The devestating bushfires over the summer of 2019/2020 have brought into sharp focus the need for the whole of Australian society to proactively mitigate, manage and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia has some of our countries leading researchers and policy makers working on these pressing issues. This page outlines the Academy’s activities, and the expertise and current projects of its Fellows.
Please contact the Academy’s National Office if you would like to contact one of our experts, to find out more or to discuss potential opportunities to work together.
- Read the Statement from the Academy President on the Australian Bushfires (22 January, 2020)
- Read the Statement from the Australian Council of Learned Academies (13 February, 2020)
Academy Fellows’ publications and projects on Bushfire-related programs
- The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG FASSA on Australia’s challenge designing effective laws to respond to the global problems of climate change. In this case the busfhires present a particular illustration of the high vulnerability of Australia to drought, water shortage and other natural disasters.
- Professor Robert Costanza FASSA looks at previous environmental crises to describe how the bushfires could change Australia’s course for the better.
- Professor Stephen Duckett FASSA FAHMS Director, Health Program at the Grattan Institute is leading a new program on the health impacts of climate change.
- Professor Quentin Grafton FASSA has written about the challenge of getting action on climate change in our ‘post-truth’ world.
- Professor Stewart Clegg FASSA discusses an eco-taxation policy model that could potentially be used to alleviate pressure on our planetary boundaries.
- Professor Jon Altman AM FASSA is working with Arnham Land Fire Abatement (NT) Ltd and traditional owners and Aboriginal community-based rangers to quantify the success of traditional savannah burning programs in reducing and possibly eliminating net carbon emissions in the area. He has written about this here
- Professor Bill Gammage AM FASSA has worked extensively on traditional land management, including traditional burning. His authoritative book on the subject The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aboriginies made Australia was published in 2011. He discusses it here.
- More to follow.