Climate Conversations

Democracy, that's democracy as envisaged by Emeritus Professor Joseph Camilleri and his Online Citizen Assembly he writes about in Pearls and Irritations. He argues, " Australia’s fading democracy calls for radical rethinking "; " Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change. "; " The Australien Government has made an ad for the coming elec...

Dr Cathy OPke (pictured) was at TEDx Bendigo t alking about our Cities: Our Climate Change Antiheroes’ and challenging us to reimagine cities as robust climate solutions rather than just sources of emissions. She explained that while national governments debate, cities are becoming command centers for climate action - a role so crucial that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is p...

Glenn Connley (pictured), moderator for the "Climate Academy" webinar organised by The Australia Institute. Industrial Atlantic salmon farming near Tasmania is a story that needs to be told and understood, and this "Climate Academy" webinar moderated by Glenn Connley and featuring Leanne Minshull and Eloise Carr is a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about what's happening in this sou...

Linden Ashcroft (pictured) went from wanting to be a poet to climate science, although she still dabbles in poetry. Linden grew up in country Victoria, in Tatura near Shepparton, on the lands of the Yorta Yorta people, and is a lecturer, climate scientist and science communicator at the University of Melbourne . Her parents still live in Tatura, and she will be back there on Saturday, September 6,...

Challenges on her home farm prompted Karin Stark (pictured) to pull together her first National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Expo in 2019. Now, this year's event will be in Bendigo. In what is a first for Victoria, the conference and expo will be held at The Capital Theatre in View St, Bendigo, on Wednesday, July 23. The expo opens at 8:00 a.m., and the conference follows at 9:00 a.m....

Australia's former Secretary to the Treasurer, Ken Henry (pictured) has written about "cowardly politics" and "robbing our children blind", along with the 'juvenile climate politics" - "Cowardly politics is robbing our children blind. It’s time to be brave"; " Citizen Future: why we need a new story of self and society "; " I’ve spent my li...

Climate change and it impact on life in Australia's northern parts has been ignored by the Australia Football League (AFL) as it has progressed plans to build a multi-million dollar stadium in Darwin, the capital of Northern Territory. The climate community is well aware that wet-bulb temperatures expected in Darwin within decades could make life in that northern capital not only difficult, bu...

Economist Angela Jackson (pictured) was among the guests on the ABC's latest Q&A program and talked passionately about the seriousness and reality of climate change. " Their profit, our cost: Should fossil fuel companies pay for climate disasters? "; " Confirmed: 2024 was the hottest year on record in the air and the oceans "; " The maps that reveal how climate dis...

Emma Bacon (pictured) is among the most climate-aware and knowledgeable Australians and leads the Sydney-based non-government organisation. " Sweltering Cities ". You can hear more of Ms Bacon's almost prescient thinking on the " Finding Nature " podcast. If you're in Geelong this Friday, March 28, get along to that city's " Climate Cafe ". " Garbage...

The 89 Percent Project is a year-long global journalistic effort to explore a pivotal but little-known fact about climate change: The overwhelming majority of the world’s people want their governments to take stronger action. The project launches on April 20, 2025, with a week of focused coverage by journalists and newsrooms worldwide coinciding with Earth Day. A second week of focused coverage wi...

Climate change is a dilemma that appears to escape the understanding of most people astounding me. " In the Australian outback, climate change widens the racial divide "; " The outlook for house insurance is much worse than we’re being told "; " Trump may ax EPA’s research office and fire most of its staff "; " Trump’s attacks on science are a massive blow to Aus...

Anthony Stott (pictured) is a Geelong psychologist, whose fertile mind helps us understand how we can profit from his fresh idea of "Green Prosperity"'. Anthony has put Green Prosperity on the table. Beyond that bold and adventurous thinking, he helps people through the travails of climate anxiety through his work at Aspire Health and Psychology at Werribee. This thoughtful fellow fi...

Usually, episodes of "Climate Conversations" begin with a relevant or outstanding quote, but this event from La Trobe University , "Climate change: where are we now?" was littered with powerful and important quotes. Subsequently, I decided it would be best if you listened first and then chose for yourself — enjoy, it is a powerful webinar.

A friend fears nuclear annihilation more than whatever climate change has in store. " How Formula 1 is trying to cut its carbon emissions, on and off the track "; " Trump moves to gut several agencies, targeting Voice of America, libraries "; " How Climate Change Is Framed to Disempower You "; " ‘Greeted by concrete’: Town fights for trees as rail project steamrolls historic avenue "; " The campai...

Dr Kumi Naidoo (pictured) and Professor Noami Oreskes joined former South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, for a stimulating conversation about phasing out fossil fuels at the University of South Australia's Hawke Centre. Promotional material for the conversation says: "Despite world leaders making climate pledges and investments in renewable energy, many governments are still approving new...

Carly Noble (pictured) will represent the Australian Democrats at the next Federal Election and hopes your vote will help her secure a Seat in the Australian Senate as a representative for Victoria. Carly, a mother, farmer, educator, agitator, and advocate for any environmental improvement that will benefit people generally, particularly Victorians, believes that if people work together through a...

Eddie Kowalski (pictured) is one of several people working to create what is presently known as the "Online Citizens Assembly". The group is led by Professor Joseph Camilleri, an Emeritus Politics Professor at La Trobe University who is one of Australia's leading International Relations scholars. He has more than 30 years of experience. Professor Camilleri has pursued a wide range of research inte...

My daughter's Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (example pictured) helps out during Tropical Cyclone Alfred. " Alfred to slow and lessen in severity, but window of destruction remains open "; "C yclone Alfred is slowing – and that could make it more destructive. Here’s how climate change might have influenced it "; " States prepare for cyclone flooding as authorities urge ‘do...

Tropical Cyclone Alfred troubles coastal northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, triggering memories of flooding in Lismore in NSW. "‘ Stripped to our bare bones’: three years on from the floods, Lismore’s housing crisis is worse than ever "; " Queensland evacuations begin as Cyclone Alfred storm path tracks towards Brisbane "; " How to prepare for Cyclone A...

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is roaming about near the coast of Australia's south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales: " Northern NSW residents urged to prepare for first tropical cyclone since 1990 "; " The coastal Victorian city with ambitious plans but a big sea-rise problem "; " Trump fired hundreds at NOAA, Weather Service. Here’s what that means for forecasts...

Anthony Stott (pictured) was the guest speaker at the Geelong Climate Cafe on Friday, February 28. He has worked in several fields such as teaching, youth work, and training unemployed people. He was a Lifeline counsellor for 5 years and has been in private practice since 2008. With a gentle smile, Anthony took those at the Climate Cafe on a metaphorical journey from humanity's beginnings to w...

Violet Coco is an active activist, she is bold and courageous in alerting others to the dilemmas of climate change. Violet shared the stage with the research director from The National Centre for Climate Restoration (Breakthrough) , David Spratt at an event associated with the Melbourne-based National Sustainability Festival , “ The PM’s Climate Speech we’ve been waiting for ” David mentioned the...

How close-knit community is better than rugged individualism - " Surviving the Climate Apocalypse (With a Little Help From My Friends) "; " America Loses Its Soul When It Rejects People Fleeing Danger "; " Climate change is coming for coastlines, from ancient cities to modern California: Study "; " Why the U.S. has been home to Earth’s most unusually cold air thi...

The Liberal-National Party's fanciful idea of nuclear power for Australia will deliver the 2b tonne greenhouse gas surge - " ‘Nuclear carbon emission bomb’: 2b tonne greenhouse gas surge forecast under Coalition"; " Coalition nuclear plan hides a 2bn tonne ‘carbon bomb’ that puts net zero by 2050 out of reach, new analysis shows "; " World urged to stay the course on c...

Simon Holmes à Court will be in conversation with Rick Brazalle (pictured) at a Lighter Footprints event at Melbourne's Malvern Town Hall on Wednesday, March 5, discussing " Powering 2025: Driving Australia’s Energy Transition ". " What Would Real Energy Independence Look Like? "; " This wind farm is retiring, so what happens to its tonnes of steel? "; " Elon...