Climate Conversations

Rachel Lowry (pictured) saw Australia as being on the right side of history at COP15 in Montreal - " Historic deal reached at UN biodiversity conference ". " Climate goal of 1.5C is ‘gasping for breath’, says UN head "; " Calls for tougher regulations as Queensland records highest rate of land clearing in country "; " UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) "; " The battle for the Otway Ranges "; " Vi...

Mark Davis (pictured) has worked with and is still representing about 20 climate activists, all of whom he says are all good people and shouldn't be sent to gaol - you can hear his comments here on Radio National - " Should protesting be criminalised? " " Montreal talks lead to 'watered down' biodiversity targets: Greens "; " The US touts support for biodiversity – but at Cop15, it remains on the...

Mark Conroy (pictured) has been a full-time climate activist for the past two years and so has aligned himself with Extinction Rebellion and through that has helped raise the public's awareness that accelerated action on the climate issue is of critical importance. Violet Coco was discussed during our conversation, and Violet, who had disrupted traffic on The Sydney Harbour Bridge for about 25 min...

Violet Coco (pictured) took the message of the climate and ecological crisis to Sydney Harbour Bridge in April this year when she blocked one lane of traffic.  She was subsequently arrested, then sentenced to 15 months in jail, appealed that but was denied bail, but now that has been overturned and Violet is free on bail until the appeal regarding her sentence is heard in March next year. Vio...

Bruce Mountain (pictured) tells Patricia Karvelis on Radio National that Australia's east coast is "swimming in gas"  - " Government taking a bigger role in energy: analyst "; " Burning Trees for Energy Is Catastrophic for Biodiversity, Scientists Say "; " The ‘silent killer’ of flooding: Murray River fish in dire straits as water quality drops "; " Starving seabirds on Alaska coast show clim...

The Greens, lead by Adam Brandt (pictured), say the intervention to curb power bills is too generous to fossil fuel companies – a point the government disputes: " Greens threaten government’s plan to cut energy bills "; " Oil firms have internally dismissed swift climate action, House panel says "; " FIFA Helping to ‘Greenwashing’ Qatar Oil Company Primed to Explode Major Carbon Bomb "; " What to...

Deanna 'Violet' Coco (pictured) continues with her efforts of non-violent protests to alert our decision-makers to the threat of climate change. Violet was a virtual guest at Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton in July 2021 and you can watch and listen to her at the Slap Tomorrow Zoom Files .  " At least a dozen climate activists face jail time under NSW laws used to lock up Violet Coco "; " V...

Biodiversity was centre stage at a November roundtable event organized by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority and the preservation of Earth's biodiversity is the subject of an international conference at Montreal in Canada. " Updates on the state of nature from around the world "; " Plibersek in push to halt extinctions, but defends reef stance "; " Aussie species join extinction ri...

Stefan Rahmstorf (artist's impression), who cried when he heard of Donald Trump's ascendency to President, receives the Stephen H. Schneider award for climate communication.  " Green Buildings: Cooking Without Gas "; "‘ World’s First Solar City Car’ Coming to U.S. for $6,250 "; " Foundation For Climate Restoration "; " Britain Approves New Coal Mine Despite Climate Concerns "; " India Chases...

Climateworks Australia gives you " Five minutes with Dr Sale Bache " (pictured); " Planet Earth in 2022 " - Professor Lesley Hughes; "‘ Nature is being destroyed. Things have to change’: Plibersek flags environmental law overhaul "; " David Pocock and the Greens welcome Labor’s environmental reforms but push for more urgent action "; " If NSW wants to stop climate change protests, there's an alter...

Aisha Khai (pictured) is the executive director of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change and has written a strong piece for the Dawn newspaper: " Cost to the Climate ". " Floods rejuvenate Australia's environment, yet have 'sting in the tail' for many species "; " Warning on Mass Extinction of Sea Life: ‘An Oh My God Moment’ "; " Circular strategies could cut emissions from materials used...

Dr Samantha Montano writes about "dispatches from the front lines of the climate crisis" in her book "Disasterology " (pictured). Geoff Ebbs - " The Cage and Violet Coco ". " Greenwashing crackdown continues ". " Sound Country Women Artists' Leadership Retreat ". " Loss, decay and bleaching: why sponges may be the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for impacts of marine heatwaves ". " Private profits...

Professor Jodie Rummer (pictured) looks on as her childhood dream succumbs to climate change - " Are we really prepared to lose this natural wonder? " " Oil and gas firms planning ‘frightening’ fossil fuels growth, report finds ". " EU approves France’s short-haul flight ban — but only for 3 routes ". " Wind turbines have an image problem but silent, bladeless designs could change all that ". " Pi...

Net-zero by 2050 is an idea that has traction throughout the world community, but it is a concept about which we should circumspect. " Why Are Fossil Fuels So Hard to Quit? " " Cumbria coalmine plan is ‘backward step’, says Alok Sharma ". " Water as Part of the Climate Solution ". " The wreckage of ancient hurricanes could predict future storms ". " Puerto Rican Cities Sue Fossil Fuel Companies in...

Deanna 'Violet' Coco (pictured) staged a climate protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and now she has been sentenced to jail - " Protester who blocked Sydney Harbour Bridge sent to prison ". " England’s water can be renationalised without compensation, activists say ". " An idea that could help replenish California’s groundwater supplies" . " UCD student will 'fast until death if necessary' over c...

Peter Fiekowsky argues in his new book " Climate Restoration " that this is the only future that will sustain the human race. And it was just in July this year that he talked about climate restoration for human flourishing . " Climate change made deadly rainfall in West Africa 80% more likely to happen ". " Mauna Loa Eruption Threatens a Famous Climate Record ". " Climate activist who blocked traf...

Rod Simpson (pictured) was described by a "firey" soon after his property burned in the 2019 Black Summer bushfires as "Australia's first climate refugee". Rod, whose "piece of paradise" was about 20 kilometres from Drake in northern New South Wales, was fortunate to survive as those climate-induced fires engulfed his home, leaving him, in every sense, with nothing except his two dogs. As a "green...

Rob Stokes (pictured) is Australia's first Active Transport Minister and was excited to welcome delegates to the country's first Micro-Mobility Conference in Sydney on November 25/26. An impressive array of speakers, including Lucy Saunders , talked about how she had created the "Healthy Streets" program in the United Kingdom and how she had taken the idea to countries all around the world, told t...

Professor Jacqueline Peel (pictured) was the guest today on Radio National's " Between the Lines " and discussed the outcome of COP27 with the host, Tom Switzer. " How hot will the world get under political parties’ climate plans? ". " CEFC gives $20.5 million to help drive down cost of electric car loans ". " Climate Council report finds Queensland bears highest cost of climate disasters in Austr...

Julian Cribb (pictured) argues in his story in Pearls and Irritations: " The world votes for “climate hell ”. " ‘Strike Force Guard’: suppression of climate protest threatens us all ". " ‘This case has made legal history’: young Australians just won a human rights case against an enormous coal mine ". " Glacial Meltdown 2022! What Made the Eternal Ice Disappear? " " 3 Reasons Why The Current...

Greg Mullins talks about the year of extremes that Australians have just endured and encourages people to sign up for a webinar coming up soon - " Climate Council X ELCA: Power our Extreme Weather Work ". " Over 20,000 died in western Europe’s summer heatwaves, figures show ". Learn more about the next "disruptor"  - on the micro-mobility podcast . " Hot and dry in the west, while summer rain...

Anna Rose (pictured) is one of Australia's pre-eminent climate change advocates and in 2013 she spoke at a public forum in Shepparton organized by Slap Tomorrow and talked about a warmer atmosphere containing more moisture, something Australians have seen practical evidence of just of late. " State of the climate: what Australians need to know about major new report" . " Extreme Heat Takes th...

Both the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO have warned in the 2022 State of the Climate Report that, in a weather sense, Australia is facing even more extreme weather . From The Guardian: " Australia faces worsening extreme weather events latest BoM and CSIRO climate report finds ". And from The New Daily: " Report details Australia’s hotter, rainier and more dramatic climate ". From The Convers...

Professor Bill McGuire rattled a few cages when he published " Hothouse Earth " and has now written an opinion piece in The Guardian: "T he big takeaway from Cop27? These climate conferences just aren’t working ". " Analysis: Australia's climate policies don't match its big talk at COP27 ". " It’s time to add climate change and net-zero emissions to the RBA’s top 3 economic goals ". " Long-du...

ProBono Australia has given us what we need to know about COP27 - " What you need to know about COP27 ". And from the Melbourne Age, it's Mike Foley: " Teals back Wilkie’s demand for federal inquiry into alleged coal scam. "