What on Earth are we Doing? The Science and Urgency of the Climate Crisis

The climate crisis poses the single greatest threat to the security and well-being of Australians, touching nearly every aspect of their lives, not the least of which is their health. Yet, for the most part, the Government continues a business-as-usual approach that neither proportionately addresses the root cause of the crisis (the use of fossil fuels) (mitigation) nor prepares communities for unavoidable and likely climate futures (adaptation).

Average global heating of 1.5°C is now essentially inevitable and on current trends stabilising the climate at even 2.0°C above pre-industrial temperatures will be very difficult. This temperature range comes with a significant likelihood of passing multiple Earth System tipping points, with irreversible consequences. In its special chapter on Australia, the most recent IPCC Report warns: “The projected warming under current global emissions reduction policies would leave many of the region's human and natural systems at very high risk and beyond adaptation limits.”

Crises require — and can foster — fundamental change for better or worse. What can be done to prepare and protect Australians against current climate disasters whilst simultaneously steering sharply away from future catastrophic consequences?

Moderator:

• Professor Anne Poelina

Anne is a Nyikina Warawa Indigenous Australian, Co-Vice President of ASPF, a poet, storyteller film maker. She is Professor, Chair & Senior Research Fellow Indigenous Knowledges Nulungu Research Institute University of Notre Dame.

Speakers:

• Dr Penny D Sackett

Professor Penny D Sackett is a physicist, astronomer and former Chief Scientist for Australia. She currently holds the title of Distinguished Honorary Professor at the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions. Penny has a strong background in research, policy advice to national and local governments, and the synthesis and communication of climate science and its relationship to energy systems.

Professor Sackett will discuss the impacts of recent climate-supercharged events in Australia and how the current era of continuous and compounding crises requires a dramatically different response from Australian governments in both mitigation and adaptation.

• Dr Arnagretta Hunter

Dr Hunter is a physician and cardiologist with interests across medicine, climate change and our human future.  She completed a BA(Hons) in international relations before embarking on Medicine at the University of Sydney. Passionate about the social determinants of health, she has a broad interest in public policy from local issues to global challenges. She is the Human Futures Fellow at NCEPH (National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health) at ANU, a member of ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, and is Chair of the board of Global Shield Australia. Her work is diverse and centres around human health and wellbeing, the relationship between health and the environment and the challenge of climate change.

Dr Hunter will describe the relationships between the biology of a disease, the social determinants of health, and the environmental influences. She is convinced that climate change impacts present an opportunity to improve healthcare and reduce environmental impact.