Money talks. That’s perhaps the most important thing Blair Palese has learned during 30 years as an environmental campaigner and writer.
In her last role, founding and heading the Australian operation of 350.org, and her current endeavour as climate editor at Climate & Capital Media, Palese and her colleagues have spearheaded one of the most effective strategies yet against climate change – convincing investors that putting their money behind fossil fuel companies is a bad idea.
For someone with her head in the stars, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith is remarkably grounded. This internationally acclaimed astrophysicist, writer and communicator is Australia’s first Women in STEM ambassador, leading government efforts to encourage women and girls to study and work in science, technology, engineering and maths. It’s a role that also aims to eliminate entrenched gender bias in the research sector.
“When science denialism comes from the federal government itself, it’s very hard to fight,” Natalia Pasternak says.
It’s rare for a science communicator to find themselves in direct conflict with the people who wield power in a country. But that’s exactly the position Pasternak, founder and president of the Brazilian Instituto Questão de Ciência (Question of Science Institute), is in.
“The burden of chronic disease is a pandemic that is threatening not only the health and wellbeing of the world but its economic wellbeing as well.”
Ronika Power had her own mortuary when she was growing up. “I was one of those children who displayed an interest in things that others might flag as being a concern,” she admits. “I was obsessed with death from when I was very young, from two perspectives: firstly, as a biological imperative, understanding that every living thing eventually will die; and secondly, as a cultural imperative, understanding how different communities across the world integrated death into their beliefs and practices.”
When it comes to doing battle with disinformation around climate issues, Michael Mann is a seasoned campaigner. “I had to defend myself and my research from these attacks. That was my entry ramp into the larger public discourse, and I realised that the best defence is a good offence.”