Climate Extremes Presentation

It's one of the biggest issues facing our world today – climate change and on Wednesday June 15 from 7pm to 9pm, the German International School Sydney will welcome climate scientist from The University of NSW,  Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick.

Having studied atmospheric science for 14 years, including two years at the CSIRO's Oceans and Atmosphere flagship, Sarah is an expert on Australian climate extremes. She has spent years studying changes in climate extremes, with a particular emphasis on heatwaves.

Sarah will lead a two hour informative and thought-provoking talk, discussing the effects of these climate extremes and the implications for our world, with a focus on Australia and Europe.  Sarah will share her tips on what individuals can do to reduce their own carbon footprint, why there is hope for future generations and why it's never too late to make a change.

'We are at a really interesting point in history and in 20-30 years we will see the effect of climate change on our environment.  But we must act now, make real changes to make a real difference," she says.

While Sarah believes the Australian government needs to take action and provide incentives for people to adopt more sustainable practices, there are a few simple tips she believes individuals can follow to make a difference -

·        Don't consume without thinking – Do we really need air-conditioning? Turn off lights that aren't being used.

·        Be more self-sustaining – invest in solar panels.

·        Only have one car, if you need two, get a hybrid or electric car.

·        Think about the carbon miles and make smart choices – don't buy imported food, buy locally, or even better grow your own!

Given her passion for studying heatwaves, which has culminated in the establishment of Scorcher, a website dedicated to reviewing Australian heatwaves, Sarah will discuss the trends and changes in heatwaves and their implications. Additionally, she will explore how heatwaves may be driven by human activity, meteorological systems and natural climate phenomena.

'My research is focused on measuring heatwaves and how they've changed over the years. For instance, in NSW, the heatwave season now tends to start three weeks earlier than what it used to, whereas in Melbourne the intensity of the heatwaves has increased more noticeably. So we face questions – why, how and what does this mean for our climate and future," explains Sarah.

Due to her extensive research activities, earlier this year, Sarah was named one of UNSW's 20 rising Australian stars destined to change the world.  Other accolades include a finalist as part of -team extreme' in the 2014 Eureka awards and recipient of the 2013 NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award, which recognises the achievements of Australia's outstanding young scientific researchers and communicators.