Climate scientist Professor Michael Mann is critical of podcaster Joe Rogan, whom he says was one hundred and eight per cent wrong in his interpretation of a story - listen to that on Truthout - "Europe Sees Dangerous Heat Wave as North America Sets 3,000 Temperature Records"; "Spain records highs of 46C and France under alert as Europe swelters in…

David Spratt (pictured) points to Australia's commitments to other crises to illustrate his arguments on how and why we should respond to the unfolding emergency of climate change. He wrote about that in an article published recently in The Canberra Times, available now on his website, "Climate Code Red". The article asks the question: "How bad can…

Melbourne Age reporter, Caitlin Fitzsimmons, takes us into the deniers' playbook to help us understand the motives: "How to get the best bang for your climate buck"; "Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension is being challenged in the courts. Could it be stopped?"; "How bad can climate damage get? Worse than you imagine"; "Global warming is changi…

Call Back Episode 209: Tech Timeouts, originally recorded on October 18, 2021. When you are always on, that means you’re never off. Living in a 24/7 world of pervasive connectivity, we are challenged to find rewarding moments during the day to disconnect. The post Call Back Episode – 209 Tech Timeouts appeared first on Just Saying.…

Donald Trump's order to have the U.S. military attack uranium enrichment sites in Iran refreshes our understanding of the "tyranny of the immediate". From The New York Times, we hear about "Pentagon Details Multipronged Attack on Iranian Nuclear Sites". The military is not included in the 2019 Paris emissions targets due to pressure and agitation f…

Climate change regularly falls victim to the tyranny of the immediate, meaning it is pushed out of major media outlets by news perceived as more urgent or immediate. Beyond that, for some years, articles covering climate issues were rarely seen in national media and, in a few instances, almost prohibited. That is changing as it is now a topic frequ…

Covering Climate Now takes us into the world's war zones to help us understand how the tyranny of the immediate distracts us from the hard realities of climate change. The group, an organisation set up by journalists, for journalists, most recent "press briefing' was entitled: "War and Climate Change". The group says: "War and climate change are in…

Guardian reporters, Josh Nicholas and Nick Evershed, alert readers to the frightening impact of a Western Australia gas project: "Revealed: the astonishing greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the North West Shelf project"

Geoff Rose (pictured), a Professor in Transport Engineering, Monash Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University, discusses the trials, challenges and opportunities of E-bikes and E-scooters in his article on The Conversation: "E-bikes and e-scooters are popular – but dangerous. A transport expert explains how to make them safer". Geoff delves…

Dr Philip Lawn (pictured at COP 23, where he dared mention population and was almost thrown out of the room) was the preeminent speaker at the June 14 Swanpool Environmental Film Festival. Dr Lawn's address followed the screening of the movie "Climate Extreme: At the abyss?" The small country at Swanpool (about 20 km south of Euroa) was booked out …

Bicycle Network CEO, Alison McCormack (pictured) pedals to work, finding both fitness and peace of mind. Her story was in the Melbourne Age: "Why cycling to work is better for your brain than walking". "Activists like Greta Thunberg care more about fame than facts"; "Israel says Greta Thunberg has been deported after seizure of Gaza-bound ship"; "T…

Writing in "Now, the People! Revolution in the Twenty-First Century", Jean-Luc Mélenchon argued that Earth's ecosystem wasn't coping with the combination of a booming population and capitalism. "As disasters loom, emergency managers say they aren’t counting on FEMA"; "The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to ‘Correct’ Research."; "‘T…

A 1980’s self-help guru predicted that if you “go into the silence” for 30-60 minutes, you will get clarity 100% of the time. In an environment that doesn’t allow even a few minutes alone, we may find this hard to believe or impossible to achieve. Well, in times that are highly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA), we need to follow th…

Some rain has fallen in parts of Victoria, and among those celebrating were these kids (pictured). However, one Victoria farmer says: "‘I won’t get excited until my hair is wet’: This weekend is make or break for farmers"; Podcast: "Mining in the deep blue"; "In one awful decision, Albanese has revealed his do-nothing plan"; "A carbon tax and some …

Greens MP Sue Higginson (pictured) talks about rain-bombs, rivers falling from the sky during a discussion on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National program, "Country Breakfast". "Australia’s renewable energy shift to be powered by gas"; "‘I lost everything’: Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village"; "A prince…

Dr Kristina Dahl (pictured) is the vice president for science at Climate Central, leading the group's scientific activities, helping design analyses that enable people throughout the world to connect their lived experiences to climate change. During the interview, Dr Dahl said: "We are all living in a 'climate-changed' world. Climate Central is an …

Decisions by Australia's Labor Government through its newly minted Environment Minister, Murray Watt, have sent shudders through many, and the airwaves of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation were alive with comments and observations: "Australia's largest gas project granted extension"; "Gas is no longer a dirty word for Labor. Should it be?"; "…

Think about being in a meeting and seeing someone who has no vital role and nothing to say. They just fill a chair and add no immediate value. Like a potted plant, they may be there to fill a space. In this week’s episode, I challenge conventions about not inviting people that don’t need to be there. The post Ep. 371 – Meeting participants (and pot…

The lights recently went out across Spain, and the Australian oil and gas giant, Woodside, was quick to seize on the consequences of the disruption to drive home the importance of ensuring reliable energy supplies: "Spain’s crippling blackout shows need for gas in a greener world: Woodside CEO"; "What we lose when weather balloons don’t fly"; "5 hu…

Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, claims he cares about climate change, but then supports his Environment Minister, Murray Watt, in his moves to quickly advance a major gas project off the Western Australian coast: "Murray Watt knocks back objections to Woodside’s North West Shelf extension and clears way for final decision"; "‘Desolate’…

Australia's National Party was successful in recent Federal elections and subsequently has been beating its chest in celebratory joy, but not everyone feels the same way, according to this opinion piece in the Melbourne Age: "Denial is hard to grasp in the city. In flooded Taree, it’s bewildering". "The True Cost of Pretending Climate Change Doesn’…

Salvador Rueda (pictured) envisages a car-free CBD for Melbourne, arguing during an event ar the city's RMIT University that Melbourne’s grid design and tram network made it suited to superblocks, and land close to train stations could be their starting point because “you don’t need the car, practically”: "Car-free superblock pioneer’s vision for M…

Whether it’s an important conversation or a very difficult one, we need to be ready. In this week’s episode, I will walk you through six different considerations to put you in a frame of mind that improves your chances that the exchange will go better than planned. The post Ep. 370 – Making key conversations count (the 6 T’s) appeared first on Just…

Violet Coco (pictured) has the innate ability to reach into people, touch their hearts, make them feel something, make them angry, and yet comfort them with the thought that someone is doing something about alerting the world to the terrors of climate change. Violet, a woman with the seeming innocence of a young girl, was taken to lunch by Angus De…

Sharon Brettkelly (pictured) will go to extreme lengths, in this case, heights, to get to the bottom of a good story. Sharon, who writes for The Newsroom in New Zealand, tells the story this time on The Detail: "Powering New Zealand from a Wellington wind farm". She writes: "When rain poured into our South Island hydro lakes last week, electricity …

Professor Tim Flannery (pictured) was one of three speakers on a Climate Council webinar tonight (May 13), facilitated by the Council's CEO, Amanda McKenzie. The webinar, which attracted hundreds of people, was entitled "After the Vote: What Australia's new parliament means for climate - and how we can make the most of it". The webinar discussed: W…

Chinese electric car companies are building vehicles that are both nimble and fast, and denting the sales of traditional manufacturers: " This luxury car can use ‘leap mode’ for potholes – but it’s not a Ferrari"; "‘Getting barer by the day’: drought conditions in SA and Victoria worsen, leaving rural communities in the dust"; "Govt mulled, then sc…

Rebecca Huntley (pictured) appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television program Q&A, questioning the viability and value of Australia's National Party. "Even as emissions level off, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is growing faster than ever. Here’s why"; "These 3 climate misinformation campaigns are operating during the electi…

Professor David Lindenmayer (pictured). from The Fenner School of Environment & Society at the Australian National University, was the guest on a May 1 webinar organised by the "Victorian Forest Alliance". Professor Lindenmayer discussed "Disturbance and flamability: how logging and burning makes forests more flammable". His understanding of Austra…

Watching someone communicate with no purpose and no plan is brutal. It’s like seeing a poor farmer scatter seed blindly into the wind. If this is how you show up, it’s going to take a toll. Many people communicate like this, with little or no plan with what they want to say. This is where ideas, attention and reputation all perish. The post Ep. 369…

Sue B. Inches (pictured) wants to build a better world, so she is doing what she can in that she has written a book about "Environmental Advocacy", she teaches on that topic, and also has been giving sermons about hope in challenging times, and beyond, that she advocates for people, corporations and governments at all levels to take action on the m…

Simon Molesworth (pictured far from the austerity of a courtroom, working on his far western New South Wales property) sees the exhibitions of old ("fun fares" as he describes them) as a means to bring an understanding of climate change to as many people as possible. The Melbourne-based barrister, who has long been involved with climate and environ…

A kitchen table discussion, during Victoria's 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, resulted in the design and construction of the first Frankenstein-like "Power-Droid" by former film and television stuntman, Purven Pather, aided by his business partner and wife, Jessica Gower. The arrival of the Power-Droid was followed by the creation of the company, Equoria, …

The City of Greater Shepparton followed the earlier lead of other municipalities, declaring a "climate emergency" in 2020, passing the motion on the casting vote of the then mayor, Cr Seema Adullah. Shepparton climate activists are concerned that the new council, elected last year and whose climate credentials are unknown, will move to see that 202…

Rob Bakes from Vote Climate One, which includes the Traffic Light Election Guide, says, "The only thing we've got left is one another; we can't rely on government." He also says, "When you look at the science, we are in real troubles, We're buggered". Rob, whose passion is as wide as it is deep, finds comfort in talking with Geelong's Mik Aidt, who…

Daniel Lancefield (pictured), who manages the "Victorian Clean Tech Cluster", worked in community organisations and not-for-profits for more than 15 years in sport and the arts before joining the Victorian Cleantech Cluster as Manager in 2022. Since then, Daniel has developed a deep passion and appreciation for all things clean and green, and has a…

Taking the nuclear conversation to the people: "Online Citizen Assembly"; "The Climate Council's Climate Risk Map of Australia"; "Weather tracker: north-west Italy braces for thunderstorms and snow"; "One brick higher"; "Victorian Liberal leader distances state party from Peter Dutton’s nuclear proposal: ‘Our focus is gas"; "Coalition scores just 1…

Great leaders are authentic and willing to share when they’ve struggled, been tested and have failed. Success is often the result of severe challenges, stupid mistakes and painful losses. By being able to open up and share these personal stories, leaders can connect with people more deeply than by barking orders and giving speeches. The post Ep. 36…

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 fo…

Dr Cathy OPke (pictured) was at TEDx Bendigo talking 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 Inte…

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 peopl…

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…

Many professionals aspire to be thought leaders, yet few have what it takes. If this is what you (or someone you might know) feel compelled to pursue, be warned that with this role comes responsibilities. Not only do you need to be experienced, knowledgeable and respected, but you also must be a clear communicator who has some humility and lots of …

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…

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 life fighting…

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 i…

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…

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 truc…

If you can’t sit still for a moment, it will be hard to extract the real value AI. As these mind-bending developments increasingly take root, we may be too busy to even take notice. The irony – harsh reality, actually – is that we absolutely must embrace quiet time to slow down, learn and embrace it so that we can advance. The post Ep. 366 – Workin…

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 wi…