Climate Conversations Robert McLean

Executive Secretary at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Steel (pictured during Q&A at London's Chatham House), has declared we have "Two years to save the world".

As a bonus, you can follow this link and go to "Outrage and Optimism" to hear an interview with Simon Steill and then listen as hosts, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson, take a deep dive into what Simon Steill said.

On climate, the world has gone from denial to procrastination.
Climate inaction is no longer defended by denying the science, but because action is claimed to be ‘too costly’
or unachievable.

Yet, the time to shape a liveable future is running out, with the decisions taken over the coming two years determining how close to limiting global warming to 1.5°C we will get by the end of the century.

With more than 60 countries going to the polls this year,
and nearly 90 per cent of the population in 125 countries want stronger climate action, every election is a climate change election. 

We must now see climate action as a tool to create better, more equitable and cleaner societies, with solid economies built around plentiful,
renewable energy.


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"Investor heavyweights failing to boot directors on climate commitments";

Samantha Helps is full of praise for Violet Coco (pictured) in her piece on Pearls and Irritations: "XR blocking arteries of capitalism labelled “catastrophic inconvenience”";

"Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action" - Dana R. Fisher;

"The EV revolution has stalled. Can these nifty bikes kick it back into gear?";

"Unprecedented spread of coral bleaching along Great Barrier Reef";

"After years of promises on climate change, oil giants are backtracking";

"Climate for Change";

"Plibersek scales back environment reforms as coral bleaching goes global";

"Fossil fuel’s war on protest";

"Jonathan Vigliotti: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America";

"Environmental impacts of underground nuclear weapons testing";

"Callaway Climate Insights founder David Callaway joins the Bulletin’s Governing Board";

"Is hydropower aging out of the clean energy race?";

"California derailed its booming rooftop solar buildout. Can it be fixed?";

"Climate Deniers in the 117th Congress";

"New House Speaker Champions Fossil Fuels and Dismisses Climate Concerns";

"Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles";

"Brown University Study Documents Links Between National & Local Offshore Wind Opponents";

"Wafer-thin, stretchy and strong as steel: could ‘miracle’ material graphene finally transform our world?";

"Russia and Kazakhstan evacuate tens of thousands amid worst floods in decades";

"Climate change driving demand for predatory loans, research shows";

"Strasbourg court’s Swiss climate ruling could have global impact, say experts";

"India Forecasts Searing Heat Ahead of World’s Biggest Election":

"UK Climate Minister Stands Down Ahead of General Election";

"Lightning and heavy rain kill dozens in Pakistan and Afghanistan in three days";

"Global heating pushes coral reefs towards worst planet-wide mass bleaching on record";

"As the Federal Government Proposes a Plan to Cull Barred Owls in the West, the Debate Around ‘Invasive’ Species Heats Up";

"Climate change is causing marine ‘coldwaves’ too, killing wildlife";

"As Climate Change Intensifies Wildfire Risk, Prescribed Burns Prove Their Worth in the Heat-Stressed Plains of the Texas Panhandle";

"A Highway in Indiana Could One Day Charge Your EV While You’re Driving It";

"Air pollution boosts Alzheimer’s disease risk";

"Air NZ calls for Govt mandates to help drive sustainable aviation fuel use";

"Corals are bleaching in every corner of the ocean, threatening its web of life";

"There’s no such thing as a benign beef farm – so beware the ‘eco-friendly’ new film straight out of a storybook";

"Sewage pollution could jeopardise Olympic swimming events in the River Seine, NGO warns";

"‘Grownup’ leaders are pushing us towards catastrophe, says former US climate chief";

"World in grip of new major coral bleaching event, reefs at risk";

"Switching to Plant-Based Diets Could Save More Than 200,000 Lives per Year, Study Finds";

"The big dry: forests and shrublands are dying in parched Western Australia";

"A Philosopher’s Guide to an Ethical Diet: A Conversation With Peter Singer";

"Africa’s Great Apes Are Already Feeling the Effects of Climate Change, First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds";

"Great Barrier Reef Suffering Record Coral Bleaching With Damage 59 Feet Below the Surface";

"Green economy summit: how can Australia get more from its relationship with Vietnam?':

"Trillions of tonnes of carbon locked in soil has been left out of environmental models – and it’s on the move";

"Greece to Invest $830 Million for Marine Conservation";

"Tonnes and tonnes of old solar panels with nowhere to go";

"Victorian households have the highest gas usage in the country — will they turn it around?";

"Faster-melting snow causes major flooding in Russia and Kazakhstan";

"BOM's first winter forecast f

Just 40 minutes, along with a fair bit of research, with Gabrielle Bond (pictured), the woman behind the Modern Money Lab at Adelaides Torrens University, changed, no, exploded my views about economic ideas, particularly those of Federal Government deficits.

Gabrielle is an enthusiast of the Modern Money Theory (MMT) and an ardent supporter of her contemporary from the university, Assistant Professor Steven Hail, who explained MMT through an article in The Conversation, entitled, "Explainer: what is modern monetary theory?".

In that article, he discussed one of MMT's pioneers, Professor Bill Mitchell, who has long explored the workings and application of the Modern Monetary Theory.

Of course, the real modern hero of MMT is U.S. economist, Stephanie Kelton, who can be seen in this TEDx talk "The big myth of government deficits" and again in this "Stony Brook University Presidential Lecture Series".

My journey to interview Gabrielle began when I listened to Professor Kelton in Melbourne, where she talked about many things, including the movie "Finding the Money".

It was in 2021 that reporter Gareth Hutchins wrote a story for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) entitled: "Modern Monetary Theory: How MMT is challenging the economic establishment".


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The Climate Council CEO, Amanda McKenzie (pictured) talks about "Seizing the Decade";

"Consumer Energy Summit";

"Verdict saying Switzerland violated rights by failing on climate action could ripple across Europe";

"Does "Every Little Thing" REALLY Stop Climate Change?";

"‘Historic’ European Court of Human Rights ruling backs Swiss women in climate change case";

"Solar canopy over Denver school parking lot will provide energy to low-income families";

"Climate complacency: study finds even the most informed people would rather take the easy option"

"Fashion's climate impact and how to reduce it";

"The Permian Basin Climate Bomb Series";

"How to prepare your finances for an extreme weather disaster";

"The Rising Tide";

"The Peoples' Blockade";

"Intensifying Cycle of Extreme Heat And Drought Grips Europe";

"Network of ‘ghost roads’ paves the way for levelling Asia-Pacific rainforests";

"How climate change could reverse progress in global inequality";

"How Nigeria is reeling from extreme heat fuelled by climate change";

"Ocean Heat Has Shattered Records for More Than a Year. What’s Happening?";

"This is an emergency - climate silence is climate denial. #EndClimateSilence now";

"The Olympics are usually a sustainability disaster. Can Paris be different?";

"Australia could reach an ‘ambitious’ emissions cut of up to 75% by 2035, advisers tell Labor";

"Australia is playing catch-up with the Future Made in Australia Act. Will it be enough?";

"Nexamp nabs $520M to build community solar across the US";

"In-depth Q&A: How does climate change drive human migration?";

"EU Policy. European Parliament approves energy market overhaul";

"‘It’s a sun trap’: climate crisis brings boomtime for British wine";

"‘A Massive Win for All Generations’: European Human Rights Court Rules Switzerland Violated Rights With Climate Inaction";

"Storm in Perth's north causes flooding, damage as BOM issues severe weather warning";

"Earth Day 2024";

"See photos, video of flooding in New Orleans metro neighborhoods during severe weather";

"Rainfall Intensity and Daily Rainfall on April 10, 2024";

"Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Stronger Clean Air Standards for Chemical Plants, Lowering Cancer Risk and Advancing Environmental Justice";

"Flooded farms in England refused compensation as ‘too far’ from river";

"Climate target organisation faces staff revolt over carbon-offsetting plan";

"Labour may fail to grab target seats as young voters turn away over Gaza and climate";

"Carbon price should be set at $70 a tonne and rise six-fold by mid-century, says AEMC";

"New Yorkers for Clean Power";

"Rural opposition to solar farms goes beyond beliefs in climate change";

"The heat is on: what we know about why ocean temperatures keep smashing records";

"Adelaide is losing 75,000 trees a year. Tree-removal laws must be tightened if we want our cities to be liveable and green";

"How the essential, dirty steel industry is going green":

"Driven by China, Coal Plants Made a Comeback in 2023";

"What Happened When a German Car Factory Went All Electric";

"Brazil Labor Spat Thwarts Lula’s Bid to Boost Growth and Save the Amazon";

"Tanya Plibersek’s proposal to save Toondah Harbour is a win for both threatened species and people power";

"Deforestation rising in Colombia 5 years after peace deal";

"NGO links H&M and Zara cotton to deforestation in Brazil's Cerrado";

"How to prepare your finances for an extreme weather disaster";

"Earth sees hottest-ever March, the 10th record-breaking month in a row";

"Here’s how EVs could get 200 miles per gallon";

"Spies Like Us: why the Government is still backing Woodside over Timor-Leste";

"Power to the people? Bolivia’s hunt for gas targets national parks – and divides communities";

"Feeling depleted? So is the planet. Here’s how to move from exhaustion to empowerment";

"Incarcerated People Subjected To Worst Of Climate Change";

"Embodied C

Shepparton's Foott Waste is trialling an all-electric garbage truck and principal, Peter Foott (pictured behind the wheel of this revolutionary truck) took me for a "test ride" just a few days ago.

"Understanding Climate Change: All the Natural and Human Causes";

"Split inside conservative green group over new nuclear agenda";

"Ontario's Nuclear Advantage";

"Elizabeth Kolbert on Hope, Despair, and Everything In Between";

"Why has the ‘15-minute city’ taken off in Paris but become a toxic idea in UK?";

"Dutch court ruling considers national airline guilty of greenwashing";

"Fossil subsidies could have paid for Canadian wind and solar projects 12 times over";

"Salt, air and bricks: could this be the future of energy storage?";

"Generation starts at what will be South Australia’s biggest wind farm";

"Australia’s biggest coal generator teams up with SunDrive to make solar at Liddell";

"Solar Sunshot: Albanese pledges $1bn to take Australia from “pit to panel”";

"Toronto is home to the world’s largest lake-powered cooling system. Here’s how it works.";

"Even Disney’s beloved Autopia ride is giving up on gas-powered cars";

"The Carbon Brief Profile: Australia";

"The Carbon Brief Profile: Nigeria";

"An ‘extremely active’ hurricane season is headed our way, experts warn";

"Man's body found near reserve in Sydney's west after rain and extreme weather hits NSW";

"Carbon Emissions Reduction Rate in U.S. Has Doubled Since Passage of Inflation Reduction Act, Report Finds";

"Should Big Oil Be Tried for Homicide?";

"Zambia’s fossil-fuel subsidy cuts help climate and kids – but taxi drivers suffer";

"Is water provision in drought-hit Zambia climate ‘loss and damage’ or adaptation?";

"New PBS Documentary Focuses on a More Hopeful Future";

"Virginia’s Utility Regulator Approves Enough New Solar Projects to Power Nearly 200,000 Homes";

"Secondhand Clothing Market in U.S. Grew 7x Faster Than General Clothing Retail in 2023":

"‘On the Move’ examines how climate change will alter where people live";

"Zimbabwean president declares state of disaster due to drought";

"Rivers Recover Rapidly Once Dams Are Gone, Study Finds";

"Klamath Dam Removal: ‘It’s an Environmental Disaster’";

"Dam removals, restoration project on Klamath River expected to help salmon, researchers conclude";

"In the Pacific Northwest, Salmon Declines Upend a Way of Life";

"Climate change is changing how we keep time".


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Former Federal Minister, Greg Combet (pictured) was a guest this week on the National Press Club talking about getting to net zero: "Greg Combet - Chair of the Net Zero Economy Authority";

"After years of promises on climate change, oil giants are backtracking";

"Dive in: Climate change is affecting all types of weather";

"States brace for collision of weather systems";

"A man has died in Queensland floodwaters, as heavy rain lashes east coast";

"Australia’s soil to become net carbon emitter and threat to climate goals, report says";

"El Nino-linked drought threatens energy and food supplies in southern Africa with millions at risk";

"Thousands more of Tasmania 'giant' native trees could be spared from logging under policy change";

"Natasha’s hot home is bad for her health. So is the cost of living";

"When it comes to climate action, beware the policy bundle";

"Florida’s tiny ‘fairy tale’ deer are losing habitat as seas rise";

"Shell says landmark emissions ruling won't help climate goals";

"India Predicts Searing Heat in Threat to Lives, Power Supply";

"He Wants Oil Money Off Campus. She’s Funded by Exxon. They’re Friends.";

"Just 57 companies linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions since 2016";

"Boom in mining for renewable energy minerals threatens Africa’s great apes";

"Network Rail to spend £2.8bn to cope with effects of climate crisis";

"Snowball effect: Is artificial snow a long-term solution for ski resorts in a warming world?";

"Throwing Soup At Mona Lisa For The Climate Cause?";

"Buckled lines and landslides: How climate change is hitting Europe’s rail industry";

"In Texas, Ex-Oil and Gas Workers Champion Geothermal Energy as a Replacement for Fossil-Fueled Power Plants";

"Do organic farms cause unintended harm? Study finds uptick in pesticide use in neighbouring fields";

"Global Warming Will Enable Tropical Species From the Atlantic to Colonize the Mediterranean Sea";

"‘I want to tackle it in a big way’: Meet the Nigerian women spearheading solar projects";

"Bird Flu Is Picking its Way Across the Animal Kingdom—and Climate Change Could Be Making it Worse";

"Europe is divided on nuclear power: Which countries are for and against it?";

"It takes a village: the Indian farmers who built a wall against drought";

"The Anthropocene already exists in our heads, even if it’s now officially not a geological epoch";

"A Canadian lake holds the key to the beginning of the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch";

"Anthropocene: human-made materials now weigh as much as all living biomass, say scientists";

"Homelessness, PTSD and paltry pay: The crisis in wildland firefighting";

"No EV recovery, with worst sales quarter in nearly 3 years";

"‘Headaches, organ damage and even death’: how salty water is putting Bangladesh’s pregnant women at risk";

"Inside the minds of the oil rig-climbing activists";

"Australia faces postwar-style reconstruction to reach net zero target, Greg Combet says";

"An Australian farmer has held the first carbon-neutral cattle sale – here’s how it works";

"East coast weather: big wet headed for Sydney after month of rain dumped on parts of Victoria in 24 hours";

"Why artificial submarine curtains won’t save West Antarctica’s retreating glaciers";

"Out of alignment: how clashing policies make for terrible environmental outcomes";

"Scientists warn Australians to prepare for megadroughts lasting more than 20 years";

"Native animals that survived Bayindeen bushfire face increased threat from predators six weeks on";

"Tiwi Islands leaders appeal to federal government to reconsider offshore gas project approvals changes";

"First Nations people must be at the forefront of Australia’s renewable energy revolution";

"Forget nuclear: would Peter Dutton oppose a plan to cut bills and address the climate crisis?";

"A big week for climate policy in Australia: what happened and what to make of it";

"Awful’: climate crisis thre