November 10 2023
The UN says scientists have confirmed that 2023 is set to be the hottest year on record in terms of average global temperatures. Temperatures were on average 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels between November 2022 and October this year.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) this week declared that “as a result of record high land and sea-surface temperatures since June, the year 2023 is now on track to be the warmest year on record”. The WMO warns that next year may be even warmer, with El Niño expected to last until at least April 2024.
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Jacqui Street 0498 188 528 / jacqui.street@climatemediacentre.org.au
Emily Watkins 0420 622 408 / emily.watkins@climatemediacentre.org.au
THE FOLLOWING EXPERTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW TODAY:
CLIMATE IMPACTS
Professor Mark Howden, Director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, is an expert on climate impacts, adaptation, and emission-reduction for food security, energy, water resources and urban systems, having worked in this area for nearly three decades. He has also developed the national (NGGI) and international (IPCC/OECD) greenhouse gas inventories for the agricultural sector and assessed sustainable methods of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Location: Canberra
HEALTH IMPACTS
Dr Kate Wylie, Doctors for the Environment Australia executive director and GP, can speak about the physical and mental health impacts of extreme weather and climate change. Dr Wylie can share practical tips for staying safe during a heatwave and can talk to the impact of heat on mental and physical health. Location: Adelaide, SA
Dr Kimberly Humphrey, Emergency Medicine Physician and public health professional, is a Fellow in Climate Change and Human Health at The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. Dr Humphrey has a background in research, policy and advocacy at the intersection of climate change and health, emergency medicine and public health, and disaster mitigation and adaptation, and is a Doctors for the Environment Australia board member. Location: Adelaide, SA
Dr Kim Loo, Western Sydney GP and member of Doctors for the Environment Australia, can talk about the impacts of extreme heat in her community of Western Sydney. As a practising GP, she sees first hand the immediate and longer term impacts the extreme heat conditions have on vulnerable community members. Location: Sydney, NSW.
HOT WEATHER IN CITIES
Emma Bacon, Executive Director and Founder of Sweltering Cities, works directly with communities in Australia’s hottest suburbs, including the likes of Western Sydney and Dandenong in South Eastern Melbourne, and can talk about how individuals can prepare as well as provide insights and solutions on how best to prepare cities. Location: Melbourne.
HEAT AND OCEANS
Ocean scientist Professor Gretta Pecl, from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania, authored the Australian ocean section of the latest IPCC report and can talk about the impact of heat on the ocean. Location: Hobart.
Professor Pecl said: “Ocean scientists around the world are growing increasingly concerned about rapid and intensifying changes to our oceans, especially now with the El Niño climate pattern expected to last until at least April 2024.
“While much of the worry for the brutal summer ahead is quite rightly about the impact on our iconic Great Barrier Reef, the scientific community is also extremely concerned about the Great Southern Reef. With forecasts of unprecedented and 'off the charts' marine heat this summer, these critical marine ecosystems face risk of utter devastation.
“While climate change has already caused extensive change to our oceans - and we’ll continue to see devastating impacts for decades - stronger action by governments to reign in fossil fuels right now can limit future harms and ensure more species and ecosystems are given a fighting chance. Scientists agree: the single most important action we can take now is to leave fossil fuels in the polluting past - and it has to happen this decade."
HEAT AND ANIMALS
Ron Glanville, former chief vet for Queensland and biosecurity expert with 42 years’ experience in biosecurity policy and operations, can talk about the impact of extreme heat on animals and the biosecurity implications of increased heat. Location: Woodend, Victoria
Ron Glanville said: “The latest statistics on the warming of earth are quite disturbing. The impacts on animals are likely to be profound depending on where they are located. There are not just the direct impacts of heat and fires on animals themselves but also higher temperatures changes the distribution of diseases which affect animals. So there are direct and indirect effects.”
FARMERS
Vivien Thomson, NSW farmer and volunteer firefighter, can talk about her experience of heat on farmers and regional communities. Location: NSW South West slopes
Vivien Thomson said: "As a farmer and volunteer firefighter I like to be prepared. We have got 300 big square bales of silage buried in case of another drought and there’s been a lot of demand for our hay bales. Farmers from as far away as the Hunter Valley are trying to prepare for a warm summer after a dry winter. We don't need to be told about record heat anymore; there's just so many farmers living and breathing the impacts of climate change. We care deeply about our land and our animals. It’s our business and our home as well.”
ENDS
Contact details:
Jacqui Street 0498 188 528 / jacqui.street@climatemediacentre.org.au
Emily Watkins 0420 622 408 / emily.watkins@climatemediacentre.org.au