Climate Conversations

Common Dreams says: "We Must Fight Fossil Fuel Oligarchs to Save Democracy";"Energy security is now inseparable from national security. Australia has options, but they’re being neglected";"Critically Endangered listing of Lower Murray River ecosystem and Macquarie Marshes is a wake up call";"Overheated cows, flooded highways, and now a fuel crisis: why Australia’s food system is in big trouble";"An ‘ordinary’ storm with extraordinary impacts: what made Wellington’s deluge so intense?";"El Niño is set to take hold this summer, driving up global temperatures";"WaterNSW criticised for ‘appalling’ decision after hundreds of turtles left to die in wetlands".

It was the co-Chief Executive Officer of The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss, who told those at a Royal Society of Victoria gathering late last year that recovery would preoccupy Australians as the world's climate system continued to worsen."Bessent Questions the Cause of Climate Change and Its Economic Toll";"‘A Sign of What’s to Come’: Super Typhoon Sinlaku Slams Into Remote US Islands in Pacific";"‘Time for Half Measures Is Over’: Study Warns of Terrifying Atlantic Ocean Current Collapse";"The 'crop' we're not harvesting: Why Australia's brightest source is still underused";"Carbon Removal Industry Reels as Microsoft Retreats";"Climate change media coverage fell 14% in 2025";"Live from SEJ: The State of Climate Journalism";"Climate Change Denial Sees a Resurgence in Trump’s Washington";"Some states will go from record heat to a freeze — thanks to Alaska".

John Brinnard lives in a wonderful place just west of Yandina on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, in a lush piece of forest you could never imagine burning, but after a long, dry spell, that's exactly what happened - bushfire!Was that attributable to climate change? John, in his quiet and considered manner, didn't jump to that conclusion, but he had never seen the bush near his home so dry before or after.John is big on people giving themselves agency through involvement with others concerned about climate issues, and so he has supported "Rising Tide" playing an active role in the group's protests at the Port of Newcastle.He is also involved with the "Urgent Climate Action Network Sunshine Coast ".

Professor Ian Lowe lives in the small coastal town of Marcoola on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, a place he and his late partner moved to in retirement.However, as he points out, once a scientist, always a scientist, and so he continues to devour scientific journals, engage in webinars and travel to conferences covering topics that embrace his interests.The Professor has written many books and has been involved in ensuring others get published.Ian has been a regular at the Woodford Folk Festival and recently was a guest on the day four edition of the podcast, "First Wine of the Day".Although he spent some of his career in England, most of Ian's time was spent at Queensland's Griffith University.

Peter Simek leads EarthX, one of the world’s largest convenings of environmental and sustainability leaders, bringing together policymakers, investors, scientists, innovators, and advocates to accelerate pragmatic, market-driven solutions. Recently, EarthX announced programming and additional speakers for "Earthx2026", a three-day Congress of Conferences taking place in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole on April 20–22, 2026. Under Peter's leadership, EarthX has evolved into a global platform focused on finding common ground and advancing scalable environmental progress.One of the speakers at "EarthX 2025" was Peter Fiekowsky from the "Foundation for Climate Restoration"'"Saudi Arabia could be seven days away from chaos if Iran’s water war hits home";"Sweden’s ‘old‑growth’ natural forests store 83% more carbon than managed woodlands – new study";"US interest in electric vehicles surges as gas prices jump amid Iran war";"Making Coal, Oil and Gas Corporations in Australia Pay Their Fair Share for the Costs of Climate Change";"Gas giants warn against windfall gains tax as Pocock says ‘wartime profits’ should go to struggling Australians";"Russian tanker drifts into Libyan waters amid environmental warnings";"‘Just as Big Oil Predicted’: Fossil Fuel Industry Under Fire as Record Heat Broils Western States";"'Do not get more powerful than this': Cyclone Narelle set to slam far north Queensland";"Cyclone Narelle: ‘compact’, dangerous and unusually predictable";"‘Disaster inertia’: why must NZ keep relearning the same lessons from extreme events?".

Capitalism is, for many, the root of the problem regarding climate change, and some see the solution in degrowth, and others in what's known as "green growth".The Columbia Climate School tackled this issue through its webinar "Perspectives Dialogue, “Degrowth vs. green growth: can capitalism solve climate change?”Those hopeful of gaining an Australian perspective on this issue, at least from the degrowth angle, will have the chance on Sunday, March 22, to join the Degrowth Festival at Curtain Square in Carlton, not far from Melbourne's CBD.Also, those eager to learn more about what's happening in Sunday should listen to the Climate Conversations with Tonié, one of the organisers.

Darwin's successor, the late Edward O. Wilson, clearly understood humanity and the dilemmas it facedwhen he said it has "Palaeolithic emotions, medieval Institutions and God-like technology".Read the story about the late professora nd hear the interview in a story from The New York Times: "E.O. Wilson, a Pioneer of Evolutionary Biology, Dies at 92";"Deny, delay, downplay: How governments hide climate change intelligence";"Bundaberg residents told to evacuate as floods trigger memories of 2010 disaster";"Israeli Strikes on Fuel Depots Send Black Clouds Over Iranian Capital";"The Iran war has triggered a fuel price rise. What does this mean for Australian consumers?";"The Interview: Rebecca Solnit Says the Left’s Next Hero Is Already Here";"“A tidal wave of hostile messaging:” The billions spent each year by fossil fuel industry demonising renewables";"War With Iran Is Turning the Energy Affordability Crisis Into a Calamity";"‘Labor can’t have it both ways’: How the EV industry will fight any plan to wind back tax breaks";"Sea Levels Are Already Higher Than Many Scientists Think, New Study Shows".

The war in Iran, initiated by the U.S. and Israel, may have trapped some twenty per cent of the world's fossil fuels, but sunshine is still free to shine anywhere in the world.This webinar, organised by "Covering Climate Now", was a press briefing considering "The Iran War and the Climate Emergency".Two websites mentioned by speakers that would help reporters covering the Iran conflict were "Forensic Architecture" and the "Conflict Observatory".

Professor David Lindenmayer from the Fenner School of Environment & Society at the Australian National University is critical of many issues impacting Australia's forest industry, arguing he has worn out many pairs of shoes trekking to Federal Parliament to plead the case for the nation's forests.His frustration with the country's politicians, other decision-makers, and industry lobbyists, who all handled the scientific truth about our forests rather loosely, led him to write "The Forest Wars".More than four decades of working with his team in Australia's forests, particularly in Victoria, have seen Professor Lindenmayer emerge as Australia's Pre-eminent authority on the present health of our forests and well-positioned to comment on what should happen next.

Dancing will be just one of many activities at the Victorian Degrowth Festival 2026, being held at Carlton's Curtain Square on Sunday, March 22.Degrowth is an idea whose time has come as nearly 40 stalls, workshops and displays, along with music and dancing, will bring the City of Yarra event to life. One of the organisers, Tonié has urged people to register their intent to attend as it's important to have a clear idea of how many people will be at Curtain Square, and people can note their planned attendance at Humanitix.More information about Degrowth can be found at Degrowth Network Australia.