, climate change plays a role in the series of destructive Bush fires as "one of several factors".

The role of Australian coal and its emissions, the global warming should be discussed in the coming days also in the world as prominent as hardly ever before. The climate activist Greta Thunberg has turned into a dispute over the future of one of the potentially largest coal open pit mines in the world. The 17-year-old Swede called on the German industrial group Siemens, plans for the construction of a signal system for the company Adani in North East Australia to cancel.

The Indian commodity house wants to dismantle in the state of Queensland for the time being, annually 27 million tons of coal. The production could be extended up to 60 million tons. The raw material must be brought to a nearly 200-kilometre-long railway line to a port. From there, the coal will be shipped through the territory of the consequences of climate change are already strongly suffering Barrier Reef.

Against the project for years, fierce opposition from environmentalists. Critics complain only of the fact that the coal from the Mine would heat up global warming. The plant would also have serious consequences for the groundwater level and would make the Survival of various animal species in question. In addition, they were the rights of indigenous people in the affected area "with feet," says an activist of the civil rights group "Stop Adani".

Siemens-Chef Jo Kaeser will decide this Monday whether the group should draw a contract worth nearly 20 million euros for the construction of a signalling system for the railway line back. The Australian government is fully behind the carbon project – one of several in Queensland, planned or proposed large mines.

Prime Minster Scott Morrison had planned to travel in the coming weeks to India, in order to promote, among other things, for the coal industry. He should have postponed the trip but now. Australia is a leading promoter of coal. The exports of fossil fuel, which contribute annually about 50 billion US dollars to the export income. In 2018, approximately 36,000 persons Employed in the coal industry were employed. The Barrier reef-associated tourism alone provides around 70 000 jobs.