Leading climate scientist to speak at Brunswick Heads event

LEADING climate scientist Dr Joëlle Gergis will speak at a climate action event in Brunswick Heads on October 23.

The ‘Highway to Hell: Are we stuck in a climate action cul-de-sac?’ event features Dr Gergis, the lead author of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report and the recent Quarterly Essay article ‘Highway to Hell’.

She will be joined by a panel of local experts and activists to talk about government paralysis, false solutions and the folly of adaptation rather than curbing fossil fuel use.

Dr Gergis is an internationally recognised academic and expert in Australian and Southern Hemisphere climate variability and change and has authored more than 130 scientific publications.

Her research focuses on providing a long-term historical context for assessing recently observed climate variability and extremes.

She completed her PhD on El Niño in 2006 and contributed chapters to The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Monthly, The Saturday Paper, Griffith Review, The Conversation and Harper’s Bazaar.

Dr Gergis is also a scientific adviser to various organisations including the Climate Council of Australia and the advisory council for the Australia–New Zealand node of Veolia, and is a CLIMARTE Ambassador to help support the creative arts sector’s engagement with the topic of climate change.

The founder of House You and event organiser, Chels Hood Withey, said the night aimed to energise community action on climate change by presenting practical solutions.

“We have the solutions; we just need to implement them,” Ms Withey said.

“This event is about translating knowledge into immediate action.”

Following the keynote speech, a panel session will discuss an end to new coal and gas expansions, the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy, creating sustainable jobs through electrification, and challenging government paralysis.

The panel will comprise Grata Fund founder Isabelle Reinecke, Greens candidate for Richmond Mandy Nolan, teacher and Strike 4 Climate organiser Michelle Lowe, journalist Royce Kurmelovs, and young climate leader with Ocean Voices Monet Shortland.

A forum for community ideas for local climate justice initiatives will put the most popular ideas to a vote.

For information and tickets, head to brunswickpicturehouse.com/highway-to-hell-23-oct