News

Dr Alessandra Sutti is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, where she leads a team focused in polymer and textiles research. At IFM, Ale leads a team whose mission is to bring greater “circularity” in the world of materials manufacturing, especially textiles. The team is also investigating aspects such as the marine degradability of textile materials, to inform their design of new materials and processes towards a more sustainable future. 

Ale’s “spare time” is spent in supporting efforts in environmental education world-wide, through The GLOBE Program, a US Global environmental education Program sponsored by NASA. Ale leads a world-wide microplastics monitoring protocol trial, collaboration with GLOBE Italy. The trial has so far involved over 10,000 students and 500 teachers in 20 countries, with many students, teachers and communities involved. 

Dr Lavenia Ratnarajah is a marine biogeochemist, currently investigating the mechanisms that drive carbon export in the Southern Ocean, through the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership. Lavy has worked on projects and with research organisations in Europe, the Americas and across the Asia-Pacific, including conducting fieldwork in Antarctica.

In 2023, Lavy launched Project E.V.E – Empowerment Via Education – with the aim of engaging school students with contemporary research and related problem solving. 

This conversation was enjoyed on the 14th August, 5pm AEST as we explore both important citizen science projects and consider their role in climate change education.

On Wednesday, 31st July, at 5:30pm we were in conversation with Damon Gameau, award winning actor, screen writer, director, author and activist. Damon is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), appearing in the Australian films Balibo, Thunderstruck, and Razzle Dazzle, and a range of television series including Raw, Wentworth and Underbelly. Damon wrote and produced “THAT SUGAR FILM”, documenting the impacts of a high sugar diet on his body which became a phenomenal success. 

Damon is the co-founder of Regen Studios. In this role, he creates documentaries including “2040”, a visual letter to his then 4 year old daughter exploring what our world would look like if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shift them rapidly into the mainstream. His subsequent film, “REGENERATE AUSTRALIA 2030”, released in 2020 explores what Australia would look like in the year 2030 if we just listened to its people.

His latest documentary is “FUTURE COUNCIL”, screened for the first time at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 11th August 2024. In this film, Damon invited eight school children from around the globe to take a ride on his vegetable-oil powered, bright yellow school bus to confront multinational uber-polluters, talk to politicians, discover cutting edge work at eco-minded organisations, and marvel at the splendour of some of the continent’s most beautiful forests and lakes. 

What drives Damon in his work? In this conversation with Damon we considered what could be possible if adults actually listen to the children set to inherit an increasingly inhabitable Earth and discuss how Damon’s work connects and intersects with climate change education and climate justice. 

Dr Tanja Beer is a Senior Lecturer at the Queensland College of Art and Design and the Co-director of the Performance + Ecology Research Lab (P⁺ERL) at Griffith University. She is an award winning community artist, ecological designer and creative researcher.  Since 2011, Tanja has been focused on the development of ecological arts practices across theatre, performance design and community arts. Her most significant work is The Living Stage: https://ecoscenography.com/the-living-stage/ combining stage design, horticulture and community engagement to create recyclable, biodegradable, edible and biodiverse performance spaces. The Living Stage enables people to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the living world, and bring a regenerative focus to cultural practices that creates opportunities for thrive-ability across more than human systems.

On the 17th July 2024, 5pm AEST we were pleased to host Dr Beer to discuss her research and practical work in the arts, specifically focussing on eco-conscious performance design ‘eco-scenography’, and how such work considers climate change education and climate justice.

ADD YOUR VOICE to the ACTION PLAN

The Australian Climate Change Education Action Plan is being drafted. This process is informed by research, our advisory panel, and YOU!

We invite you to respond to this survey, to share your thoughts on what is needed to continue and further develop climate change education in all education jurisdictions. You are invited to complete this survey if you have an interest in climate change education (direct or otherwise), and if you are 18 years old or older.

The survey will remain open up to the Summit.

Wednesday 8th May, 5pm

Power, the language of disasters and what it means for action.

Dr Marilyn Palmer was a foundation member of the Social Work Program at Edith Cowan University, actively involved in researching and teaching in the areas of ecosocial work, domestic violence, ecojustice activism, and transformative leadership in disaster recovery.  Since formally retiring in 2022, Marilyn has continued her engagement with the university through tutoring and supporting research on cultural humility, and ecological grief and loss.  Beyond the university, she practices activism through the Alongside Women’s Action Group weekly vigil in Bunbury, as a member of the Waratah Management Committee, and as an active member of Greens WA. 

Join us for what we are certain will be a thought provoking and motivating conversation, drawing on the deep-thinking that Marilyn is engaged with regarding how we concieve of, communicate and teach about climate change.

The Climate Council have published their ‘Seize the Decade’ Report – a plan ‘to empower Australian communities and cut climate pollution by 75 percent this decade.’ They’ve put in the leg-work and shown us how we can get it done – explained in detail in this one-hour webinar:

Now we just have to do it! So how do we ensure that we, Australian people and our future generations, have the knowledge and skills to enact this plan? Why, through considered enactment of Climate Change Education, of course! Add your voice to the Australian Climate Change Education Action Plan, and join the conversation, via our Speaker Series, as we work to ensure that all Australians, now and into the future, are afforded the education that we, as a nation, require to address and adapt to our rapidly changing climate.

24th April 2024, 4.30pm AEST

Dr Lisa Siegel brings over 30 years of experience as an educator and environmental advocate. Lisa is the current national president of the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) and is also a member of the Sustainability, Environmental and Arts Education (SEAE) Research Centre. She has been acknowledged as an Australian Environmental Educator of the Year and NSW Tertiary and Community Environment Educator of the year.

Join us for this Speaker Series webinar in which Dr Siegel will share her thoughts about the conjunction of environmental education and climate change education.

27th March 2024, 4pm AEDT

Surfing at Bondi is a passion for Costa who is a qualified Landscape Architect and studied at the University of NSW. Costa believes in embracing and celebrating mother nature’s cycles and seasons and nurturing her balance, beauty and bounty organically. His holistic approach is all about gardening the soil and the soul. He is the host of ABC Gardening Australia and a well known environmental education activist as the Patron for NSW AAEE.

We were thrilled to have Prof. Tim Flannery, Chief Councillor at the Climate Council, launch the Australian Climate Change Education Speaker Series, on Wednesday, 6th March, 4pm – 5pm.

A huge thank you to Tim, and to all our attendees, with wonderful questions, for making the first event in our Speaker Series such a success. We covered a lot of ground, and kept returning to issues of equity and enablement. As Tim put it “I’m not quite sure how we as a society are going to negotiate [the energy transition and climate action] unless we renegotiate that fundamental question of fairness and equity.” A pertinent observation, especially in light of the recent publication of the Universities Accord, with a focus on equity and skills deficits, and in the context of the profoundly challenged public education system, the housing crisis, and cost-of-living pressures.

You can watch the recording of Tim’s talk here:

Our whole team had the privilege of attending the Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning Conference on Friday, 1st March. We were inspired, motivated and profoundly heartened after learning about all the wonderful work shared. Thank you so much to the dedicated team at EASL for putting together such a wonderful event, and to all the presenters for sharing their brilliant work – especially Zena Cumpston for an unbeatable keynote, and the Djirri Djirri Dancers. Such generous teachings and sharing of knowledge and resources.