Climate Conversations

Peter Fiekowsky (pictured) has played a critical role in developing The Foundation for Climate Restoration. At the recent finale of the Founders Series for 2024, he said, "It is an idea whose time has come."

Peter has agreed to be a guest on Climate Conversations, but as I confused the international time zones (Peter's in the U.S. and I'm in Australia) we failed to connect - my fault.

A decade ago Rob Dietz and Daniel O'Neill were so concerned about our prolific use of Earth's resources that they wrote the book: "Enough is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources"

"Delhi’s air turns deadly";

"Are we locked in a dangerous illusion?";

"Future Council: How Children are Responding to our Planetary Crises";

"AI’s hunger for electric power is threatening U.S. climate goals";

"The Safer Air Project";

"How a change in rice farming unexpectedly made India’s air so much worse":

"Great-grandma, teen student, doctor: Kayak activists arrested disrupting coal ships";

"State’s wind-power plans rocked as key hub quietly delayed by two years";

"Climate talks reach finance deal blasted as inadequate by developing nations";

"Turning Kazakhstan Into a Beef-Producing Machine, the American Way";

"Cop29 agrees $1.3tn climate finance deal but campaigners brand it a ‘betrayal’";

"‘Protect the climate for whom?’: Palestinians highlight Gaza at Cop29";

"Developing countries urged to reject ‘bad deal’ as Cop29 climate talks falter";

"World will be ‘unable to cope’ with volume of plastic waste in 10 years, warns expert";

"‘We live in a climate of fear’: graphic novelist’s Elon Musk book can’t find UK or US publisher";

"‘I find hope in sticking together and keeping each other warm’";

"From a US$300 billion climate finance deal to global carbon

"Green hydrogen could decarbonise entire industries in NZ – but there’s a long way to go";

"‘Divorce’ in songbirds: extreme weather pushes couples past breaking point";

"Humans are killing off the old and wise animals that hold nature together. Here’s what must change";

"As it happened: COP29 agrees historic climate finance goal";

"COP29: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Baku";

"COP29: Summit ends with $300bn a year climate finance deal for developing nations";

"Climate Talks End With a Bitter Fight and a Deal on Money";

"U.N. climate deal, $300 billion for poor nations, sparks backlash";

"Cop29 agrees $1.3tn climate finance deal but campaigners brand it a ‘betrayal’";

"Huge election year worldwide sees weakening commitment to act on climate crisis";

"How a Trump administration will impact the environment";

"The World Seeks an End to Plastic Pollution at Talks in South Korea";

"The Adaptation Game (TAG) wins National Resilience Award";

"This is climate breakdown This is Sybil’s story";

"Think the Cop29 climate summit doesn’t matter? Here are five things you should know";

"‘It’s really an honour’: people of oil-rich Azerbaijan welcome climate summit";

"Are we locked in a dangerous illusion?";

"‘Sewage’ is the secret ingredient in Singapore’s beer - a country with no natural water resources";

"Plagued by pollution and violence, is the COP30 host city ready to take over from Baku?";

"Climate Talks End With a Bitter Fight and a Deal on Money";

"Trump’s science-denying fanatics are bad enough. Yet even our climate ‘solutions’ are now the stuff of total delusion";

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A hybrid event featuring the GV Community Energy CEO, Geoff Lodge (pictured), attracted about 80 people, who heard about how to "Cool Down your Home, this Summer".

Geoff, who some would describe as the "full bottle" when it comes to home energy efficiency, talked about improving insulation ("installation trumps insulation"), maximising ventilation, and broadly capitalizing on energy efficiency.

The event, or at least the in-person aspect, happened at the Marungi St Shepparton Library on November 21 and was organised by the City of Greater Shepparton's Sustainability and Environment Team.

Hundreds of researchers and scientists have gathered in Hobart this week for what they're calling an "emergency" summit on Antarctica.

It comes as the federal government defends its level of funding for scientific research in the region but it's resisting calls to fund a second ice-breaker vessel to help carry it out - listen to Professor Matt King, the director of the Australian Research Council's Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science during an interview on the ABC Breakfast program - "'Emergency' Antarctica summit in Hobart amid funding uncertainty";

"Green Lab roundtables to confront urgent climate adaptation challenges" - Green Lab Director
A/Prof Anita Foerster (pictured);

"The maps that show the tree-free heat islands in your city";

"Opinion How to save the climate in a second Trump term";

"Richard Flanagan knocks back $100k literature prize over sponsor’s fossil fuel links";

"Climate summit host faces backlash over support for fossil fuels, crackdown on dissent";

"Trump Wants to Kill the E.V. Tax Credit. Here’s What to Know.";

"Episode 6: Phil Jones" - Micromobility Report;

"If You’re Sure How the Next Four Years Will Play Out, I Promise: You’re Wrong";

"12 big changes Trump could make to climate and environment policy";

"How Trump 2.0 might affect the wildfire crisis: ‘The harms will be more lasting’";

"Drought Status Update for the Northeast";

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Northeast Is Burning";

"Solar energy is powering public landscaping in Oak Park, Illinois";

"Cop29: ‘We’re here for life and death reasons,’ says ex-climate minister of Pakistan";

"Biden marks his climate legacy during Amazon visit, asserting 'nobody' can reverse it";

"Coalition against fossil fuel subsidies expands but misses initial targets";

"Why children like me have a right to be heard at the People’s Blockade of the Newcastle coal port";

"Record-setting bomb cyclone, intense as a hurricane, lashes Northwest";

"Construction is the world’s biggest carbon emitter, yet Labour still refuses to tackle it";

"EU zones in on $200B to $300B target for global climate fund";

"Could Russia be prosecuted for environmental war crimes?";

"New Calls for Reform Emerge as COP29 Negotiations Struggle";

"Planet-warming pollution is growing at the fastest rate in history, scientists say";

"Cop29 live: Slashing methane emissions is ‘our emergency brake’, UN says – as it happened";

"Hundreds of lobbyists for industrial farming attend Cop29 climate summit";

"The Guardian environment pledge 2024";

"At COP29, Climate ‘Optimism Has Been Dampened";

"Where Glaciers Melt, the Rivers Run Red";

"UN climate talks no longer fit for purpose, say experts";

"NZ footballer leads fight against Fifa’s fossil fuels";

"COP29: Small island states ‘feel abandoned’ as climate talks grind on";

"Spain's royals return to flood-hit region weeks after being pelted with mud";

"This seaside town will power thousands of homes with waves";

"We rated the urban forests of 8 global cities – only Singapore passed the 30% canopy test";

"Could keeping native species as pets save them from extinction? Here’s why it’s not that simple";

"The Quest to Build a Star on Earth";

The recent "Relax Festival" in Tatura organized by "Tatura Transition Towns" was highly successful, on a comparative basis.

More than 100 people came to the town's Stuart Mock Place to enjoy free music; a free barbecue cooked on induction hotplates powered by an electric car; learn about composting; watch a karate display; book in to either see a rather special garden and visit another home and learn about making biochar; join the GV Gamers Guild to enjoy play without electric power; talk with John Laing about the damage our way of living is causing to other life forms, learn about insects (watch them crawl up your arm) and hear about the valuable work of Landcare; hear from Hilary Grigg about how we should be dealing with our waste; and get som home energy tips and ideas from Terry Court of "Zero Carbon Tatrura".

The Melbourne-based "Bicycle Network" was represented, and the idea of using an electric bike was illustrated through the display of a privately owned electric trike and a folding electric bike from Shepparton's Leading Edge Cycles.

Climate Conversations also attended and talked with two 'ordinary" people - Dave Wischer (pictured) from Rushworth and Wynan Dollar from Tatura.

Dave is concerned about the impact of climate change and encouraged others to watch "Nature Bats Last" by Professor Guy McPherson.

Professor Dr Johan Rockström (pictured) from the Potsdam Univerity fears both environmental catastrophe and catastrophe reversal of human progress if we don't bend the curve away from fossil fuels.

"A Kennedy daughter offers a hand to Pacific nations threatened by climate change";

"Foodprint Melbourne: Building the Resilience of Melbourne’s Food System";

"Poorer nations need $1tn a year by 2030 in climate finance, top economists find";

"Argentina withdraws negotiators from Cop29 summit";

"‘Minimal progress’ made this year on curbing global heating, report finds";

"What Is Project 2025, and Why Did Trump Distance Himself From It During the Campaign?";

"‘Fossil Fuels Are Still Winning’: Global Emissions Head for a Record";

"Global Warming Made Helene More Menacing, Researchers Say";

"What are tariffs?";

"Proposal at UN climate talks to tax business-class flights, crypto and plastics";

"From Chile and Taiwan via Glasgow, youth call for climate justice";

"The all-male Cop29 committee is a big step backwards for climate";

"The Tug-of-War on This Climate Super Pollutant Has Big Implications for the Future";

"What the Earth’s Recent Heat Uptick Could Mean for the Climate Fight";

"Climate Advocacy Groups Say They’re Ready for Trump 2.0";

"Oil Industry Asks Trump to Repeal Major Climate Policies";

"Cop summits ‘no longer fit for purpose’, say leading climate policy experts";

"Climate Change Is Losing Its Grip on Our Politics";

"Albanese unlikely to announce new climate targets until after federal election";

"To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says";

"‘COP Fatigue’: Experts Warn That Size and Spectacle of Global Climate Summit Is Hindering Progress";

"As New York Congestion Pricing Turns a Corner, Experts Point to Lessons From London";

"Good To Go? Decarbonising Travel After the Pandemic";

"The case for COPs (even this one)";

"Did people have to fly to COP29? Private jet use soared, but one group got to Baku overland";

"Picture an all-seeing eye scanning the dying Earth – and then lighting on our ‘solutions’ at Cop29";

"At UN climate talks, nations big and small get chance to bear witness to climate change";

"COP29 climate finance in numbers: How much is needed and where is it coming from?";

"Katharine Hayhoe’s Post-Election Advice: Fight Fear, Embrace Hope and Work Together";

"In a Parched US, Human-Triggered Wildfires Are Poised to Thrive";

"Severe drought puts nearly half a million children at risk in Amazon – report";

"How will offshore wind fare under a second Trump term?";

"A new generation of cheaper batteries is sweeping the EV industry";

"Global Warming Made Helene More Menacing, Researchers Say";

"If our hot water heaters ran off daytime solar, we would slash emissions and soak up cheap energy".

Berry takes us on a journey into the mind of Doug Abrams on this recent episode of "Wisdom and Action".

"‘Summer of grass fires’: Authorities warn of increased fire risk";

"On the Benefits of Changing One's Mind in Public":

"Biden races to Trump-proof his climate legacy";

"Where the trees once stood";

"Despite Likely Setback for Climate Action With This Year’s Election, New Climate Champions Set to Enter Congress";

"How to Think About Climate and Environmental Policies During a Second Trump Administration";

"Reckoning With Climate Anxiety in the Wake of the US Election";

"Will Trump’s Re-Election Threaten Global Climate Progress Ahead of COP29 Talks?";

"ClimateActNow";

"Scientists are wary and uncertain as Trump returns to power";

"A Movement of Many";

"Cop29 could change the financial climate for the world’s wealthy polluters";

"Global boiling, mass flooding and Trump: 10 big talking points for Cop29";

"We can prepare for hurricanes, heatwaves and flooding – but only if we are bold at Cop29";

"The Australians who sounded the climate alarm 55 years ago: ‘I’m surprised others didn’t take it as seriously’";

"In the Eye of the Storm: TV Meteorologists Talk Climate".

"Americans elect a climate change denier (again)";

"What Is COP29? Here’s What to Know About Global Climate Talks Next Week.";

"A Donald Trump presidency is bad for climate action, but Australia should get on with the job";

"U.S. Election Sends Alarming Message for Global Climate Efforts";

"What Trump’s Victory Says About America";

"This year ‘virtually certain’ to be hottest on record, finds EU space programme";

"A second US exit could ‘cripple’ the Paris climate agreement, warns UN chief";

"Typhoon Yinxing Hits Philippines as a Powerful Storm";

"Donald Trump can’t stop global climate action. If we stick together, it’s the US that will lose out";

"A warming planet will not stop energy hardship – excess heat will drive energy demand";

"Use your imagination and stop playing too safe";

"What Is COP29? Here’s What to Know About Global Climate Talks Next Week.";

"Climate Change Is Making Disasters Deadlier. Here’s How Much.";

"2024 Temperatures Are on Track for a Record High, Researchers Find";

"The U.N.’s Verdict on Climate Progress Over the Past Year: There Was None";

"How our regions can help make Australia’s growing cities more sustainable";

"Natural Disaster Destroyed Part of València. Populism May Take Us All the Way Down.";

"The World Isn’t Spending Nearly Enough to Adapt to Climate Shocks, U.N. Says";

"The extreme floods which devastated Spain are hitting more often. Is Australia ready for the next one?";

"America Makes a Perilous Choice";

"Leaders from key countries to skip COP29 climate summit";

"Climate Action Isn’t About “Saving the Planet”";

"Hours after Trump win, Biden moves to limit oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge'';

"What Trump’s victory could mean for oil companies and climate change policy";

"Current climate pledges by nations ‘miles short’ of 2030 goal, UN body says";

''Tesla shares leap as Trump win sets stage for Musk's EV business";

"Trump victory casts shadow over upcoming COP global climate talks";

"Climate Change Has Dangerously Supercharged

"The Environmental Dark Side of Live Music";

"How Trump’s second term could derail the clean energy transition";

"Make no mistake: Donald Trump is a demagogue";

"With Trump back in the White House The impact will be felt in many aspects of American life and across the world With Trump returning to the presidency, this is
what's at stake";

"Warren Washington, Groundbreaking Climate Scientist, Dies at 88";

"'Nuclear will drive up the cost of electricity': Matt Kean clashes with former colleagues – video";

"An oil supply crisis will trigger a sovereignty crisis for NZ";

"‘Unprecedented’ stress in up to half of the Amazon may lead to tipping point by 2050":

"‘We don’t know where the tipping point is’: climate expert on potential collapse of Atlantic circulation";

"‘Cold dro

One of Australia’s preeminent philosophers, Raimond Gaita (pictured), a conversation enthusiast, delivered the second annual oration following the annual general meeting of the Melbourne-based "Climate at the Crossroads".

The Importance of Conversation in the very Idea of our Common Humanity".

He is a Honorary Professorial Fellow, at the Melbourne Law School and Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy,  King's College London.

Promotional material for the lecture said Mr Gaita has long been a beacon of moral clarity in a world increasingly defined by division and despair.

Conversation is where everything begins and the answers to the present climate crisis can be found in simply talking with each other.

And so, although Mr Gaita did not directly address climate issues, he did help the audience of about 100 better understand the importance of conversation.

The State of the Climate 2024 - good and bad news, but mostly bad.

"State of the Climate 2024: Australia is enduring harsher fire seasons, more ocean heatwaves and sea-level rise";

"Screams from retirement home in Spanish town where dozens died in flooding";

"Spain floods disaster: death toll rises to 205 as extra troops mobilised";

"Spain’s floods have killed more than 200. Why have they been so deadly?";

"The planet is ‘on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster,’ scientists warn";

"What Project 2025 would do to climate policy in the US";

"Beyond Growth: A Journey through the Landscape of Sustainable Economics";

"Shrink the Economy, Save the World?";

"Earth’s climate will keep changing long after humanity hits net-zero emissions. Our research shows why";

"Heat contributed to 47,000 deaths in Europe during summer 2023, study finds";

"Five smart policies can turbocharge clean US manufacturing";

"‘More toxic than ever’: Lahore and Delhi choked by smog as ‘pollution season’ begins";

"Finland exports snow-saving mats to ski resorts hit by climate crisis";

"12 books to read about climate action ahead of the election";

"Fast action on methane to keep a 1.5°C future within reach";

"US election: Greens fear the EU may have to keep global climate action alive";

"Biodiversity finance grew ahead of COP16 but came mostly as loans, says OECD";

"NSW police take legal action to prevent climate activists blockading Port of Newcastle";

"At COP16, countries clash over future of global fund for nature protection ";

"‘Crippling’ loss of millions of dollars in solar rebates under investigation";

"‘Bad River,’ About a Tribe’s David vs. Goliath Pipeline Fight, Highlights the Power of Long-Term Thinking";

"Fossil fuel transition pledge left out of COP16 draft agreement";

"On Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn, How Environmental Activism Plays Out in the Neighborhood";

"Businesses may be investing more in climate adaptation than we think".