Wagga has been advised to brace for a scorching top temperature of 41 degrees on Thursday, with wind and dust, as well as possible thunderstorms.

The Rural Fire Service is warning everyone to take care and make sure they have an emergency plan.

It's simple pragmatic advice that could save lives in an emergency.

Yet when we consider the message on climate change, the simple and pragmatic approach goes out the window.

Now, I know this is a controversial issue and not everyone agrees, but there has certainly been a lot suggestion in recent days that the current bushfires burning around the state are the result of our climate changing.

You know what? I haven't got a clue whether this is the case or not, but I am concerned at what appears to be a huge disconnect from reality when it comes to "addressing" the issue.

We hear impassioned pleas for action from the government. We're told Australia is an international pariah and see school children marching in the streets.

But that "action" seems to be limited to reducing our emissions or meeting our international targets. In other words, long-term goals.

But if we are already seeing more bushfires because of climate change, what are we doing in a practical, hands-on way to make a difference right now?

NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean made an absolute goose of himself this week, when he dismissed a call to allow cattle to graze in national parks.

"The idea that a few cows can stop bushfires is as ridiculous as it sounds," Mr Kean sneered.

So, kudos to Mr Kean for scoring a few political points for smart-assery, but what is he actually proposing to do to reduce the heightened bushfire risks caused by a build-up of fuel on the ground?

This shallow ineptitude is a good example of the problem: We are told we have to do something about climate change, but when a proposal is made, some minister who wants his 15 minutes dismisses the idea without even talking about it.

It seems fairly obvious that if climate change is going to increase the risk of bushfires, then we need to be more prepared.

Our population is growing and more people are building their homes in areas close to bushland.

We have long recognised the problem with the clearing of wide tracts of land and are rightly trying to reduce the impact our lives have on the landscape.

But that doesn't mean we should blithely ignore the risks. It's about striking a balance.

I spoke this week with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack about, among other issues, the drought. He mentioned that NSW hasn't built a new dam in decades.

But in that same time, the population has grown considerably.

We are told that climate change could make our nation hotter and drier, so exactly what are we doing to help drought-proof our population's water supply?

We are told a number of substantial regional NSW cities are looking at a "day zero" when water will run out. I've even heard this scenario being bandied about when it comes to Sydney.

Maybe more damns isn't the answer, maybe there is a better option. I don't know.

But what I do know is that we need to stop treating climate change like a subject for a philosophy class - or worse still a political battering ram - and figure out how we are going to help our population not only survive but continue to thrive.

Here's a tip for our national leaders: Bushfire survivors don't want your "thoughts and prayers". They need practical assistance in helping to recover from the devastation.

As for the rest of the nation, we don't want those thoughts and prayers very much either.

We want them to stop posturing and to make sure the country is genuinely, sensibly planning for a future that, we are being told by many of those same pontificating politicians, is going to be a lot tougher.