Tim Stephens
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Tim Stephens
@proftimstephens.bsky.social

Professor of International Law, University of Sydney Law School.

Councillor, Inner West Council, Sydney, 2021-2024.

www.sydney.edu.au/law/about/our-people/academic-staff/tim-stephens.html

orcid.org/0000-0001-9678-2227

Born at 331 ppm CO2 .. more

Tim Stephens is Professor of International Law at the University of Sydney and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. Stephens' main areas of research are the international law of the sea and international environmental law. .. more

Environmental science 40%
Political science 18%
Pinned
Our edited collection on 'Geopolitical Change and the Antarctic Treaty System' will be out in January 2025.

A big thanks to co-editors Shirley Scott and Jeff McGee and to the contributors for making this project possible.

link.springer.com/book/9789819...
Geopolitical Change and the Antarctic Treaty System
This book explores all aspects of geopolitical considerations between key states of the Antarctica Treaty System (ATS) and lessons that can be gained.
link.springer.com

Time for the EU and UK to impose targeted travel bans on key figures in the Trump regime. They shouldn’t be able to holiday in Paris while planning an invasion of Greenland.
Joint statement of EU Commission president and European Council president ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Looks like the EU-US trade deal is now dead, with all three major groups in the EU Parliament calling at least for suspension. The downward spiral has already begun.
Keir Starmer often takes 2-3 days to issue very mild criticism of US actions. This is both direct and issued fast.

I think there is a serious risk that the US miscalculated quite what a big deal the Greenland thing is to Europe (and in Europe).
NEW - Starmer says US "completely wrong" in threatening tariffs over Greenland

Still a country town.

The Herald’s coverage has been terrible. It’s been horse race commentary.

“However, Albanese said the federal opposition had been hypocritical in its response to date, given it had urged that parliament be recalled to deliver reform and then rejected his bill. He demanded Opposition Leader Sussan Ley confirm her position on the new bills.”

“Waters said the Greens would not support the hate speech and racial vilification measures.”

“The prime minister said the Greens had engaged in good faith with the government, after leader Larissa Waters confirmed that her party would back only the gun reforms, which are now expected to pass parliament next week.”

www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
Labor backs down on post-Bondi changes as political support collapses
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a last-ditch shake-up to his proposed laws after the Greens joined the Coalition in opposing the Labor plan.
www.smh.com.au

If they do invade Trump and Miller and other architects of the war would have no safe place to hide outside the US (except perhaps Russia).

Under no view of the applicable law does the US have any entitlement to Greenland.

A US invasion of Greenland would constitute aggression, described by the Nuremberg Tribunal as “the supreme international crime".

From noted expert in international law, Professor Miller.

He’s completely wrong, obviously. The test is ‘effective control’ and it is not necessary to demonstrate control over ever square inch, especially for remote or inhospitable territory.

Plus there is no valid competing claim by the US.

Well it is the Oz. Home of the worst climate deniers from Lord Monckton to Chris Kenny, and dozens in between.

Reposted by David Darmofal

In case you still think Elon Musk ever cared about climate change and the environment.
Tesla is sued over air pollution from factory operations in Fremont, California
A California nonprofit has sued Tesla over what it calls the company's "ongoing failure to comply with the Clean Air Act" at its Fremont assembly plant.
www.cnbc.com
Block instantly.

Reposted by Tim Stephens

Extraordinary the Australian did this entire article about increasing risks of climate change while not mentioning climate change. #auspol #localgovernment
@icegov.bsky.social has been verified by @bsky.app.

Reposted by Tim Stephens

Excellent piece by the ABC's Jess Davis on the Natimuk fire this week pointing out climate change related factors in the event. No doubt the fact she is a former Natimuk resident helped make this as informative as it is .. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
No time to warn or to prepare: Natimuk met the fire of our future
The anatomy of the Natimuk fire offers a glimpse into a new and faster kind of bushfire — and the growing vulnerability of communities as climate change fuels dangerous conditions.
www.abc.net.au

Reposted by Tim Stephens

“72% of Australians have little or no confidence in Trump “to do the right thing”, a Lowy Institute poll..found As few as 8% are convinced Australia “shares values” with modern America according to a YouGov pole A plurality.felt the US was an unreliable ally”
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Australia’s confidence in Trump’s US has evaporated. What will it take for the alliance to rupture?
The superpower still plays a critical role in the Pacific, but there will be no going back to the liberal world order even after this presidential term ends, analysts agree
www.theguardian.com

“The voice of Trump and the fossil fuel-funded think tanks that helped draft his climate and energy policies has metastasised to Australia too”

www.smh.com.au/environment/...
Global warning: Trump’s war on the planet heats up
The impacts of the US president’s attack on climate science are profound but as yet unquantifiable. But his language of denial has now bled into Australian politics.
www.smh.com.au
You can practically see American power being squandered by the hour. It is truly a historic few months we are living through. As if threatening your century-old allies carried zero cost.

The Great Power Unravelling.

www.ft.com/content/8c80...
Donald Trump threatens tariffs on allies over opposition to Greenland plan
US president redoubles demands for Danish territory two days after Washington agreed to be part of high-level working group
www.ft.com
BREAKING: A full-scale airlift is running around the clock, transporting troops and military equipment to Greenland.
The operation is extensive, “beyond anything we’ve tried before,” a source tells DR. Danish F-35 fighter planes and warships from European allies involved.

www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...
Stor operation i gang: Fly strømmer til Grønland med europæiske soldater
I flere døgn har militære transportfly fløjet i pendulfart mellem Danmark og Grønland. Fredag aften landede et stort antal soldater i Nuuk.
www.dr.dk

Reposted by Tim Stephens

It is the source of so many of our evils: the astonishing concentration of wealth in the hands of a very few, and the immense political power that gives them. We cannot solve our problems until we tackle it.
This week's column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
At the root of all our problems stands one travesty: politicians’ surrender to the super-rich | George Monbiot
There are many excuses for failing to tax the ultra-wealthy. The truth is that governments don’t tackle the problem because they don’t want to, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
pretty sure he meant the other thing, grok, but very cool that those are your two things

Reposted by Tim Stephens

Canadian PM Mark Carney on Greenland: “We are NATO partners with Denmark.

“Our full partnership and our obligations to Article 5 and Article 2 stand. We stand fully behind those.”

Reposted by Tim Stephens

In 2025, global sea ice extent saw a record low:

In February, combined Arctic + Antarctic sea ice extents fell to the lowest level in the satellite records.

@ecmwf.int
⬇️
X still allowing users to post sexualised images generated by Grok AI tool www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
X still allowing users to post sexualised images generated by Grok AI tool
Despite restrictions announced this week, Guardian reporters find standalone app continues to allow posting of nonconsensual content
www.theguardian.com

"What will it take for policymakers to take this more seriously?"

www.smh.com.au/environment/...
Climate whiplash: We can no longer pretend this isn’t a crisis
Australia has been riven by fires and floods this summer. What will it take to make policymakers treat this as the crisis it is?
www.smh.com.au
Scott Morrison to speak at far-right antisemitism conference in Israel .. so extreme that Israelis boycott it. @sstephanietrann.bsky.social
#auspol #scomo
michaelwest.com.au/ambassadors-...
"Ambassadors of Truth": Scott Morrison to speak in Israel as Gazans keep dying - Michael West
Former PM Scott Morrison is a keynote speaker at a controversial Israeli government-sponsored antisemitism conference later this month.
michaelwest.com.au