The Summit … Earlier this month I got to participate in what everyone hopes is a seminal moment for the future of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Summit 2011 brought together invitees from scientific, academic, government, industry, NGO, and environmental law communities in the region for 5 days in Houston, Texas in early December.

Read more

Holidays are when we really catch up with family, and the "How's work?" question is inevitable. If you're lucky, a few family members are even interested in your reply, but we all know that's rare. I'm excited about what we do at IAN, but most of the time only a few of my family really want to get into it.

Read more

During a recent cross-country trip, I noticed innovative measures that local governments are taking to become more sustainable. The most striking part of this is that local governments cannot do this without support (hence the title – public efforts need support from private businesses).

Read more

I read in the Washington Post that the Australian Government passed the Clean Energy Bill through the Senate on 8.11.2011. It was widely covered in U.S. media, with even a theme of anticipation in the lead-up to the vote. Some of the responses to articles were quite funny including “…those Aussies are going to have to heat their food up in the sun” and “I guess they will be eating their baked beans cold from now on”.

Read more

Paying homage to the annual migrating Canada geese flying overhead, it is apt to discuss the unusual balance that exists around Chesapeake Bay between hunting and conservation. My recent visit to the local Walmart required passage past three aisles of camouflage attire, duck decoys, bird whistles, knives and of course guns. I spotted a whole pallet of discounted ammunition, akin to a half-priced pallet of washing detergent you might see in an Australian supermarket.

Read more

Having worked as an investigator with the former Queensland EPA in Australia, I was gob-smacked by the progressive way that the U.S. EPA deals with environmental crime. EPA Special Agents are sworn federal law enforcement officers with statutory authority to conduct investigations, carry firearms, make arrests for any federal crime and execute and serve any warrant. There is even a remembrance day to remember Agents who gave their lives carrying out their duties to protect the environment.

Read more

I recently attended a summit in Washington DC on climate change where the keynote speaker was Dr John Holdren who is the Science Advisor to President Barack Obama. Dr Holdren gave a great presentation on the facts proving climate change, or what he coined "climate disruption". He believed "climate change" was too soft and too gradual a term that didn't portray the message of the true climate phenomenon that is currently facing the earth. Keep your eye out for "climate disruption" in the media.

Read more

Tim Carruthers has begun a new chapter in his career and life by moving from Maryland to Samoa on June 2011. Tim came with me from the University of Queensland to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) in early 2002. We came to UMCES to set up the Integration and Application Network, which was conceived by the UMCES faculty in a 2000 strategic planning document.

Read more

Melbourne, the second largest Australian city, straddles the Yarra River near the mouth where it joins Port Phillip Bay. The location of Melbourne's central business district is adjacent to the first waterfall (since removed) at the site of the Princes Bridge, built in 1888. The Port of Melbourne, Australia's busiest port, is located at the mouth of the Yarra River. Port Phillip Bay is a large bowl with a narrow opening into Bass Strait which separates Australia from Tasmania.

Read more

Sydney, Australia's largest city, is built around Sydney Harbour. The original European visit to the area by Captain James Cook on the Endeavour was when he anchored just south of Sydney in Botany Bay in 1770. Cook named it Botany Bay in honor of his botanists on board, led by Sir Joseph Banks. Botany Bay is now where Sydney airport is located and is fairly industrialized.

Read more