Climate calling

While 2023 was the hottest year on record for the planet, for Australia, it was a year of all extremes. Australia experienced its warmest winter ever, with a contrast of summer weather patterns seen across the country. In its latest report, the Climate Council is calling it a "climate whiplash".

Australians consume 3.8 million tonnes of plastic every year, causing serious harm to wildlife, marine ecosystems and human life. New research from the Australia Institute suggests that taxing plastic packaging could raise around $1.5 billion a year, which some believe might help reduce consumption.

The declaration of an El Nino weather system last Spring prompted warnings of a summer of heatwaves and widespread bushfires. Instead, residents and emergency services in Australia's east have contended with unprecedented rainfall and dramatic floods. It's left many wondering what happened, and what weather is in store for Australia the rest of the season.

Extreme floods have been leaving people homeless and resulting in casualties across Australia. Experts say this could be the result of failures to adapt flood planning to environmental changes.

Some Victorian communities remain under threat from floodwaters with more homes expected to be inundated. As clean up efforts begin in some regional towns, the flood threat remains active at Murchison and Shepparton, and Echuca.

From bluebottles, to octopi, and jellyfish of all shapes and sizes, there are many creatures in Australia's coastal waters that cause stings or - in a few rare cases - death, for those unlucky enough to encounter them. Australia is in the midst of marine stinger season, with a spate of Irukandji jellyfish stings reported near Cairns, sightings of the Blue-ringed octopus in Sydney and Perth, and bluebottles turning up in an unusual location. Jellyfish experts say more needs be done to raise awareness of the dangers and manage the risk of stingers.

Earth last year shattered annual heat records, flirted with the world’s agreed-upon warming threshold and showed more signs of a feverish planet. The European climate agency Copernicus says the world in 2023 was 1.48 Celsius above pre-industrial times - the hottest year in history. And global warming has serious implications for Australia.

The Queensland government says the recovery from natural disasters in the state's far north and southeast will cost more than two billion dollars. Premier Steven Miles has announced a multi-million-dollar relief package in the meantime he hopes will bring tourists back to some affected areas, and ease the pain of economic losses.

A massive cleanup is underway in south-east Queensland after a series of storms lashed the region. Rain has finally eased allowing the recovery effort to begin in earnest, with about 50 Australian Defence Force personnel to arrive on Thursday. But the rest of eastern Australia has not escaped the wild weather unscathed.

We often hear about society's high achievers, but there are others in our community working as role models of change. Kurt Jones is the founder of Coexist. What started as a high school assignment has now morphed into an environmental charity with 200 volunteers.