Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 7h

A climatologist, an economist and a social scientist walk into a Royal Society of Victoria lecture theatre.
A discussion about the future of our society in a climate changed world.
Myself, Dr Richard Dennis @richarddenniss.bsky.social and Prof. Lucas Walsh
podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/e...

Event: A trio of commentators at the Royal Society of Victoria tackles: 'What is Australia Risking? Future Impacts of Climate Change'

Podcast Episode · Climate Conversations · 09/10/2025 · 1h 46m

podcasts.apple.com

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 1d

Finally the graph that shows the fallacy of the ‘it’s all happened before’ argument. #ithasnt

Peter Brannen @peterbrannen.bsky.social · 1d

Just remembered this jaw-dropping graph by @oceansclimatecu.bsky.social showing the rate of change in CO2 during the previous two deglaciations of the Pleistocene (which, as a fun aside, featured ~400 feet of sea level rise) as compared with today

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Peter Brannen @peterbrannen.bsky.social · 1d

Just remembered this jaw-dropping graph by @oceansclimatecu.bsky.social showing the rate of change in CO2 during the previous two deglaciations of the Pleistocene (which, as a fun aside, featured ~400 feet of sea level rise) as compared with today

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Dr Richard Denniss @richarddenniss.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit scared of any new ‘environment laws’ that Labor can get Matt Canavan and Andrew Hastie to vote for…I think they will be better described as ‘ how to build more mines faster laws’ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Watt nears deal with Coalition to finally overhaul environment laws

Environment Minister Murray Watt will sit down with his Liberal counterpart Angie Bell today, with quiet optimism in both parties that a deal might soon be struck to finally rewrite Australia's "broke...

www.abc.net.au

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John Holmes @jhaue.bsky.social · 3d

New data shows Australia's extreme weather losses among highest in world www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Betting on the weather emerges as a solution as insurance costs skyrocket

Amid more extreme weather events, parametric insurance — described as a bet on the weather —is on the rise. It is now being touted as a possible solution for Australians, who have some of the highest ...

www.abc.net.au

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 4d

I'm a white bellied sea eagle guy myself...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 5d

I’ll be presenting on the NCRA with my friend Prof. Lucas Walsh and economist Richard Dennis @richarddenniss.bsky.social at the Royal Society of Victoria this Tuesday 6pm - come on down
events.humanitix.com/what-is-aust...

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Zeke Hausfather @hausfath.bsky.social · 6d

September 2025 was the third warmest September on record at 1.47C above preindustrial levels in ERA5, behind only the prior two years (2023 and 2024).

With 9 months of the year now in, I estimate 2025 will approximately tie with 2023 for the second warmest year on record at ~1.48C.

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 7d

🔴 Santos Limited has racked up a 10th straight year of zero corporate tax payments from $48 billion in sales.

🔴 Ichthys LNG Pty Ltd paid zero corporate tax for the 6th year running, from $43 billion in sales.

Add your name to make the gas industry pay their fair share > theaus.in/fix_gas_expo...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 9d

The News Corp headlines referring to the NCRA were, frankly, disgraceful. Some comments from me are included in this @australia.theguardian.com article.

Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 9d

News Corp embraces fantasy genre by turning climate crisis into ‘laughable’ science fiction | Graham Readfearn

The National Climate Risk Assessment was attacked in the Daily Telegraph, while wind turbines became a frightening obstacle for firefighting planes and solar panels a source of mountains of landfill waste * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast On the front page of the Daily Telegraph, Australia’s first comprehensive assessment of the risks from climate change became “SCIENCE FICTION”. In other leading stories in recent weeks, wind turbines became a frightening obstacle for firefighting planes and solar panels were a source of mountains of landfill waste. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 9d

News Corp embraces fantasy genre by turning climate crisis into ‘laughable’ science fiction | Graham Readfearn

The National Climate Risk Assessment was attacked in the Daily Telegraph, while wind turbines became a frightening obstacle for firefighting planes and solar panels a source of mountains of landfill waste * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast On the front page of the Daily Telegraph, Australia’s first comprehensive assessment of the risks from climate change became “SCIENCE FICTION”. In other leading stories in recent weeks, wind turbines became a frightening obstacle for firefighting planes and solar panels were a source of mountains of landfill waste. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 9d

“On September 17, Antarctic sea ice likely reached its annual maximum extent of 17.81 million square kilometers (6.88 million square miles). The 2025 maximum is the third lowest in the 47-year satellite record above 2023 and 2024.”

nsidc.org/sea-ice-toda...

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Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) @antarcticsciaus.bsky.social · 10d

❄️ Fact vs Fiction

Q: Has Antarctica’s ice mass rebounded after increasing in recent years?

A: Whilst fluctuations have occurred, the continent has lost around 2.5T tonnes of ice since 2002.

Our Director @deformedearth.bsky.social (UTAS) explains in AAP FactCheck.

🔗 www.aap.com.au/factcheck/sc...

Scientists call foul on Antarctic ice rebound claim

Experts have said the long-term decline in ice mass is clear and that cherry-picking small periods of time gives a misleading picture.

www.aap.com.au

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 10d

Noting guru Eun-Pa Lim explains on X that its still very early days for the Sudden Stratospheric Warming, and what we have seen so far is a 'minor warming'

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 10d

Great explainer by Martin Jucker @drjucker.bsky.social on the emerging Sudden Stratospheric Warming event over Antarctica, noting it is just one climate driver at play and does *not* lock in another 2019-like spring/summer.
(Thanks also to Martin for citing our 2019 SSW article with Harry and EunPa)

The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 10d

The stratospheric polar vortex high above Antarctica has rapidly heated up. These sudden bursts of heat can bring rapid weather changes in Australia.

👉 theconversation.com/air-tem...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 10d

#ridetoworkmelb #melbweather

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The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 10d

The stratospheric polar vortex high above Antarctica has rapidly heated up. These sudden bursts of heat can bring rapid weather changes in Australia.

👉 theconversation.com/air-tem...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 12d

“Mosquito borne diseases are the most climate sensitive
transmission type of communicable disease in Australia, with other vector borne diseases, food and water borne diseases, zoonotic diseases and environmental diseases also aggravated by multiple climate conditions”

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 12d

Hidden gems of the National Climate Risk Assessment- the Climate and Communicable diseases discussion paper, led by Brett Sutton AO from CSIRO.
www.arcgis.com/home/item.ht...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 13d

We all do!

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 14d

Burro indeed!! Top work DW

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 14d

The work of EunPa Lim (and Harry Hendon) is quite convincing. There have been some great advances in our thinking around the influence of the southern SSW over the past several years.

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 14d

….comes with preinstalled sandbags and low-tide only beach.

Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 14d

Our article on the 2019 SSW event proved to be prophetic…
theconversation.com/the-air-abov...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 14d

I’d ask what the insurance is/will be… #sealevelrise #NCRA

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 14d

I think you are missing the point. CCIA was solely about climate and used AR4 era models (roughly 2010) [NCRA is using AR6 models (roughly 2020) ], whereas NCRA explicitly includes Exposure and Vulnerability data to determine who and what is at risk. That has never been done on this scale for Aus.

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 16d

The joke is on anyone who believes we are tracking a SSP1-2.6 future, as the American think tanker suggests we are should have used. That said, clowns like jokes 🤡
(Like SSP5-8.5. it is considered implausible.)
rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/a-close-lo...

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 16d

Mmmmm…
Who to believe on climate change impacts on Australia over the coming century?
Australian peer review published climate scientists from BoM and CSIRO inc. several IPCC and WMO experts, or,
The Daily Mail.
I had to reassure myself it wasn’t 1 April. #dinosaurs

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Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 17d

Another good article on remote communities

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

In remote WA, locals say they are already experiencing climate danger

Locals in small northern WA communities say the potential dangers identified by the Climate Risk Assessment are already starting to appear.

www.abc.net.au

Andrew B. Watkins @windjunky.bsky.social · 17d

The National Climate Risk Assessment Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples Technical Report is at:

www.acs.gov.au/documents/af...

Summary at

www.acs.gov.au/documents/b2...

09 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Technical Report

This report summarises the current and increasingly significant risks to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their values, and knowledges, and opportunities to address these challenges.

www.acs.gov.au

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