All Episodes
June 21, 2020
We need the humanities courses at our universities to help us navigate the complexities of the climate crisis
Hamish McDonald (pictured host Q&A on ABC television in Australia) and is one of my favourite interviewers and just recently he interviewed Australia's Education Minister, Dan Tehan, about the doubling of student university fees for courses in the arts and humanities. This change by the federal government caused something of an uproar generating a deluge of letters to national newspapers and many articles and comment pieces, including one from The Guardian by Ben Eltham , another from the Melbo…
June 16, 2020
Matthew Ricketson discusses the media, Covid-19 and the climate crisis
The head of the Communications Group as Deakin University , Matthew Ricketson (pictured), was one of several speakers at the Lismore webinar organized by Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) . The Lismore event was one of about four webinars organized by FCA at centres throughout southern New South Wales and northern Victoria. They concentrated on difficulties for those communities caused by the bushfires, the drought, the Covid-19 crisis and the general demise of rural media.
June 11, 2020
Having a chat with a champion of community
Denis Ginnivan (pictured) champions community and has great faith in its ability to take control of and change its circumstances. So much so that his life has been peppered with involvement in the community events and activities He has his own business, " Events That Matter ", he played a key in the creation and success of " Voices for Indi ", he is the vice-president of " Totally Renewable Yackandandah ", and has been on of several speakers on a series of webinars organized by " Farmers for Cl…
June 7, 2020
Professor Andrew Blakers champions solar power
Professor Andrew Blakers (pictured) from Canberra's Australian National University is an informed advocate of solar power and has written about that on The Conversation in a piece entitled: " Really Australia, it's not that hard: 10 reasons why renewable energy is the future ". In a relatively short story, in which he makes just 10 points, the professor explains how Australia can remove most all its carbon dioxide emissions and totally eliminate fossil fuels from the country's energy agenda. Se…
May 31, 2020
Talking with Peter Holding from Farmers for Climate Action
Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) has a small staff of just six and south west New South Wales farmer, Peter Holding (pictured) is one of those, being the Farm Outreach Officer. Peter is helping organize and oversee a series of webinars organized by FCA designed to help farmers in those areas devastated by recent disasters, such as drought and bush fires, and now the Covid-19 crisis. Climate Kelpie is not a part of the FAC structure, but Peter was once aligned with the group and was a "Climate C…
May 27, 2020
Talking with Tatura's Leon and Jack about the Covid-19 lockdown
Tatura's Terry Court is on the board of GV Community Energy , an active member of Tatura Transition Towns , a climate activist and the grandfather of Leon (11) and Jack (9) Findlay, the subjects for this episode of Climate Conversations. Leon (right) and Jack, like most others of school age, have been in lock-down, home from school and so doing their school work from home and just hanging out for the end of this health crisis. Many criticize our youth for their behaviour, but anyone with such i…
May 24, 2020
Zali Steggall on The Australia Institute webinar
Zali Steggall (pictured) is the independent Member for Warringah and on May 20 was on webinar organized by The Australia Institute. She was in conversation with the institute's deputy directory, Ebony Bennett, and the director of the institute's Climate and Energy Program, Richie Merzian, about the economics of the present pandemic. Zali, who dislodged former Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, from his seat, has been interviewed by Climate Conversations when still just a candidate. She has matured an…
May 24, 2020
Christiana Figueres on a One Million Women webinar
Christiana Figueres (pictured) played a key role in pulling together the 2015 Paris climate agreement and was the star of a webinar staged in May 20, 2020, by One Million Women . Nearly 600 people joined the webinar illustrating what Christiana described as the "democratization of conversation", allowing for an event only made possible by the emergence and use of a technology fully exposed by the Covid-19 crisis. She pointed out that without the use of the technology, most of those involved sim…
May 22, 2020
Tim Hollo from The Green Institute has a rare understanding of what makes for a better life
Tim Hollo (pictured) is the executive director The Green Institute , a body structured to counter the right-wing think tanks and hopefully soften, and maybe in someway change the impact they are having on society. Using Zoom, Tim will join Shepparton's Beneath the Wisteria on Saturday, June 27, at 11:00 am. An invite to the gathering will be issued shortly and anyone eager to join should contact the convenor, Robert McLean, at r.mclean7@icloud.com.
May 20, 2020
Quizzical looks greet Greg Hunt's comments about government's climate crisis action
A webinar, held on May 19, focusing on the present Covid-19 crisis organized by The Australia Institute featured Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt who talked mostly about the health crisis, but did make a few observations how the federal government was addressing the climate crisis and after he left, that prompted a discussion between the deputy director, Ebony Bennett and the institute's chief economist, Dr Richard Denniss. The recently released " King Review " is aimed a building a robus…
May 19, 2020
Climate warrior in Shepparton later this month
Anika Molesworth is a farmer from far western New South Wales, and a dedicated climate activist. Anika will be a guest, via Zoom, at the Saturday, May 30, of Shepparton's Beneath the Wisteria - here is the invite to that Zoom gathering - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82326064674. Those with any questions about the event can phone me, Robert McLean, at 0400 502 199, or contact me via email at r.mclean7@icloud.com. The event is free and will last for about an hour.
May 17, 2020
Kerrie Douglas chats about Tatura's new library and the Covid-19 crisis
Libraries are among a community's important anchors and librarian Kerrie Douglas (pictured) is excited about what's ahead for Tatura's library, despite the complications arising from the present Covid-19 health crisis. Kerrie has said the new library building, currently being built near the former Rodney Shire offices in Casey St, will be "amazing" as it will be larger allowing for the introduction of new programs making it more integral to the wider community's general health. The Tatura libra…
May 15, 2020
Carl Walters is from Katandra, but after some 30 years, considers Tatura 'home'
Carl Walters (pictured), who looks after sustainable agriculture for the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority , is enthusiastic about living in Tatura, an enthusiasm that has been enriched during the present Covid-19 health crisis. Carl, who is also in charge of the northern Victoria town's Community Plan, is working with a small group of people to ensure the community emerges positively from the present crisis, takes the lessons it has learned and applies them to building a rich and …
May 14, 2020
Talking with Tatura's Community House manager, Leeane Button, about the Covid-19 crisis
Tatura, in northern Victoria, has a population of about 4000 and although different people they has largely stood as one in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. And one who has experienced the embrace of the community in a very real sense is the manager of the town's Community House , Leanne Button (pictured). Leanne says that not a day passes that she doesn't hear from someone in community who is eager to do what they can to make the town a better place in which to live.
May 13, 2020
Wondering why we don't understand the climate crisis, but then realising it's all about money
Answers to the climate crisis seem so simple, but then in reading the article - " Fossil fuels already get billions in bailouts - they're called subsidies " - then you begin, see that what is simple is suddenly made extremely complex because of money, it's a pollutant as is many of the human activities it backs. And it was about the same time that Lisa Cox wrote in The Guardian - " Australia's annual carbon emissions reach a record high " - about some basic facts that that appear to make any…
May 9, 2020
A note about renewable energy to Damian Drum MP
Involvement with a webinar about saving and protecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef raised many issues, among them a call for action that resulted in a note to the federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum . My request to Mr Drum was for him to put pressure on his coalition cohort, he is a National Party member, to ditch the dirty, polluting and expensive fossil fuels preferred by the Liberal National Party (LNP) and opt for the cleaner, greener and cheaper renewable energy and, at the same …
May 6, 2020
Anika Molesworth calls for lessions from Covid-19 crisis to be applied to climate crisis
Anika Molesworth, from far western New South Wales, is a regular on YouTube pointing out the challenges for farmers arising from Earth's rapidly changing climate system. And now she argues that our decision makers need to looking closer at what the present Covid-19 crisis meant for Australians, what lessons are to be learned from it and how they could be applied to even more concerning climate crisis. Anika, who involved with Farmers for Climate Action , will be in Shepparton on Saturday, May 3…
May 4, 2020
Talking while walking about the climate crisis
A good long walk is, for me, a great start to the day, but sadly it is sometimes soured a little by those you encounter along the way, Generally I embrace the chance for a chat, but occasionally, and just occasionally, you meet someone who holds a view diametrically opposed to your own, a view that more than a decade of reading and listening, illustrates that the fellow you have met is clearly and unequivocally wrong. Can you tell him that, no? Should you have let him know your views, yes? Why …