Climate Conversations

Tijana Jovanovic from Queensland's School of Social Impact interviews freelance journalist and author, Bridget Shirvell, about her book "Parenting in a Climate Crisis: A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action". Shirvell, an Environmental journalist and parent, has created a handbook for parents to help them navigate these questions and more, weaving together expert advice from climate scientists, environmental activists, child psychologists, and parents across the country. She helps parents answer tough questions (how did we get here?) and raise kids who feel connected to and responsible for the natural world, feel motivated to make ecologically sound choices, and feel empowered to meet the challenges of the climate crisis—and to ultimately fight for change.Learn more abourt Bridget from her website: "Bridget Shirvell".

The Shepparton News has one view about how to best care for the Goulburn River (pictured) - "Government actions wreak havoc" - and the Goulburn Valley Environment Group has another - "Environment group critiques News"."Interstate refugees: Why more Aussies are moving south";"Trump threatens world-leading forecasting and climate research centre";"Australia’s roads are full of giant cars, and everyone pays the price. What can be done?";"The secret to a cooler home could already be sitting in your living room";"Our podcast: Trust, politics and AI. What people think about climate news";"Obama Supported It. The Left in Canada and Norway Does. Why Don’t Democrats?";"How Did a City of 10 Million People Nearly Run Out of Water?";"The Earth Transformed: An Untold History".

Simultaneous storms devastate Asia (picture): "Death toll surpasses 1200 after simultaneous storms devastate Asia";"In 1939, a Royal Commission found burning forests leads to more bushfires. But this cycle of destruction can be stopped";"The Cost of Climate""The surprising technology that could be key to saving the Great Barrier Reef";"Environment Bill passes Senate as Greens cut deal with Labor";"Are UN climate summits a waste of time? No, but they are in dire need of reform";"Reflections from COP30";"Climate “Realism” Is the New Climate Denial";"Solutions for Climate Australia is a national initiative calling on all federal political parties to slash climate pollution this decade";"56 million years ago, the Earth suddenly heated up – and many plants stopped working properly";" A/Prof Hans Baerm Honorary School of Social and Political Sciences".

Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, signed a sweeping agreement on Thursday laying the groundwork for a new oil pipeline to expand Alberta’s oil sands, exempting the province’s energy industry from several environmental laws.Carney is pictured here with Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith."Canada Lifts Climate Laws for Alberta Oil Sands, Planning Pipeline";"More than 1,000 Amazon workers warn rapid AI rollout threatens jobs and climate";"Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown";"Michael Mann To Bill Gates: What World Are You Living In?";"The Supreme Court’s Ethics Code Is a Joke. Big Oil Knows That. ";"Renewable energy zone win";"Preparing for a hotter, drier basin";"Funding for sustainable water solutions";"Water planning over morning tea".

Geelong's Mik Aidt (pictured) has found a new connection through the Geelong Connection Cafe that meets for the first time this Friday at 3:00 pm.Mik, who has been deeply involved with climate activities in the city for about 15 years, mainly through "The Sustainable Hour", has worked with others from the city's former Climate Cafe to create this new body to reinvigorate connections in the southern Victorian city.Directly from the Geelong Connection Cafe website page, we hear:"At our September gathering, a small group of locals in Geelong made an important decision: our long-running Climate Café will now be known as the Geelong Connection Café.Why the change? Because words matter. While climate is central to our concerns, the word often carries a weight of crisis and disagreements. We wanted a name that points to what helps us move forward: togetherness, resilience, and the energy of being connected.Mel, who suggested the word, summed it up beautifully:“I think ‘connection’ is a good word because we have a global loneliness problem at the same time as having a climate crisis, and I think the thing that will move us through the climate crisis and make us more resilient is connection – the only thing that will actually get us through. If we are prepared to connect before that happens, then it means that we’re more likely to do better in the future. It also puts a more positive tint on things, because climate can feel a bit doom and gloom, but everyone wants connection – it’s intrinsic to us.”Anthony added that the word opens up many directions at once:“There are so many things we can connect with – connect with each other, talk about what’s important in life, connect with nature, connect with other people. That same connection can apply to all of those things. And that’s actually what’s missing in society as a whole.”For Adam, co-founder of the Geelong Climate Café, the new name also ties back to the history of The House, where our monthly café is hosted:“For the founding members of The House, it was actually that lack of community that drove us to put together The House. So it definitely fits with the theme of this place as well.”The move also reflects a broader shift. Around the world, people are experimenting with new language for community gatherings on climate and sustainability. Joseph Gelfer, who talks about replacing “climate” with concepts rooted in service to life, points out that words shape our expectations and our energy. By naming our café around connection, we are choosing to emphasise possibility, relationship, and resilience, rather than crisis alone.What to expect at the Connection CaféThe Geelong Connection Café will continue to meet monthly at The House. It will remain an open, informal space for:• Conversations about how we live well in times of change• Sharing personal experiences and practical ideas• Building supportive networks in Geelong and beyond• Exploring ways to strengthen community resilience and connectionMost of all, it will be a place to practise what the name promises: connection.

Richard Denniss (pictured) was one of a trio of speakers at an event at Melbourne's Royal Society of Victoria to consider: "What is Australia Risking? Future Impacts of Climate Change".The event was convened by Climate Communications Australia and hosted by The Royal Society of Victoria, and offered a unique chance to discuss the report with Risk Assessment experts. The event focused on how climate change would affect Australia, and the scenarios for the 'cascading, compounding and concurrent disasters' that are emerging across the country. The social and developmental implications of these impacts for future generations were discussed, along with what policies were needed to adapt to and mitigate the risks.The speakers were:Dr Andrew Watkins is a climate scientist in the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University. He was previously at the Australian Climate Service, where he was a Lead Author of the National Climate Risk Assessment. For more than 10 years, he was the Head of Climate Prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology. Andrew is a Research Fellow at Climate Communications Australia. Dr Richard Denniss is the Executive Director of The Australia Institute and is a prominent Australian economist, author and public policy commentator, and has spent the last twenty years moving between policy-focused roles in academia, federal politics and think-tanks.He was also a Lecturer in Economics at the University of Newcastle and former Associate Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU. He is a regular contributor to The Monthly and the author of several books,a including Econobabble, Curing Affluenza and Dead Right: How Neoliberalism Ate Itself and What Comes Next? Professor Lucas Walsh is the director of the Monash Centre for Youth Policy & Education Practice (CYPEP) within the Faculty of Education at Monash University and was a member of the National Climate Risk Assessment Expert Advisory Committee.

Chris Bowen (pictured) is Australia's Climate Change and Energy Minister, who says it is the toughest job he has ever had.Mr Bowen, also the Federal Member for McMahon, was a guest on a recent webinar organised by Australia's Climate Council.He was interviewed by the CEO of the Climate Council, Amanda McKenzie.And from The Melbourne Age we have the story: "COP out? Prospect of climate summit spanning Australia and Turkey raises carbon emissions question".

Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese (pictured), was among the guests interviewed during the "Climate Forward Conference" organised by The New York Times.Also among those interviewed was Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, the boss of Fortescue.The New York Times hosted the Climate Forward Conference on Sept. 24, bringing together political leaders, activists, policymakers and business executives.Andrew Forrest, the executive chairman of Fortescue and one of the richest people on the planet, has a bold, perhaps unlikely vision to shift his gigantic mining company to net zero emissions by 2030. Mr Forrest pushed back against Mr Trump’s claims that climate change is a “con job” and challenged Mr Trump to “come and see what’s happening to my land.”Prime Minister Albanese discussed Australia's challenge in reducing emissions. Australia remains reliant on fossil fuels, including coal, which generates nearly half of its electricity. But Albanese has been outspoken in calling for Australia to be a global leader in lowering emissions and embracing renewables.

Professor David Karoly (pictured) was among those critical of Australia's position on carbon emissions: "Climate scientists target Albanese as Turkey holds out on COP talks";"Call for more urgent climate action";"Drought resilience project focuses on orchards";"Water impacted in climate report";"On a progressive journey to their carbon-neutral future";"'Russian blood oil': Australia faces calls to ban oil products refined from Russian crude";"Exxon Urges Europe to Repeal Rules to Make Companies Track Climate Pollution".

Australian mining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest sharply criticised US President Donald Trump’s “gobsmackingly illogical” energy policies and accused him of kowtowing to oil and gas donors as he arrived in New York for a major United Nations summit - "‘Gobsmackingly illogical’: Twiggy lashes Trump on climate as Aussies hit New York";"Charlie Kirk and America’s political collapse";"Climate Minister Chris Bowen stops short of setting targets for renewables, EVs";"Matt Kean on Australia’s future in a climate crisis – Australian Politics podcast";"Coalition denial makes Labor seem reasonable on climate – but neither is ambitious enough".

Australia has set a goal to cut emissions by between 62 per cent and 70 per cent by 2035 from 2005 levels, as the Albanese government continues its strategy of modestly ambitious climate action over the next decade.The 2035 target is an upgrade to the plan to cut greenhouse gases 43 per cent by 2030 and represents a major challenge to the government and the economy, given emissions have fallen 28 per cent in the two decades since 2005 and must fall a further 15 per cent in the next five years."Australia announces 2035 climate target of 62-70% emissions cut";"Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tony Wood on ‘politics trumping climate policy’ and the hard road ahead";"Heat waves aren’t just natural disasters. Study finds hidden fingerprints on our hottest days.";"Climate change triggering global collapse in insect numbers: stressed farmland shows 63% decline – new research";"How climate change is making Europe’s fish move to new waters";"Why snow days are becoming increasingly rare in the UK";"Smoke from Canada's 2023 wildfires linked to more than 80,000 early deaths worldwide, study warns";"Europe faces billions in economic losses from summer heatwaves, droughts and floods, study warns";"Government set to announce Australia's 2035 emissions reduction target";"Labor’s 2035 emissions target a ‘sliding doors’ moment for future generations";"Heat, air quality, insurance costs: how climate change is affecting our homes – and our health". (Michelle Grattan pictured)

Australia's news services were alive today with stories about the country's first Climate Risk Assessment Report."Catastrophic forecast pushes case for Australia to spend big and cut hard on emissions";"Climate Risk Assessment's 'high risk' warning for 1 million Australian homes";"Queensland among most at-risk from sea level rises by 2050";"‘Alarmist’ or ‘terrifying’? New climate report divides parliament";"‘Like a Mad Max movie’: How hot it will really get in ‘unliveable Australia’";"Horrifying report paints grim picture of Australia’s future".