DIGITAL EVENT – LIVESTREAM
This livestream will be available on the UNSW Centre for Ideas website, Facebook and YouTube.
A link to watch the livestream will be sent on the event day to registered attendees.
Can't tune in to the livestream? Register to receive the on demand recording.
2020 JACK BEALE LECTURE
In January we watched helplessly as Australia burned. Over 18 million hectares were destroyed, and more than a billion animals were killed. It was clear to those on both sides of politics that Australia needed immediate climate action. Flash forward and the all-encompassing nature of COVID-19 has made it almost impossible to talk about anything else, but the imperatives of climate change have not gone away. So how do we restart the conversation on climate?
In Australia, despite the work of our world-leading scientists, climate change is a vexed political topic, rather than a question of science and policy. As we grapple with the new normal of bushfires and water shortages, on top of pandemic recovery, how can we take the politics out of these important issues? How can we bring communities together to think about change? Join climate scientist and author of The Future Eaters and The Weather Makers, Tim Flannery, marine ecologist Adriana Vergés, social researcher, author of How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference, Rebecca Huntley and marine biologist and Dean of Science at UNSW Sydney, Emma Johnston to find out how we might turn these pressing climate conversations into climate solutions.
Presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas and supported by UNSW Science. This event is part of the UNSW x National Science Week program – head here to see the full program. This event is part of the UNSW Grand Challenge on Thriving in the Anthropocene.
Want to read Rebecca Huntley's or Tim Flannery's books? You can purchase them from the UNSW Bookshop by calling 02 9385 6622 or emailing orders@bookshop.unsw.edu.au.
TICKETS
ABOUT DIGITAL EVENTS
This livestream will be available on the UNSW Centre for Ideas website, Facebook and YouTube.
A link to watch the livestream will be sent on the event day to registered attendees.
ABOUT THE JACK BEALE LECTURE
The Jack Beale Public Lecture Series was established in 1999 by the Honourable Dr Jack Beale AO, a passionate advocate of environmental management and the first Minister for the Environment in Australia (NSW Parliament). The Jack Beale Lecture provides the opportunity for a prominent individual to examine Australia’s environmental responsibilities, opportunities and performance within a global context. Past speakers have included Professor Paul Ehrlich, Dr Rajendra Pachauri and Dr David Suzuki.
CONTACT
For event enquiries or to discuss your access requirements, please call the Centre for Ideas on 0407 296 429 or email centreforideas@unsw.edu.au.
The Centre for Ideas is happy to receive phone calls via the National Relay Service. TTY users, phone 133 677, then ask for 0407 296 429. Speak and Listen users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 0407 296 429. Internet relay users, visit relayservice.gov.au, then ask for 0407 296 429.
Tim Flannery was Australian of the Year 2007, and Australia's Climate Commissioner 2011-2013. He is Chief Councillor and co-founder of the Climate Council. He has published over 30 books, including ecological histories of Europe, Australia and North America, and has discovered and named 30 species of living mammals mostly from Melanesia.
Adriana Vergés is a marine ecologist and conservationist in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney. Adriana’s research focuses on the ecological impacts of climate change and the conservation of the world’s algal forests and seagrass meadows, and much of her research takes place underwater. Adriana is passionate about communicating science to the wider public, especially through films, art and new media.
Rebecca Huntley is one of Australia's most experienced social researchers and former director of The Mind and Mood Report, the longest running measure of the nation's attitudes and trends. She holds degrees in law and film studies and a PhD in gender studies, and is a mum to three young children. It was realising she is part of the problem older generation that caused her change of heart and to dedicate herself to researching our attitudes to climate change. She is a member of Al Gore's Climate Reality Corps, carries out social research for NGOs such as The Wilderness Society and WWF, and writes and presents for the ABC.
Professor Emma Johnston AO is a marine scientist at UNSW Sydney and a national advocate for improved environmental management and conservation. Emma studies human impacts in the oceans including pervasive threats such as climate change, plastic pollution, and invasive species. Emma conducts her research in diverse marine environments from the Great Barrier Reef to icy Antarctica and provides management recommendations to industry and government. In recognition of her contributions to environmental science, communications, and management, Emma has received numerous awards including the Australian Academy of Science’s Nancy Millis Medal, the Royal Society of New South Wales Clark Medal, the Eureka prize for Science Communication, and in 2018 she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). She is immediate past President of Science & Technology Australia, a current Board Member of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Co-Chief Author of the Australian Government’s State of Environment Report 2021. Emma is a high-profile science communicator and television presenter for the ongoing BBC/Foxtel series, Coast Australia and has appeared multiple times on ABC Catalyst, The Drum and Q&A. Emma is currently Dean of Science and Professor of Marine Ecology and Ecotoxicology at UNSW Sydney.
