Climate Conversations

Young Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg (pictured), questions hope - is it for a doomed way of life or for the millions presently without hope? In just a couple of minutes, she inspires us and gives hope to those whose lives appear hopeless. Greta was the young girl behind the "School strike for climate" movement that both physically and emotionally moved people all around the world.

The Green Line is a special five-part podcast series that considers most aspects of climate change with a particular emphasis on the U.S. Military which, it says, has been quietly preparing for the inevitable. What war games are the military running in preparation for this, it asks? Which theatres does it feel will be the most impacted and is the U.S. ready for a worst-case scenario?

Melbourne's Anitra Nelson is best known for her interest in degrowth although this story is related, it's from a slightly different angle - " These technologies help you live lightly on the planet ". From the Sydney Morning Herald we read about an idea to tax cow burbs -" New Zealand climate policy proposal includes taxing cow burps " And from the English version of El País we read that: " From cl...

Heather Souvaine Horn (pictured), the deputy editor of The New Republic that every week produces "Apocalypse Now", a publication that helps people understand our warming world and along with that, how to save it. In her latest piece she tells us how Michael Patrick Welch had written the story "Lake Charles was destroyed by Hurricane Laura" and then watched as it vanished from the mainstream news m...

Rolls Royce CEO Warren East (pictured) says we can't wait for perfection to solve the existential crisis that is climate change. Mr East, who is about to resign from the English company, and who has guided it since about 2015 through rather turbulent times, was one of the many speakers on day two of the two day event, Reuters Impact . His opinion changed dramatically when he realised the machines...

Chevron New Energies, Offsets and Emerging vice-president, Barbara Harrison (pictured), has called on governments to be bold. Ms Harrison was one of the many speakers featured on day two of the two-day Reuters Impact event. Chevron says its Offset and Emerging businesses are turning strategy into action to deliver higher returns and lower carbon emissions. However, some would say Chevron has much...

London's Mayor, Sadiq Hahn (pictured) was the keynote speaker on day one of the two day Reuters Impact event. The Mayor, who was introduced by Reuters first female Editor-in-Chief, Alessandra Galloni, said the climate crisis was global problem and required global solutions and added that humanity had been too slow off the blocks.

Laura Chung and Brook Mitchell tells us today in the Melbourne Age how Lizard Island (pictured) is the base for significant research into the impact of climate change on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Read the story: " On a remote Australian island, a small patch for reef is as goods scientists have ever seen it ". Raed a second story by Melbourne Age reporter, Peter Milne: " Andrew Forrest is 'l...

Tom Cowrie has told Melbourne Age readers that " Melbourne's dams are full to the brim - but don't go having 20 minute showers ". Pointing to floods up and down Australia's east coast and overflowing dams, climate deniers present what they feel as they feel is "bullet proof" evidence and rest their argument upon the early 2000s statement by Climate Council member Professor Tim Flannery (pictured),...

As a former newspaper editor my instinct is to simply give you as much news as I could and then trust that you a the reader had the necessary "smarts" to filter those stories to determine what was important to you, your community and what wasn't so important. I believed that no story was correct and no story, by contrast, was incorrect - they all has their place and each was important to someone,...

Johann Hari has written a startlingly new book, "Stolen Focus: why you can't pay attention" (pictured) and although it is not at all about the climate crisis, it in fact helps us understand how we got to where we arena how we can navigate a complex future. In conversation with the UNSW's Rosalind Dixon the the author Johann Hari explained why is it so important to pay attention  to this "atte...

Listen to the Aljazeera podcast, The Take, and learn about " Coping with climate change on Mt Everest ". Aljazeera also reports on Switzerland's worst ever melt rate of its many glaciers in the story - " Switzerland records worst melt rate of its glacier s". Read some more about Hurricane Ian - " Flooding, power cuts as Hurricane Ian crashes ashore in Florida ".

Dario Vacirca (pictured) is foremost an artist, but he is an agitator and someone concerned, in a broad sense, about the welfare of people and sees their best interests, and society's generally, being served through the acceptance and application of an unconditional Universal Basic Income. Dario is simply a good bloke. He was one of the many speakers who informed and entertained those who attended...

Professor Michael Howard (pictured) from the University of Maine in the U.S., joined the Brisbane BIEN 2022 Congress virtually to talk about "Basic Income, Climate Change and the Future of Work". Prof Howard specialises in social and political philosophy and his message to the congress was clear - we must contain our consumption, particularly those of us from wealthy countries, while be willing to...

Iain Middleton (pictured) has long prosecuted the idea of a Universal Basic Income in New Zealand and told his country's story at the September BIEN 2022 Congress in Brisbane, which was held at the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland . The conference was a hybrid affair with more than 100 people attending in person and hundreds more from around the world being virtual attendees. Most e...

Josh McGee (pictured) founded and continues to orchestrate the Melbourne-based Australia Basic Income group and spoke at the opening day of the Basic Income Earth Network Congress on September 26 at the St Lucia Campus of the University of Queensland . An unconditional Universal Basic Income is in many ways closely related to plotting a course the will enable humanity to navigate the quickly evolv...

Climate champion and former U.S. vice president, Al Gore, was the first of many guests at a day-long Climate Forward event organized by The New York Times . Mr Gore exuded optimism during what was described as a "fire-side chat", with a senior New York Times climate reporter, Somini Sengupta. 

Doing what you can, just one starfish at a time. Professor David Lindenmayer was the guest at a webinar organized by the Australian Conservation Foundation where he talked about " Saving our native forest in Victoria ". And a guest, just this morning (September 21) at a webinar organized by The Australia Institute was Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Her portfolios include Environment and Biodiv...

Climate Group CEO, Helen Clarkson, opened/launched Climate Week NYC calling on people to move from commitment to action. Michael Noetel asks the question: " What do we owe future generations? And what can we do to make their world a better place?" And on Radio 3CR, Vivien Langford investigates: " The dirty truth about green optimism " and " Australia's green extractivism and sacrifice zone ab...

Guardian reporter Adam Morton writes about the Australian Labor Government's idea of bringing a United Nations Conference of the Parties to Australia - " Australia’s bid to host a Cop summit could shape climate action and politics for years to come ". Climate News Network tells us: " Canadian EV battery industry could hit $48 billion a year ". And from Renew Economy we hear: " Wind and solar recor...

Millions in Japan are urged to shelter or evacuate as super typhoon Nanmadol (pictured) closes in on the country - " Japan issues special typhoon warning as 'unprecedented' storm approaches ". Again from the ABC we hear about electric vehicles and towing - " Electric vehicles that can tow your boat, caravan or horse float are coming to Australia, but how long will we have to wait? " The problems o...

Professor Euan Ritchie (pictured) compares media coverage of the Queen's death to the existential threat facing Earth in the story " Why did the Queen’s death receive saturation media coverage while the future of the Earth goes largely ignored? " And in its Editorial, the Melbourne Age says: " Australia can help steer the electric car revolution ". More climate links are: " Protecting native fores...

The Conversation's "Weekly" podcast features a trans-Atlantic chat between British host, Gemma Ware, and her U.S. counterpart, Daniel Merino, and guests about the inadequacy of our building stock to cope with an ever increasingly warmer world. Listen to " Keep buildings cool as it gets hotter by resurrecting traditional architectural techniques – podcast ". More from The Conversation tells us...

Dr Alan Finkel (pictured) delivered the Alan Finkel Oration entitled "Getting serious about getting to zero". The webinar was organised by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) enabling Dr Finkel to talk briefly about the "bad" and then at length about the "good" and within that the opportunities, he saw for Australia. A recording, featuring slides shown by Dr Fin...

King Charles (pictured) is considered by some to be history's most significant environmentalist. Read the Nicole Hasham story  - " ‘ The most significant environmentalist in history’ is now king. Two Australian researchers tell of Charles’ fascination with nature" . A second story from The Conversation is: " ‘Too hard to get to work’: climate change is making workers’ lives more dif...