About | Climate Tasmania

About

Climate Tasmania is about global climate from the point of view of this beautiful island to the south of the Australian continent, facing the mighty Southern Ocean and Antarctica. I’m Peter Boyer, and I’ve lived here most of my life.

I’m a freelance writer specialising in climate science, having worked for a long time for the Australian Antarctic Program. Since November 2006 I’ve been a member of Al Gore’s Australian Climate Project team of volunteer presenters. In this capacity I’ve provided a Tasmanian take on the Al Gore message that global warming presents the world with a massive problem which needs the attention of us all – especially those of us in the developed world. As of June 2010, I have spoken to over 8000 Tasmanians from all walks of life, in nearly 200 audience groups.

As a former journalist in the daily media I became concerned that the many issues associated with climate change – the science, the politics, the economics, the local and national and world scenes – have not been getting enough exposure among the general public of Tasmania. Since September 2007 I have written a weekly column, Climate Challenge, published in Tasmania’s major newspaper, The Mercury, which is based in the island’s capital, Hobart. These columns, starting on 11 September 2007 and continuing weekly since then, have been consolidated in this blog, which was set up in April 2009. I’ve also included some talks I’ve given to various seminars and other public events over the past few years.

My own writing will, I hope, be only part of this website. Anyone can comment at the end of each article. And if you’re concerned enough about our long-term future on Planet Earth to write an article of your own that you’d like to see posted here, please send it to me by email.

I’d like this site to work for people who, like me, want to make a difference in their own part of the planet. I’d appreciate your ideas and thoughts about how I might improve the blog and make it do the job intended. You can contact me by email by clicking here.

—Peter Boyer

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Climate change and the integrity of science is a letter signed by 250 members of the US National Academy of Sciences published on 7 May 2010 in Science magazine. Click here for the full text and list of signatories.

Ten Steps to a Safer Climate, launched in Hobart in January 2010, aims to make Tasmania a leader in developing and implementing strategies to reduce carbon emissions and prepare people for a more sustainable future. Click here for more information.

The Copenhagen Accord was agreed to by the world’s nations assembled in Copenhagen in December 2009. For the full text of this agreement, click here

“350”, the biggest movement for global action in history, has provided world leaders with more than 5200 reasons to get serious. Find out more.

If you have an event you’d like to see posted here send me an email. For information on past events go to Past Happenings.

2010

6 and 10 September: Free Natural Values Atlas training sessions. 12noon-2pm Derwent Room, Glenorchy LINC, 4 Terry Street, Glenorchy. Do you know what threatened species live on your property? It’s quite possible you share your property with one or more species threatened with extinction. Knowing what these are can really help you plan your activities and potentially help these species. You can find out more about these species using the Natural Values Atlas, a web-based database recording observations of more than 20,000 Tasmanian plants and animals.

7 September: Threatened Species Day—Four perspectives on how to sustain our biodiversity. 4pm to 6pm, Commissariat Store, Tasmanian Museum (enter via courtyard gates off Campbell Street car park). Do you know what threatened species might live on your property, or what they might need to help them survive? How can we meet those needs and still do what we want to do on our land? Why should we bother? Find out from specialists in relevant fields how you can help conserve the biodiversity of our environment and minimise negative effects from your actions.

9 September: Sustainable Development and Small-scale Clean Energy Production. 4pm at Life Sciences Lecture Theatre 1, Life Sciences Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay. Dr Caroline Brown discusses sustainable regional development and economic opportunities to be obtained from clean technology, drawing on UK case studies. Email or call 62262971 for more information.

12 September: Sustainable House Day. 10am-4pm The Australian Solar Energy invites you to visit a number of sustainable open homes in southern Tasmania. Click here for more information including addresses of homes.

18 September: Transition workshop—Tasmania’s community response to Peak Oil. A very timely Saturday workshop about stepping up the impetus to develop rapidly community and personal resilience in the face of a very uncertain future. Based on a concern that peak oil will drive energy prices rapidly upward within five years, placing immense hardships on the Tasmanian economy, communities and individuals. We need to challenge our own comfort zones, to find smart ways to accelerate our activities and draw in the broader community at a much faster rate, and to push for an energy defence strategy for our island home. 10am–4pm at the Philip Smith Education Centre; includes biscuits, coffee/tea. Donations greatly appreciated. To RSVP, email or call 62345566.

24-27 September: Australasian Permaculture Convergence, Cairns. With fuel prices rising and having reached the peak of oil production, we're all facing the challenge making a the shift from the old to new low carbon emission technologies and practices. Permaculture designers and practitioners have been developing everyday low tech, simple solutions to complex problems for over three decades. Permaculture principles and practices can influence just about every corner of our society. The tenth Convergence will put permaculture solutions on show while sharing and learning with others about permaculture practices. The Convergence will produce a written statement of collected practical design solutions, for the permaculture and broader community, to help us all work smarter with government and community leaders. Click here for more information.

10 October: 10:10:10. The global organisations 10:10 and 350.org have combined to coordinate the biggest-ever day of local climate action on 10 October 2010 (10:10:10). There have been nearly 1000 Work Parties so far registered, including bike repair workshops in San Francisco, school insulating teams in London, wasteland-to-veggie gardeners in Dunedin (NZ) and solar panel installers in Kenya. 10:10:10 is 10 weeks before the world’s politicians meet again in Mexico to try to finalise the new climate deal they failed to make in Copenhagen.

5-6 November: Sustainable Buildings Forum. 1½ day forum at the Stanley Burbury Theatre, UTAS, Hobart organised by Future Tasmania. Bringing together leading practitioners in the field of sustainable buildings from Tasmania, Australia and overseas, the Forum will feature a keynote address from renowned Irish architect Paul Leech, Principal of GAIA Ecotecture in Dublin for the last 30 years, and recent winner of the 2010 LAMA ward for the Best Eco-Friendly Building in Europe. The Forum will highlight the very best sustainable building practices and concepts, and explore the opportunities for Tasmania to become a leader in this burgeoning new market. It will be facilitated by Phil Harrington, Pitt & Sherry’s principal climate change consultant and author of the recent Australian government report, The Pathway to 2020 for Low-Energy, Low-Carbon Buildings in Australia. Email for further information.

6-7 November: Sustainable Living Expo. A weekend of displays, demonstrations, presentations and fun: Sustainable Living Tasmania’s annual celebration of sustainability, now in its 12th year. Visit Sustainable Living Tasmania’s website for latest information.