Climate Conversations

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...

Professor Ian Lowe (pictured) is an entertaining speaker who can even make you smile and laugh while explaining the reasons behind some of our most tragic behaviours; behaviours that are eroding almost everything that is good about our world. Prof Lowe, and his Giffith University counterpart, Professor Brendan Mackey, were the guests on a webinar - "How much DNA do you share with an Octopus? The S...

Simon Kerr (pictured) assembled the group, " Music for a Warming World " and Robin Davidson talks about Canberra's " Rebus Theatre ", of which he is the artistic director. Today's (September 12) webinar was organized and presented by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance .

The question on the minds of many is will the passion for action on climate change by Prince Charles vanish now that he is King Charles (pictured)? Stories discussing that issue can be found on The Conversation: " It would be appropriate for King Charles to remain strong on climate: Albanese " and SBS: " Will Charles as King mean an end to his climate change activism? " And it was a question...

Dr Scott Abbinga (pictured) was my first physical contact with Healthy Futures .  Scott was at the recent Doctors for the Environment Melbourne conference on an information stand talking with conference attendees about the group. And check out the Benjamin Preiss story from The Melbourne Age: " ‘I haven’t paid a bill since 2008’: Country towns empower themselves ". Other climate links are: "...

Joëlle Gregis wrote the book, " Humanity's Moment ", with many goals in mind, among them, helping all of us better understand the climate crisis and while it is an issue clearly impacting all life on Earth, it continues as a rubicon among people, even friends. Other climate links: " Heat and Health "; " UN chief slams climate change 'insanity' on Pakistan flood visit "; " New study more than tripl...

Warwick Cathro (pictured) from the Canberra Conservation Council was a significant contributor to a workshop at the Better Futures Australia Forum early this month where the discussion revolved around making low-carbon transport accessible to all. James Whelan for Climate Action Network Australia summed up the first of the two sessions of " Making zero emissions transport accessible to all ". Enjo...

Fiona Armstrong (pictured) founded and now leads the Melbourne-based Climate and Health Alliance . So it was natural that she reported on findings from two workshops about climate change and health at this year's Better Futures Australia Forum held in Canberra early this month. Several people gathered on the stage at the end of the two-day event to report on findings for various groups; groups tha...

Climate scientist and author, Joëlle Gergis (pictured), talks about her new book, " Humanity's Moment: A climate scientist case for hope" , with the Research Director from the Climate Council , Dr Simon Bradshaw. The discussion between Dr Gergis and Dr Bradshaw was a Climate Council Bookclub event. Dr Gergis felt she had no option but to write the book as she had access to a vast array of informat...

Pastor Ray Minniecon (pictured) spoke on the opening day of the recent Better Futures Australian Forum in Canberra pleading with Australia's decision makers to listen to and work with the country's indigenous people. The powerful address by Pastor Minnniecon helped set the agenda for the two-day forum that came across as optimistic and collaborative, all embedded in a muted excitement arising from...

Kelly O'Shannassy (pictured) leads the " Australian Conservation Foundation " as one of a panel of five speakers who talked optimistically about the future at Canberra's " Better Futures Australia " two-day forum. With Kelly was the co-founder of " Zero Industrials and Sunshot Industries ", Clark Butler; The Executive Director of " Original Power " and descendant of the Yorta Yorta people, Karrina...

Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr (pictured) claims his government is a national and world leader in taking the jurisdiction to a serious reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Minister Barr was the first speaker on the opening day of the Better Futures Australia Forum held in Canberra on September 6 and 7. He saw the forum as both critical in that it would solidify ideas and...

Nidala Barker (pictured) brought her music to the Better Futures Australia conference, both entertaining and inspiring people. Her appearance and the Canberra Conference was aimed at inspiring people and it most certainly did that and it was only just lunch time on the first day.

Dr Rebecca Huntley (pictured) had a climate change epiphany about three years ago and was at the recent iDEA Conference organized by the Doctors for the Environment , encouraging medical practitioners to engage with climate issues in any way they can. The Sydney-based social researcher has described her commitment to climate change issues as something of a "hero project" and has written about it i...

Heather Campbell (pictured) talked about "Living in Harmony" during the Saturday program of the " iDEA Conference ", an annual event organized by the Australian arm of Doctors for the Environment . Heather, who has a long involvement in working to protect our environment, is the CEO of Bush Heritage, Australia . Enjoy " Music for a Warming World ".

Tim Buckley (pictured) "Zoomed" into the annual Doctors for the Environment conference and using his long, impeccable and thorough research told those attending, both in person and virtually, that it was not Australia's domestic emissions that would disrupt life on Earth, instead our country's export of fossil fuels. Australia, he explained, is the world's third largest exporter of fossil fuels. E...

Professor Judith Brett (pictured) talked about the changing political landscape on Saturday morning at the annual iDEA Conference , organized by the Australian arm of Doctors for the Environment . Professor Brett, who wrote the Quarterly Essay, " The Coal Curse ", said the new Federal Opposition had almost made itself irrelevant, particular when its leader, Peter Dutton, elected to avoid the recen...

Professor Brett Sutton (pictured) was the keynote speaker at the Doctors for the Environment, Australia, conference staged over three days at the Unversity of Melbourne . The iDEA conference attracted people from throughout Australia, both in person and virtually, and had the overt theme of "Time to Act". Professor Sutton is Victoria’s Chief Health Officer and undertakes a variety of statutory fun...

Louise Hardman (pictured) watched a turtle die and realized she had to do something to help remove plastic from our waterways and oceans. It was a classic: "If not me, who, if not now, when? From those years of thinking, following the turtle's death, and years of hard work came " Louise Hardman's 'Shruder' invention recycles plastic cleaned from ocean ". And out of that came the " Plastic Collecti...