Extreme weather events across the Northern Hemisphere this summer have created a range of disasters that highlight threats of living in the new climate era. There is much we can learn from these events whether they involve heat waves, wildfires, floods, coastal erosion, and storm surges. Read More

Many of us are obsessed with the Last Interglacial (LIG or Stage 5e MIS). Between c. 130000 and 115000, global mean temperatures appear to have been slightly warmer by 1 to 2 degrees than present. Global mean sea level appears to have been higher and ice volumes less than today. If we can improve our understanding of these factors, it not just improves our knowledge of the past, but may guide us to how future ice sheets and sea levels are responding to global warming induced by greenhouse gas emissions, not just solar insolation. Read More

Over the past week or so, I have encountered five items of news related to coastal management that I would like to share with you. They are diverse in place and substance. It comes at a time when so many of us are concerned about the future of coastal environments and their use. Each item deserves a blog on its own, but they are all so topical and relevant that I just want to offer a summary. Read More

In February 2010, the Australian Government through the then Dept. of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE), hosted a National Climate Change Forum in Adelaide. The topic of this meeting was “Developing a national coastal adaptation agenda”. Read More

Just 8km north of Maitland in the NSW Hunter Valley lies the small village of Largs. It is adjacent to the growing urban precinct of Bolwarra Heights, but its rural character remains intact with its cute corner pub and the striking Soldiers Memorial Hall. This hall was originally a School of Arts erected in 1878 as part of the movement to improve literacy amongst the largely dairy farming community. In 1921 it was tastefully added to in honour of those who served in World War 1. But for me the village has another less well-known claim to fame-- it is the site of a Last Interglacial (Stage 5e) fossil bed. Read More

In recent weeks I have been reading a book that highlights the evils of excessive use of the powers of property ownership while also ploughing through a trove of papers that defined a man’s commitment to securing those rights. The book is The Winter Road by Kate Holden (2021, Black Inc, Melbourne). Read More

I have benefited from a vocation that has offered opportunities to indulge in research. It has been such a privilege. The excitement of being able to go into the field, to observe, to test ideas of others and develop one’s own hypotheses, and to be able to communicate these findings all defines this privilege. To do this with other like-minded individuals made this all the more enjoyable and creative. But this would not have happened unless more senior academics put their hope and trust in me to do the work on my terms. Read More

Sydney Harbour is one of those estuaries along the NSW coast blessed with the occurrence of seahorses. One in particular is Hippocampus whitei Bleeker 1855. It was named after John White, the Surgeon General of the First Fleet. Read More

Last week two articles appeared in the New York Times that revealed “times are a changing”. During the Trump years, federal agencies responsible for collecting and disseminating information on environmental and other indicators that show shifts from previous “normal” or average conditions, have been restricted in what they could publish and comment upon. These restrictions have now been lifted under the Biden administration and they are quite revealing. Read More

On 23rd April, the Prime Minister announced that the Australian Government “will make an additional $100 million investment to continue leading the world and our region in how we manage our ocean habitats and coastal environments and contribute to the global task of reducing emissions”. Hidden in these few words are not just indications of intent but claims that many may wish to contest. The purpose here, however, is to see where these intentions can best take us given various constraints as well as opportunities. Read More