Climate Conversations

Climate scientist Professor Michael Mann is critical of podcaster Joe Rogan, whom he says was one hundred and eight per cent wrong in his interpretation of a story - listen to that on Truthout - " Europe Sees Dangerous Heat Wave as North America Sets 3,000 Temperature Records "; " Spain records highs of 46C and France under alert as Europe swelters in heatwave"; " Trump’s...

David Spratt (pictured) points to Australia's commitments to other crises to illustrate his arguments on how and why we should respond to the unfolding emergency of climate change. He wrote about that in an article published recently in The Canberra Times, available now on his website, " Climate Code Red ". The article asks the question: "How bad can climate damage get?" An...

Melbourne Age reporter, Caitlin Fitzsimmons, takes us into the deniers' playbook to help us understand the motives: " How to get the best bang for your climate buck "; " Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension is being challenged in the courts. Could it be stopped? "; " How bad can climate damage get? Worse than you imagine "; " Global warming is changing c...

Donald Trump's order to have the U.S. military attack uranium enrichment sites in Iran refreshes our understanding of the "tyranny of the immediate". From The New York Times, we hear about " Pentagon Details Multipronged Attack on Iranian Nuclear Sites ". The military is not included in the 2019 Paris emissions targets due to pressure and agitation from the U.S., and this b...

Climate change regularly falls victim to the tyranny of the immediate, meaning it is pushed out of major media outlets by news perceived as more urgent or immediate. Beyond that, for some years, articles covering climate issues were rarely seen in national media and, in a few instances, almost prohibited. That is changing as it is now a topic frequently covered, as illustrated in recent episodes o...

Covering Climate Now takes us into the world's war zones to help us understand how the tyranny of the immediate distracts us from the hard realities of climate change. The group, an organisation set up by journalists, for journalists, most recent "press briefing' was entitled: " War and Climate Change ". The group says: "War and climate change are intertwined in ways th...

Guardian reporters, Josh Nicholas and Nick Evershed, alert readers to the frightening impact of a Western Australia gas project: " Revealed: the astonishing greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the North West Shelf project "

Geoff Rose (pictured), a Professor in Transport Engineering, Monash Institute of Transport Studies , Monash University, discusses the trials, challenges and opportunities of E-bikes and E-scooters in his article on The Conversation: " E-bikes and e-scooters are popular – but dangerous. A transport expert explains how to make them safer ". Geoff delves into history to tell us of an early...

Dr Philip Lawn (pictured at COP 23, where he dared mention population and was almost thrown out of the room) was the preeminent speaker at the June 14 Swanpool Environmental Film Festival . Dr Lawn's address followed the screening of the movie " Climate Extreme: At the abyss?" The small country at Swanpool (about 20 km south of Euroa) was booked out for the annual festival.

Bicycle Network CEO, Alison McCormack (pictured) pedals to work, finding both fitness and peace of mind. Her story was in the Melbourne Age: " Why cycling to work is better for your brain than walking ". " Activists like Greta Thunberg care more about fame than facts "; " Israel says Greta Thunberg has been deported after seizure of Gaza-bound ship "; " This grou...

Writing in " Now, the People! Revolution in the Twenty-First Century ", Jean-Luc Mélenchon argued that Earth's ecosystem wasn't coping with the combination of a booming population and capitalism. " As disasters loom, emergency managers say they aren’t counting on FEMA "; " The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to ‘Correct’ Research ."; " ‘T...

Some rain has fallen in parts of Victoria, and among those celebrating were these kids (pictured). However, one Victoria farmer says: "‘ I won’t get excited until my hair is wet’: This weekend is make or break for farmers "; Podcast: " Mining in the deep blue "; " In one awful decision, Albanese has revealed his do-nothing plan "; " A carbon tax and some key poli...

Greens MP Sue Higginson (pictured) talks about rain-bombs, rivers falling from the sky during a discussion on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National program, " Country Breakfast ". " Australia’s renewable energy shift to be powered by gas "; "‘ I lost everything’: Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village "; " A prince, tr...

Dr Kristina Dahl (pictured) is the vice president for science at Climate Central , leading the group's scientific activities, helping design analyses that enable people throughout the world to connect their lived experiences to climate change. During the interview, Dr Dahl said: "We are all living in a 'climate-changed' world. Climate Central is an independent group of scientists and communicators...

Decisions by Australia's Labor Government through its newly minted Environment Minister, Murray Watt, have sent shudders through many, and the airwaves of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation were alive with comments and observations: " Australia's largest gas project granted extension "; " Gas is no longer a dirty word for Labor. Should it be? "; " The Woodside...

The lights recently went out across Spain, and the Australian oil and gas giant, Woodside, was quick to seize on the consequences of the disruption to drive home the importance of ensuring reliable energy supplies: " Spain’s crippling blackout shows need for gas in a greener world: Woodside CEO "; " What we lose when weather balloons don’t fly "; " 5 huge climate opportuni...

Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, claims he cares about climate change, but then supports his Environment Minister, Murray Watt, in his moves to quickly advance a major gas project off the Western Australian coast: " Murray Watt knocks back objections to Woodside’s North West Shelf extension and clears way for final decision "; " ‘Desolate’: farmers in NSW’s west battle d...

Australia's National Party was successful in recent Federal elections and subsequently has been beating its chest in celebratory joy, but not everyone feels the same way, according to this opinion piece in the Melbourne Age: " Denial is hard to grasp in the city. In flooded Taree, it’s bewildering ". " The True Cost of Pretending Climate Change Doesn’t Exist "; " Trump...

Salvador Rueda (pictured) envisages a car-free CBD for Melbourne, arguing during an event ar the city's RMIT University that Melbourne’s grid design and tram network made it suited to superblocks, and land close to train stations could be their starting point because “you don’t need the car, practically”: " Car-free superblock pioneer’s vision for Melbourne – and the one thing he forbids...

Violet Coco (pictured) has the innate ability to reach into people, touch their hearts, make them feel something, make them angry, and yet comfort them with the thought that someone is doing something about alerting the world to the terrors of climate change. Violet, a woman with the seeming innocence of a young girl, was taken to lunch by Angus Delaney, and here you can hear the audio of a story...

Sharon Brettkelly (pictured) will go to extreme lengths, in this case, heights, to get to the bottom of a good story. Sharon, who writes for The Newsroom in New Zealand, tells the story this time on The Detail: " Powering New Zealand from a Wellington wind farm ". She writes: "When rain poured into our South Island hydro lakes last week, electricity bosses heaved a huge sigh of relief. "They’re st...

Professor Tim Flannery (pictured) was one of three speakers on a Climate Council webinar tonight (May 13), facilitated by the Council's CEO, Amanda McKenzie. The webinar, which attracted hundreds of people, was entitled "After the Vote: What Australia's new parliament means for climate - and how we can make the most of it". The webinar discussed: What kind of progress should we expect under the ne...

Chinese electric car companies are building vehicles that are both nimble and fast, and denting the sales of traditional manufacturers: " This luxury car can use ‘leap mode’ for potholes – but it’s not a Ferrari "; " ‘Getting barer by the day’: drought conditions in SA and Victoria worsen, leaving rural communities in the dust "; " Govt mulled, then scratched, home solar i...

Rebecca Huntley (pictured) appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television program Q&A, questioning the viability and value of Australia's National Party . " Even as emissions level off, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is growing faster than ever. Here’s why "; " These 3 climate misinformation campaigns are operating during the election run-up. Here’s h...

Professor David Lindenmayer (pictured). from The Fenner School of Environment & Society at the Australian National University, was the guest on a May 1 webinar organised by the " Victorian Forest Alliance ". Professor Lindenmayer discussed "Disturbance and flamability: how logging and burning makes forests more flammable". His understanding of Australian forests, their hist...