After a year long public campaign, the Future Fund has today announced plans to end its $222 million investment in tobacco. The decision follows much debate about whether the Future Fund should engage…
Locally, tipping points are real, but it’s unlikely the whole globe will go at once.
Truthout.org
In a paper published today in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Barry Brook and colleagues argue against the idea of an ecological global-scale “tipping point”. Here, Professor Brook outlines the paper’s…
“The UN’s climate change chief, Rajendra Pachauri, has acknowledged a 17-year pause in global temperature rises, confirmed recently by Britain’s Met Office, but said it would need to last ‘30 to 40 years…
Researchers say labour capacity is being reduced during hot months as a result of climate change.
AAP/Kimimasa Mayama
Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation and Charis Palmer, The Conversation
Increases in humidity caused as a result of climate change are reducing labour productivity and it’s only likely to get worse over time, argue researchers from America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric…
We have to get used to the idea that climate change doesn’t happen in a smooth line.
thinboyfatter/flickr
Dr Rajendra Pachauri, head of the IPCC, has reportedly acknowledged to Graham Lloyd of The Australian, that there is a “17-year pause in global temperature rises”, a fact that apparently has been suppressed…
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act - George Orwell In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the term “Newspeak” conveys changes not only to the language but to the nature…
In his Inauguration address on 21 January, Obama placed tackling climate change high on the agenda for his second term. His definitive statement that “we will respond to the threat of climate change” signalled…
Wild koala in the Western Downs region of Qld exhibiting abnormal behaviour due to drought conditions.
P. Murphy, December 2009
If we need an indicator that climate change is upon us, we need look no further than Australia’s koala. The koala family (Phascolarctidae) has existed in Australia for tens of millions of years, yet in…
Rainfall extremes are increasing around the world, and the increase is linked to the warming of the atmosphere which has taken place since pre-industrial times. This is the conclusion of a recent study…
Pi finds a strange and beautiful island where life can’t survive.
wildfox76/Flickr
The recently released film Life of Pi directed by Ang Lee and based on Yann Martel’s novel of the same name, is a fable for our climate change times. Much of the plot involves the struggles of a teenage…
Our impact on the earth has brought on a new geographical epoch – The Age of Humans.
AAP/Damien Shaw
In response to the heatwave that set a new Australia-wide record on 7 January, when the national average maximum reached 40.33°C, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a statement that, on reflection, sounds…
While Obama may have given little up-front attention to climate change, he’s assembled a top-notch team behind the scenes.
EPA/Mark Wilson
President Obama’s inauguration speech this week presented a source of real hope for all those concerned about global climate change. With eight sentences, he devoted more of his address to this “wicked…
As natural disasters happen more often, rising insurance premiums will force the private sector to take action on climate change.
AAP
Hurricane Sandy may or may not be a direct result of climate change, but what is certain is that the incidence of extreme climate events is increasing. Such events are predicted by climate models, according…
Black carbon is nearly three times more important in climate change than previously thought, research led by the University…
From hot property to unwanted waste: it’s time to rethink the way we design, produce and reuse new products.
Obsolete computer image from www.shutterstock.com
Many of us get frustrated with the slow pace of international action on climate change. But powerless as we feel, we can still make a difference by rethinking the way we design our lives. Design is rarely…
On the international stage, China is reluctant to cut emissions. Back home, its new emissions trading scheme will be the world’s second largest.
Flickr/peregrinari
In the United Nation’s annual climate change conference held in Doha last December, delegates from 194 countries came together at the last minute to extend the Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol is a legally…