Climate Conversations

Is Australia's weird weather climate change induced? Maybe, maybe not, but whatever the case, it most certainly increases the likelihood of having weather which is out of step with what is to be expected, what might be described as "normal". Australia's unusual weather is discussed in this story from The New Daily: " Extreme heat, cold snap, wild winds and hail smash Australia’s east coast ." Flig...

COP27 really achieved little, but some were excited about the funding breakthrough for the poorer nations: " In low-energy finish, oil and gas escape censure at Cop27 ". " Is COP27 the End of Hopes for Limiting Global Warming to 1.5 Degrees Celsius? ". " COP27: 90% of sponsors have fossil fuel ties ". " Experts discuss how wildfire smoke harms human health ". " China and US renew commitment to tac...

Sensing loneliness, disempowerment, disillusionment and disenchantment among others I sat down to write, what felt like when I had finished the piece, a love letter to my friends. Those contesting the causes of climate change are often volunteers or poorly paid members of a non-government authority, while those associated with the fossil fuel industry, companies which are the primary drivers of cl...

The challenge of playing soccer in a warmer world is being explored, considered and studied by the Columbia Climate School and a special guest at a recent workshop/webinar was the champion American female soccer player, Samantha Mewis (pictured). She talked about what it was like to play such a physically demanding sport in a warmer world, the demands the increasing temperatures put on players and...

Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe (pictured) talks such good sense, in a wonderfully clear and understandable way, that I get angered and disillusioned that our governments won't act on what he says to make life better, for everyone, in every possible way.  Visit the Greenprints website where you will find a recording of the event, allowing you to see the slides associated with Professor Lowe's pre...

A meet-the-candidates for the Shepparton electorate in a State election illustrates that, broadly, there was a distinct lack of urgency to attend to the climate crisis. Check out the " Climate Check " podcast from Brooklyn 350. " People versus Fossil Fuels ". " Fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis ". " Climate activists throw black liquid at Gustav Klimt painting in Vienna ". " Will this be...

Chris Bowen (pictured) at COP27:  " Australian climate minister to target World Bank’s response to crisis in Cop27 speech " " Effects of climate change such as flooding makes existing disadvantages for Indigenous communities so much worse" . " Water scarcity on agenda as Cop27 climate talks enter second week ". " Australia not paying its ‘fair share’, EU’s climate chief says ". " Deal on...

Egypt's COP27 opened with a grim warning from UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres (pictured). From Miki Perkins: " Global carbon emissions will reach record levels this year. These six charts explain why ". " Our buildings are driving us closer to ‘climate hell’ – how do we get back on course to net zero? " " Global carbon emissions at record levels with no signs of shrinking, new data sho...

Jon Foley (pictured) is the Executive Director of the Drawdown Project and he teamed with the Director of the Drawdown Labs, Jamie Beck Alexander to give people their first look at the group's "Drawdown Roadmap: Accelerating Action to Address the Climate Crisis. According to its website, Drawdown says: "Our mission is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenh...

France 24 takes us inside COP27 with: " COP27 climate summit: Food takes centre stage at talks in Egypt ". " COP27: The world is 'burning up faster' than it can recover, says Pakistan PM ". " ‘Lives are in their hands’: World mayors must act to cut pollution or more people will die, WHO warns ". " Floods can be a disaster for humans – but for nature, it’s boom time ". " After decades putting...

Recording a podcast with aphasia is a challenge. We should learn from Nelson Mandela: " Nelson Mandela is my grandfather. His courage can guide our climate battle ". " Sunak claims role as ‘clean energy champion’ on eve of Cop27 ". " Developing Nations Have a Message at Global Climate Talks: Polluters, Pay Up ". " Koalas,  parrots, frogs and orchids share our cities. Their fate depends on pro...

Guardian environment reporter, Fiona Harvey (pictured), tells readers: " Cop27: crucial climate talks more fragile than ever after year of turmoil ". World Banks costs Pakistan floods: " Pakistan: Flood Damages and Economic Losses Over USD 30 billion and Reconstruction Needs Over USD 16 billion - New Assessment ". Waging Nonviolence tells readers: " There’s no place for burnout in a burning world...

Greta Thunberg again casts doubt on the United Nations Conference of the Parties process while discussing the coming COP27 meeting in Egypt and her latest publication, " The  Climate Book ", with Sarah Ferguson, the host of ABC Television's, " 7:30 Report ". From The Conversation: " This is what Australia needs to bring to Egypt for COP27 ". The New Daily: " Hard climate truths: Eve...

Mark Jones (pictured) and Nickee Freeman are eager to side with you and so convert your political anger into political action. Mark is seeking election at the November 25 Victorian State Election and Nickee is his running mate for the Upper House in this huge northern Victorian electorate, the Northen Victorian Region . Both represent the Australia Values Party , known here as the 'Angry Victorian...

Australia's Treasurer, Dr Jim Chalmers (pictured), had little to say about the climate crisis during a presentation he gave to the annual Outlook Conference in Melbourne on November 2. But of course, his address was tailored to his audience, with many of the 200 or so people there being either economists or academics whose prevailing interest focused on money matters. The Treasurer's address cover...

Mike Cannon-Brookes (pictured) has been pushing to restructure AGL and Nick Toscano tells us: " Billionaire Cannon-Brookes gains ground in bid to revamp AGL board ". And from ABC News we hear: " European Union bans sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035 to boost electric vehicle uptake ". From The Mirror it's: " Rishi Sunak accepted cash from fossil fuel investors in campaign to become PM ". The...

The UN Environmental Program has released its Emissions Gap Report 2022 , pointing out the world is not on track to reach its Paris Agreement and global temperatures are likely to reach 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The BBC tells readers: " How the rich are driving climate change ". And it is Nick O'Malley from The Melbourne Age: " COP27: As nations head for Egypt climate summit,...

The Melbourne Editorializes about digging deep to find good news in U.N. climate change report: " Rays of hope amid dire climate warnings ". Art climate protests discussed by The New York Times: " Climate Protester Glues His Head to ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ Painting ". Canary Media tells readers: " Electric buses are ready for takeoff at US airports ". From The Hindustan Times, we hear: " India...

David Wallace-Wells (pictured) is known for his book " Uninhabitable Earth " and now, in The New York Times has written the article: " Beyond Catastrophe A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View ". In The Guardian, Damien Carrington tells readers: " World close to ‘irreversible’ climate breakdown, warn major studies ". Canary Media has gone live with: " Canary Live New York: Top 3 trends in New Y...

Nicki Hutley (pictured) from the Climate Council said climate change was not yet centre stage, but it was mentioned some 220 times in this week's Australian budget and, that it was argued was a significant improvement over what had existed in Australia for nearly a decade. Read the Climate Council story: " Climate features big in Budget but little relief for cost of living underscores need to hast...

Pete Mailer has written in The Guardian about how Australian farmers are defenceless in the face of extreme weather events: " Australian farmers have no defences left against ‘extraordinary’ weather events that have become all too common ". Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Melbourne Age, David Crowe reports: " $600m for disaster relief services after ‘back-to-back’ climate emergencies...

Policy statements and decisions by the Albanese-led Australian Federal Government appear to be trying to appease people on both sides of the street prompt confusion, anger and alarm. The government argues it is responsive to the climate crisis and is acting appropriately through it embrace of renewable energy but at the same time backs a rash of fossil fuel projects including those at Northern Ter...

The New York Times takes us deep into the Cascades (pictured) to better understand climate change with this wonderful piece from photojournalist, Ruth Fremson, and reporter, Kirk Johnson: " Life was built around snow. What happens when it vanishes ". Climate anxiety is considered by Science Direct in the paper: " Climate  anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: correlates of negative...

Jeff Sparrow (pictured) has written in The Guardian defending art protests by climate activists saying: "If you don’t like climate activists staging art gallery protests, organise something better". And the Climate Council tells us: " Everything you need to know about floods and climate change ". Griffiths University scientists, David Lindenmayer, Brendan Mackey and Heather Keith, writing in The C...

"The future of water: a call to action to avert a global climate crisis" was the subject of a webinar organized by the Columbia Climate School and moderated by the school's Founding Dean, Alexander Halliday (pictured). Guests on the webinar were the Director of the Columbia Water Centre and the Alan and Carol Silberstein Professor of Engineering at Columbia University, Upmanu Lall; a Professor of...