Policy Forum Pod

In this episode we speak to Dr Sophie Lewis, the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. She discusses the key takeaways from the 2023 ACT State of the Environment Report, and how both individuals, industries and governments can make a difference.Dr Lewis talks about how we all need to think about the things we never get back unless action is taken. She says we need to limit urban growth, set a limit on what we are willing to lose within our environment, and further everyone’s understanding of Scope 3 emissions. She acknowledges the complexity and interconnectedness of issues around the environment and sustainability with broader climate change issues and the challenges this poses in making progress. __Dr Sophie Lewis is the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. Dr Lewis is a climate scientist, who was named ACT Scientist of the Year in 2019, in recognition of her research, particularly on weather extremes and how climate change contributes to events such as bushfires and droughts. She has also been a lead author of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, which are used worldwide to develop policies around climate change. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor David Lindenmayer joins the podcast to discuss the importance of forests, the threats they are facing, and the myths around the logging industry.In his latest book, The Forest Wars: The ugly truth about what’s happening to our tall forests, Professor Lindenmayer unearths truths about what happens to forests that have been recently logged in a bushfire, how logging impacts native animals, and what happens to our native trees once they are logged. His research reveals uncomfortable truths about the profitability and employment outcomes of the forestry industry, and he says misinformation in these areas limits evidence-based policy reform.____ Professor David Lindenmayer AO is a world-leading expert in forest and woodland ecology, resource management, conservation science and biodiversity conservation. He is based at the Australian National University and is among the world’s most productive and highly cited scholars, publishing more than 1440 scientific articles and 48 books. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ANU Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Genevive Bell joins us to discuss the power of stories, knowledge and a vision for our future. Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell is the 13th Vice-Chancellor of ANU. She is also the University’s first female Vice-Chancellor. She holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from Stanford University and is a renowned anthropologist, technologist, and futurist, having spent more than two decades in Silicon Valley helping guide Intel's product development and social science and design research capabilities.Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast we speak to Professor Sara Bice about the importance of building for social inclusion, co-design and community consultation as Australia spends $300 billion on infrastructure projects. Professor Bice co-founded the Institute for Infrastructure in Society to help better integrate social and community aspects. She says the best policy making occurs when there is a shared agreement on what the problem is, and the focus can then be on fixing that problem. ___Professor Sara Bice is co-founder and Director of the Institute for Infrastructure in Society (I2S) at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.