PODCAST

Climate Conversations

Robert McLean

A continuous conversation about climate change - news, views and interviews.

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

00:58:50

Interview: Professor Ian Lowe - a cricketer, a...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/04/11

Professor Ian Lowe lives in the small coastal town of Marcoola on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, a place he and his late partner moved to in retirement.However, as he points out, once a scientist, always a scientist, and so he continues to devour scientific journals, engage in webinars and travel to conferences covering topics that embrace his interests.The Professor has written many books and has been involved in ensuring others get published.Ian has been a regular at the Woodford Folk Festival

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00:32:39

Climate News: Invite to talk with EarthX CEO, Peter...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/03/22

Peter Simek leads EarthX, one of the world’s largest convenings of environmental and sustainability leaders, bringing together policymakers, investors, scientists, innovators, and advocates to accelerate pragmatic, market-driven solutions. Recently, EarthX announced programming and additional speakers for "Earthx2026", a three-day Congress of Conferences taking place in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole on April 20–22, 2026. Under Peter's leadership, EarthX has evolved into a global

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01:11:41

Webinar: “Degrowth vs. green growth: can capitalism...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/03/18

Capitalism is, for many, the root of the problem regarding climate change, and some see the solution in degrowth, and others in what's known as "green growth".The Columbia Climate School tackled this issue through its webinar "Perspectives Dialogue, “Degrowth vs. green growth: can capitalism solve climate change?”Those hopeful of gaining an Australian perspective on this issue, at least from the degrowth angle, will have the chance on Sunday, March 22, to join the Degrowth

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00:43:11

Climate News: The late Edward O. Wilson understood...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/03/11

Darwin's successor, the late Edward O. Wilson, clearly understood humanity and the dilemmas it facedwhen he said it has "Palaeolithic emotions, medieval Institutions and God-like technology".Read the story about the late professora nd hear the interview in a story from The New York Times: "E.O. Wilson, a Pioneer of Evolutionary Biology, Dies at 92";"Deny, delay, downplay: How governments hide climate change intelligence";"Bundaberg residents told to evacuate as

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01:03:56

Webinar: Sunshine not trapped in the Straits of...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/03/09

The war in Iran, initiated by the U.S. and Israel, may have trapped some twenty per cent of the world's fossil fuels, but sunshine is still free to shine anywhere in the world.This webinar, organised by "Covering Climate Now", was a press briefing considering "The Iran War and the Climate Emergency".Two websites mentioned by speakers that would help reporters covering the Iran conflict were "Forensic Architecture" and the "Conflict Observatory".

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00:27:03

Interview: 'The whole industry does not make any...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/03/07

Professor David Lindenmayer from the Fenner School of Environment & Society at the Australian National University is critical of many issues impacting Australia's forest industry, arguing he has worn out many pairs of shoes trekking to Federal Parliament to plead the case for the nation's forests.His frustration with the country's politicians, other decision-makers, and industry lobbyists, who all handled the scientific truth about our forests rather loosely, led him to write

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00:22:53

Degrowth Festival: 'There has to be time for dancing,...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/03/05

Dancing will be just one of many activities at the Victorian Degrowth Festival 2026, being held at Carlton's Curtain Square on Sunday, March 22.Degrowth is an idea whose time has come as nearly 40 stalls, workshops and displays, along with music and dancing, will bring the City of Yarra event to life. One of the organisers, Tonié has urged people to register their intent to attend as it's important to have a clear idea of how many people will be at Curtain Square, and people can note their

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00:52:32

Climate News: Footy for Climate teams with Mansfield...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/28

President of the Mansfield Football/Netball Club, Bo Christopher, has seen his club score ever before the season proper has begun, as it teamed with Footy for Climate to set up solar panels and a battery to capture energy from the sun on the club's facilities, reducing its power costs substantially.Jo Printz from ABC radio, Shepparton, interviewed Bo."Extreme weather is transforming the world’s rivers. We need new ways to protect them";"Who's driving up our power

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00:43:57

Climate News: Letter writer wonders how court can...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/26

Melbourne Age letter writer questions court finding on Santos."There’s a New Forecast for Peak Oil Demand. It’s Increasingly Cloudy.";"‘Ball bearings in the snow’: The role of climate change in deadly avalanches";"US Youth, Climate Coalition Sue to Stop Trump EPA ‘From Torching Our Kids’ Future’";"Missing Profits May Be a Problem for the Green Transition";"Have China's carbon emissions peaked?";"From fossil fuelled tanks to wildfires: How

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00:57:53

Webinar: We can't wait for others to act, we have to...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/22

Sarah Newman (pictured) is the founder and director of the "Climate Mental Health Network" and was the MC for the webinar, "Thriving in an Age of Disasters: Building Emotional Resilience & Taking Climate Action".One of the speakers was Elizabeth Bagley, the Managing Director of "Project Drawdown".She encouraged those at the webinar to check out the "Drawdown Explorer".Climate change and mental health are increasingly appearing in the same sentence, and

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00:12:07

Interview: David Brian is enthusiastic about hemp and...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/20

David Brian (pictured) is the president of the Victorian Hemp Association, which has a field day at Northern Victoria's Nanneella on Sunday, February 22.David is passionate about educating people, particularly farmers, about hemp.He regularly attends exhibitions, conferences, field days and festivals to educate people about hempcrete and its benefits. He also works with farmers in Victoria and southern New South Wales who are interested in growing hemp, and they will have a chance to learn more

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00:58:51

Webinar: 'Why We Shouldn’t Be Held Hostage to the...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/14

The Director of Strategy and Campaigns at polling firm Redbridge, Kosmos Samaras (pictured), explains the ever-unfolding intricacies of elections, emphasising the importance of climate change.This educational and revealing webinar - "Why We Shouldn’t Be Held Hostage to the Past: Unlocking the Consensus on Pricing Pollution" - was organised by The Superpower Institute.In this third webinar in TSI’s series supporting The Case for Pricing Pollution, Kos Samaras, Director and co-founder of

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00:47:53

Event: Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Mark Howden at...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/12

Professor Sarah Perkins-Kirpatrick and Professor Mark Howden (pictured) were at the Australian National University's Climate Update 2026.Professor Perkins-Kirkpatrick was the keynote speaker. The event, which had the subtitle "Adaptation from soil to stars", helped people understand why, in 2025, Australia experienced simultaneous flooding in the north and drought in the south. Promoting the event, the university said: "As we travel further from the historical bounds of the

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00:48:50

Webinar: New Chief Executive Officer of the...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/11

Adam Bandt (pictured) is the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Conservation Foundation and just this week was a "guest" on a webinar organised by the foundation's community organiser, Dan Scaysbrook.Bandt has been the leader of the Australian Greens party, but lost his Melbourne seat in the 2025 Federal Election.His new role at the foundation as CEO sees him taking over from Kelly O'Shannasy, who had fulfilled that role for more than a decade.This statement

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00:45:08

Climate News: From backyard shed to global marketing...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/11

The Washington Post was once one of America's most influential newspapers, and in some ways it still is, but Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos, who bought the paper and had the wealth to sustain it, now appears to be shredding it.Layoffs at this once great newspaper were nowhere near inevitable. But Jeff Bezos was never committed to the paper’s best traditions - "The Washington Post Is in Free Fall—and There’s One Person to Blame";"Briefing Recap | Oil and Gas Lookahead

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00:52:44

Climate News: Personal experience illustrates that if...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/02/08

I missed the chance to talk with Australian historian Manning Clark, and death again intruded, unexpectedly, to rob me of the chance to meet and talk with Emma Johnston (pictured) - "Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity";"Grant Guidelines for Libraries and Museums Take “Chilling” Political Turn Under Trump";"I used to have a great travel tip for Europe. It doesn’t work anymore";"In the Trump era of

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01:01:58

Climate Council webinar: Former NSW fire officer Greg...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/01/28

Greg Mullins (pictured), who has fought and experienced fires around the world, was one of two guests on a webinar organised by Australia's "Climate Council", which discussed how fires that devastated huge parts of America's Los Angeles could easily erupt in Australia. Mullins is the former Chief Fire Officer and CEO (Commissioner) for New South Wales, and he is a member of "Emergency Leaders for Climate Action".

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00:29:42

Climate News: The Australian of the Year, Katherine...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/01/26

Australian astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg (pictured), is the 2026 Australian of the Year and reminds us that all life on Earth depends on a thin blue envelope surrounding the planet."Victoria to reach 49 degrees as communities brace for week-long heatwave";"For the first time, renewable energy is supplying most of our power";"This Is Why Our Rivers Are Turning Into Sewers";"Corporate Polluters Running Rampant Under Trump as EPA Enforcement ‘Dying a Quick

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00:27:59

Interview: Brisbane family, Jon and Emelie Watson,...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/01/25

Brisbane family, Jon and Emelie Watson, and their two children (pictured) are "Living More With Less" in the Queensland capital city, creating a life free of the W.E.I.R.D.; way of living that most wealthy westerners seem addicted to.Jon and Emily don't insist that others follow their example; rather, they hope to illustrate how living with less brings joy and happiness, a state that eludes most.W.E.I.R.D - "Western, Educated, industrialised, Rich, Democratised.

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00:49:48

Climate News: Some 55 years ago, Edwin Starr sang...

Climate Conversations ·

2026/01/24

The 1970 music of Edwin Starr (pictured) sent a shiver around the world, and his song "War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing" is as relevant today as it was 55 years ago.Check out the impressive presentation my Canadian PM Mark Carney delivered recently at the Davos World Economic Forum.

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