Welcome to the September Newsletter.
This month has been defined by a monumental event – the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Academy has a long and unique history with the Queen – she presented our Royal Charter to Sir Mark Oliphant, the first President of the Academy, on 16 February 1954 in Canberra, thereby founding the Australian Academy of Science. That Royal Charter still guides our work and operations today.
Early in September the Academy was proud to publish Future Earth Australia’s National Strategy for Just Adaptation, a climate vision for a sustainable and equitable Australia. We have the opportunity to use this period of immense change to disrupt current adaptation thinking and foster recognition, inclusion and capacity building for all Peoples and nature. This much-anticipated strategy was launched at Parliament House by the Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister. I strongly commend the report to you and thank all involved in its development.
The results of the latest STEM Equity Monitor were released, reinforcing the need for stronger sector and industry action and evaluation when it comes to addressing the structural barriers preventing gender equity and greater diversity in STEM. As authors of the Women in STEM Decadal Plan we know if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it, so data such as that captured by the STEM Equity Monitor are critical to guide our actions and to make sustained change.
Since the Academy was formed, Fellows have provided expert advice so science can inform decision making across our nation. This month the Academy has been recognised as the independent scientific adviser to the 2022 Inquiry into the convictions of Kathleen Folbigg. Our representation will assist in the selection of the most qualified scientific experts and the formulation of lines of inquiry so the most relevant and up to date scientific information informs the justice system.
You may also be interested in reading about our roundtable of technology and science experts who engaged in a productive discussion on novel ways to remove greenhouse gases from our atmosphere to limit warming to less than 1.5 degrees. Participants agreed that reducing greenhouse emissions as much and as fast as possible is the highest priority to limit global warming, and that we need rapid and large-scale removal and long-term storage to work in parallel.
We offer our warmest congratulations to the winners of the prestigious 2022 Eureka Prizes, including Academy Fellows Professor Veena Sahajwalla and Professor David Lindenmayer.
Finally, we are so excited that the Academy’s annual flagship event, Science at the Shine Dome, is back in 2022 as a face-to-face event at the Shine Dome in Canberra between 22 and 24 November. This year we will be admitting Fellows elected in 2020, 2021 and 2022 who will share with us their scientific discoveries. You can read more about the event and register to attend here.
Enjoy the September newsletter.
Anna-Maria Arabia
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
