Jennifer Marohasy

Finding anthropogenic global warming (AGW) shapes in the fog of variability is a major challenge, simply because natural climate variability is large.  And then the problem becomes attributing those changes to a climate mechanism in an interlinked dynamic climate system. One of those climate detective stories taking some intriguing twists and turns is the rainfall [...]

After the Queensland floods, Stewart Franks’ research on the interaction of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) driving cycles of drought and flood in Australia has been advanced as the rebuttal to the proposition by some politicians and scientists that anthropogenic climate change has had a role in recent events. And [...]

Yesterday David Karoly from Melbourne University’s school of earth sciences told the Sydney Morning Herald that while individual events could not be attributed to climate change, the wild extremes being experienced on the continent were in keeping with scientists’ forecasts of more flooding associated with increased heavy rain events and more droughts as a result [...]

At the United Nations climate conference in Bali last year delegates agreed to include forest conservation in future discussions on a new global warming treaty.  If adopted, REDD (Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Degradation) means that the value of carbon in intact forests can be realized in carbon accounting.   Environmentalists see REDD as a [...]

Rabbits and rats are posing a severe threat to World Heritage values on Macquarie Island, as research reveals widespread damage to terrestrial ecosystems. This includes destruction of vegetation (habitat for threatened albatross species and other seabirds), and catastrophic erosion. Macquarie Island Under Threat Erosion and heavy spring rains have caused a large landslip on Macquarie [...]

Study finds global warming affecting bird migration Climate change may not be noticeable to all humans yet, but the behaviour of birds suggests the seasons have already changed. A researcher at the weather bureau has found that some spring migrating birds are arriving many days earlier than they used to. Short-term targets key to tackling [...]

This blog’s fraternity of AGW denialists (climate realists) would be dismayed to learn that their good friend Al Gore was in Sydney yesterday to open the Financial and Energy Exchange (FEX). Another good friend, Bob Carr introduces the “big man” here. Their web site states: “FEX Climate Pty Ltd is the carbon and environmental arm [...]

A new report The Nature of Northern Australia** advocates responsible conservation and development of one of the world’s great ecological treasures – the northern Australian tropical savanna. This vast area represents some 25% of the world’s remaining tropical savanna woodlands and is still in good ecological condition, some 1.5 million km2 extending from Cairns and [...]

Last night Australia’s “premier television current affairs program” Four Corners showed a documentary purportedly about the “campaign to deny the science of global warming”. A regular reader and commentator at this blog, Luke Walker, emailed me the following comment on the program: Hi Jennifer, ABC Four Corners last night aired CBC’s news magazine show The [...]

Luke Walker reminds us that geological history includes evidence of mass extinctions from “killer greenhouse conditions”: “Readers of this blog are often witness to accusations of alarmism by those opposed to scenario projections using contemporary anthropogenic global warming theory. Comfort is often taken in the world having survived substantial climate swings in geological time and [...]