Andrew B. Watkins
@windjunky.bsky.social
Australian climate scientist rambling about climate drivers, variability, risks, trends & impacts. Once played goalie for Antarctica. Born @ 325ppm.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drandrewwatkins/
Environmental science
33%
Medicine
16%
Reposted by Scott C. Doney, Andrew Watkins
Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center in Colorado
Governor Jared Polis warned that breaking up Boulder’s NCAR would put ‘public safety at risk’
www.theguardian.com
“This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country”
I’m certainly alarmed by government inaction on climate, and not by the critical science from the world class NCAR weather and climate research facility.
#thisisvandalism.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I’m certainly alarmed by government inaction on climate, and not by the critical science from the world class NCAR weather and climate research facility.
#thisisvandalism.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
And likewise the National Partnership for Climate Projections call for high performance computing and data storage
www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/defaul...
www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/defaul...
Humanities and Social Sciences are also absolutely critical to mitigating and especially adapting to climate risk (amongst its many importances). This should never be underestimated IMHO. Thanks for raising and noting Darrin.
"Hmm" Trump thinks to himself, "What else can I do to destroy the US tourism industry?"
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
Foreigners allowed to travel to the U.S. without a visa could soon face new social media screening
The notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who ...
www.pbs.org
Restrictions on USA entry already means some scientist reluctance to attend workshops and conferences held in the US. Weather, climate & oceans science meetings like the AMS / AGU conferences may not attract the same numbers of internationals and hence overall climate science suffers.
Agreed
Figure 26 from the NCRA Communities Technical Report: www.acs.gov.au/documents/8c...
While people are moving to Tassie as climate refugees, the National Climate Risk Assessment shows that areas around Melbourne have lower overall climate risk than Tassie, due to better resilience (less exposure and vulnerability).
Reposted by Andrew Watkins
Foreigners allowed to travel to the U.S. without a visa could soon face new social media screening
The notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who ...
www.pbs.org
"Hmm" Trump thinks to himself, "What else can I do to destroy the US tourism industry?"
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
Australia’s supercomputers are falling behind – and it’s hurting our ability to adapt to climate change
When the Gadi supercomputer opened in 2020, it was ranked 24th in the world. It’s now dropped to 179th.
theconversation.com
Excellent context on why we need more supercomputing to keep Australia at the forefront of climate research. Current funding is slipping in real terms, meaning the science is slipping and slowing too.
Thanks Christian Jakob and @21stcenturyweather.bsky.social
theconversation.com/australias-s...
Thanks Christian Jakob and @21stcenturyweather.bsky.social
theconversation.com/australias-s...
Nailed it.
(My teenage kids understand social media algorithms infinitely more than Gen X and older, and are far more cynical about what they read.)
(My teenage kids understand social media algorithms infinitely more than Gen X and older, and are far more cynical about what they read.)
www.bankofengland.co.uk
Revised climate change risk supervisory statement from the Bank of England.
Basically says banking and insurance firms must model climate impacts, CEOs & CFOs are responsible for climate risk, and that insurance & banking climate risks are closely intertwined.
www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/...
Basically says banking and insurance firms must model climate impacts, CEOs & CFOs are responsible for climate risk, and that insurance & banking climate risks are closely intertwined.
www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/...
www.arc.gov.au
Brilliant news for anyone who lives, works, plays, eats from or travels on our seas, ocean and/or coastline. (That would be basically all of us!)
ARC funds a new Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and Climate. www.arc.gov.au/news-publica...
ARC funds a new Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and Climate. www.arc.gov.au/news-publica...
Climate, a Capital Problem - World Inequality Report 2026
Emissions linked to capital ownership are overwhelmingly concentrated at the top, making climate change inseparable from wealth inequality.
wir2026.wid.world
Global inequality report says the richest people emit a hugely disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases, while at the same time being the least vulnerable and least impacted by climate damage of anyone. Hence the inequality gap is only widened by climate change.
wir2026.wid.world/insight/clim...
wir2026.wid.world/insight/clim...
Reposted by Iain Davidson, Andrew Watkins, Tim Stephens
Sam Burgess
@oceanterra.org
· 17d
The latest #climate update from Copernicus shows that 2025 is on course to be:
- joint 2nd warmest year, tied with 2023 and behind 2024 (warmest year)
- November 2025 was the 3rd warmest November globally
For more: climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2...
🌏🌡️⚒️🧪🌊
- joint 2nd warmest year, tied with 2023 and behind 2024 (warmest year)
- November 2025 was the 3rd warmest November globally
For more: climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2...
🌏🌡️⚒️🧪🌊
Same in Victoria.
But sometimes (note sometimes) such people are the strongest advocates for action, as they have their epiphany late in life and hence try to force their camel through the needle. There are some former coal execs in Australia the same.
Really? Have a read of some of Matt Kean’s speeches - they don’t appear to be parroting government policy from what I can see. I was a little disappointed with their defence of the 60-72% target, and their new CEO has some form, but overall we could do a lot lot worse IMHO.
Spring to spring is possibly more confusing in a physical sense as it’s a peak to peak in terms of impacts. The other problem with correlation is that rainfall has a lower limit (zero rainfall) so El Niño will look less correlated than La Niña. Hence composites in terms of deciles makes more sense
But annual SOI makes little sense. You can be in La Niña at the start of the calendar year and El Niño at the end. Why not try April-March or
Financial year?
Financial year?
Three ways climate change affects mental health – and why the story is more hopeful than it might seem
Climate change may be adding to mental health pressures, from trauma to climate distress, but climate action can be a positive way to cope.
theconversation.com
Interesting overview on climate change and mental health. (*Doesn’t mention attacks on the scientists or science itself)
theconversation.com/three-ways-c...
theconversation.com/three-ways-c...
Noting that this is a mean value - currently the SAM is very negative, meaning mid latitude westerly winds are a lot further north (equatorward) than normal.
www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso...
www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso...
Southern Annular Mode dynamics, projections and impacts in a changing climate - Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) has shifted towards its positive phase owing to ozone depletion and increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. This Review discusses the dynamics, trends and projections...
www.nature.com
“The SAM is now in its most positive mean state in over 1,000 years, and a year-round positive trend in the SAM is projected to continue throughout the twenty-first century in response to increasing greenhouse gases.”
+ve Southern Annular Mode=poleward westerly winds
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
+ve Southern Annular Mode=poleward westerly winds
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee [Part 2] | 01/12/2025
YouTube video by Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal
www.youtube.com
BoM (new CEO calledl it BoM) at senate estimates, grilled on website and ROBUST cut short by 11pm bell.
A comprehensive opening statement on website and wider context, and a promise of review. No one blamed 🚌 but notably absent chief customer officer.
From 3:30 mark
www.youtube.com/live/l2wuTx8...
A comprehensive opening statement on website and wider context, and a promise of review. No one blamed 🚌 but notably absent chief customer officer.
From 3:30 mark
www.youtube.com/live/l2wuTx8...
He was treasurer wasnt he?