Most importantly, both are airborne. The carbon dioxide molecule that accumulates invisibly as we burn fossil fuels causes an increase in average global temperature. This triggers the droughts, floods and fires that plagued Australia over the past year. The coronavirus also travels unseen through the atmosphere, inserting itself in our lungs, killing person after person, until it threatens our health system, economy and society.

I'm indebted to Tim Flannery for pointing out these parallels. He also warned that: "The mega fires and pandemic expose the lies that frustrate action on climate change" (Guardian Australia).

Despite these similarities, many of us have been disappointed by the contrast between the federal government's responses to the pandemic and to the climate threat. Scotty from Marketing was missing in action for much of the climate-related mega fire but in the face of a pandemic, he acted swiftly.

Yet on climate change, he is unresponsive. This may prove catastrophic, for the climate emergency is now entering a crucial phase. To delay even for a few years risks triggering Earth's tipping points. From that point, there is no way back.

So time is now so short that we cannot wait for the next Australian election for action. It is the Morrison government that must act decisively if Australia is to do its part in averting this looming disaster.

Exactly why the federal government is not treating the climate emergency as it did the health emergency is probably known only to ScoMo's cabinet. But a few factors are evident to all.

That Australia is the world's largest exporter of gas and coal, two of the three fossil fuels that are causing climate change, is clearly fundamental. Too many people, including some politicians, are doing far too well from the trade in fossil fuels to want to stymie it, regardless of the impact on the climate. With coal in decline, gas is the healthiest sector of Australia's fossil fuel industry. It is the gas sector that the Morrison government is focussing on to lead the post-COVID-19 recovery.

One thing holding back progress is the $80bn that corporations have invested in domestic gas infrastructure. Acting on the climate emergency will mean that they will face huge losses.

Crucial in our understanding of the Morrison government's inaction on climate change is of course the huge donations these corporations make to the Liberal and Nationals parties.

Unfortunately, there are likely to be more mega fires in the future. Due to the levels greenhouse gases have now reached, we are likely to see mega fires every eight years, as Tim Flannery's research shows.

Will the Morrison government act in time? For years the denialists have argued that action on climate change would be "economy wrecking". But the pandemic has shown that the ScoMo government can and will intervene at a level of intervention not seen since wartime.

So we need to convince Scotty from Marketing & Co that the government's future depends on it taking action now. One hope is that the denialists are not as secure in their seats as they would have us believe. Arch denialist-in-chief Tony Abbott's defeat at the last federal election is a prime example of their vulnerability.

If the denialists are challenged everywhere by, for example, the Greens, their grasp of power within the Coalition would slip even before the next election.

As I wrote today's column, ScoMo announced the government's new energy plans. A plan without a target, of course. Some of its proposals are praiseworthy, such as clean green hydrogen, as opposed to dirty coal-fired hydrogen. Some are nothing more than con jobs, such as carbon capture and storage. It's a con because it doesn't exist. And gas is still top of the class. No surprises there.

Perhaps last week's Essential poll showing that two-thirds of voters would prefer the Coalition support renewables rather than new gas plants will provoke ScoMo into action.

Against such a hopeful picture, the news from the climate scientists is getting worse and worse. Increasingly, many experts are viewing 2021, and specifically, the UN climate change conference to be held in Glasgow late that year, as our last chance to avoid an environmental apocalypse.