Page 10 - Climate Control News November 2018
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News
First Women in STEM Ambassador
Astrophysicist Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith
AWARD-WINNING ASTROPHYSICIST PRO- FESSOR Lisa Harvey-Smith has been selected Australia’s first Women in STEM Ambassador.
Professor Harvey-Smith will spearhead the federal government’s effort to encourage girls and women to study and work in science, tech- nology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields on a national scale.
Announcing the appointment, Minister for In- dustry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said that as Australia’s first Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor Harvey-Smith will advo- cate for girls and women in STEM education and careers, raising awareness and driving cultural and social change for gender equity.
“If we can increase participation in STEM by girls and women, we will strengthen Australia’s re- search, scientific and business capability,” she said.
“The Women in STEM Ambassador role will
complement existing work and activities that are driving greater gender equity in science, both Government and sector-led.”
The Ambassador role is part of a $4.5 million package announced in the 2018-19 Budget.
Professor Harvey-Smith is an award-winning astrophysicist, holding a PhD in Radio Astrono- my from Jodrell Bank Observatory at the Univer- sity of Manchester and a Masters degree in Phys- ics with Honours in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
She won the 2016 Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research, shared the 2016 CSIRO Chairman's Medal and in 2017 was a mentor for Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM program. She also supervises a number of PhD students.
Professor Harvey-Smith’s research has been published in more than 40 scientific papers. ✺
Urgent action required to limit global warming
THE LATEST UNITED Nations report on climate change is further proof that not enough is being done to limit global warming.
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- mate Change (IPCC) warned that 'rapid, far- reaching and unprecedented changes' in all as- pects of society' was required just to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees .
A new assessment was released by the IPCC in preparation for the next climate change con- ference in Poland next month when govern- ments review the Paris Agreement of 2015.
“One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are al- ready seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, ris- ing sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes,” the co-chair of the IPCC Working Group, Panmao Zhai, said.
The report found that limiting global warm- ing to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far- reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net hu- man-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050.
IPCC Working Group co chair, Jim Skea, said
to limit warming to 1.5oC is possible within the laws of chemistry and phys- ics but doing so would require unprec- edented changes.
Oxfam Australia's climate change ad- viser, Dr Simon Bradshaw, said the world is presently on track for around 3°C of warming – a level that would put the very future of human civilization in jeopardy.
“Significantly, the report shows achieving far more rapid reductions in climate pollution between now and 2030 will greatly increase the chances of limiting warming to 1.5°C and avoid extremely costly trade-offs further down the line,” he said.
“It beggars belief that in the face of such evidence, Australia’s emissions are continu- ing to rise and our Government has no plan to break free from fossil fuels and tackle the climate crisis.
“This landmark report from the world’s foremost scientific authority on climate change reveals the extraordinary gap be- tween Australia’s current commitments to tackling climate change and the scale and pace of action needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement .”
Dr Bradshaw said to limit warming to 1.5 de- grees would require the very rapid decarbonisa- tion of the global economy.
“For Australia, this means no new coal, a shift to 100 % renewable energy as soon as possible, and reaching zero emissions well before mid- century,” he said.
“If all countries were to follow Australia’s example, we would be heading for a world of devastating hun- ger, crushing inequality and mass displacement.” ✺
ABOVE: Oxfam Australia's climate change adviser, Dr Simon Bradshaw.
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
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