Chris Turney

The last ice age tells us why we need to care about a 2°C change in temperature

26 Feb 2020

Perhaps 2°C doesn't sound like much, but if you look through history, 2°C temperature changes have had huge effects on the planet and people.

Ice core sample from the Patriot Hills area

Ancient Antarctic ice melt increased sea levels by 3+ metres – and it could happen again

12 Feb 2020

Rising ocean temperatures drove the melting of Antarctic ice sheets and caused extreme sea level rise more than 100,000 years ago, a new international study led by UNSW Sydney shows.

Sydney declares a climate emergency – what does that mean in practice?

27 Jun 2019

Sydney has joined more than 600 local governments around the world – as well as the national governments of the UK and Canada – in putting the climate crisis at the heart of all policy decisions.

UK becomes first country to declare a 'climate emergency'

03 May 2019

The move has been likened to putting the country on a "war footing", with climate and the environment at the very centre of all government policy, rather than being on the fringe of political decisions.

How a change in climate wiped out the 'Siberian unicorn'

27 Nov 2018

The loss of the Siberian unicorn shows just how vulnerable some animals can be to environmental change that can impact on their food supply.

Will 2018 be the year of climate action? Victorian London's 'Great Stink' sewer crisis might tell us

28 Sep 2018

As climate extremes mount, let's reflect on Victorian London's 'Great Stink' sewage crisis - when things finally became so bad authorities were forced to accept evidence, reject sceptics, and act.

Loneliest tree in the world marks new age for our planet

20 Feb 2018

A radiocarbon 'golden spike' found in a tree on an island in the Southern Ocean marks a new geological epoch during which human activity has been a dominant influence on earth.

Australia's coastal living is at risk from sea level rise, but it's happened before

16 Jan 2018

With global sea levels set to rise by up to a metre by 2100, there is much to be learnt from past changes to the coastline and how humans responded to dramatic increases in sea level.

Revenge served cold: Was Scott of the Antarctic sabotaged by his angry deputy?

09 Oct 2017

On February 11, 1913, the world woke to the headline “Death of Captain Scott. Lost with four comrades. The Pole reached. Disaster on the return”. A keenly anticipated, privately funded scientific venture “off the map” had turned to tragedy, writes Chris Turney.

Did Teddy Evans fatally undermine Scott of the Antarctic?

05 Oct 2017

The 1912 death of Scott of the Antarctic and four companions has long been blamed on poor planning by Scott, but documents discovered by a UNSW researcher reveal a different story – and a possible cover up.

Chris Turney

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