Breaking The Ice

You don't want to know just how much native forest Australia is clearing every day since state laws were recently slackened. You really don't want to know what this deforestation is doing to koala populations, to the Great Barrier Reef catchment, and to the CO2 equation which is so crucial to curbing dangerous climate change. But in case you do want to know, Wilderness Society forest guru Gemma Plesman is here to fill you in.

Here's a thing we bet you never knew. There are at least 25 glaciers in the world's tropical regions, right near the equator. There's even one way up high in the mountains of Indonesia. But these equatorial icefields are melting, and they're melting fast. Why does this matter? Adventurer, conservationist and coffee addict Tim Jarvis explains all.

Two people walk into a bar. One is a dismisser of climate science, the other an advocate for taking the science seriously and finding positive solutions. So who gets a drink first? We didn't put that question to Amanda McKenzie, CEO of Australia's Climate Council. But we did ask her who's winning the climate culture wars, and her answer was amazingly upbeat.

Charlie Prell runs 800 sheep on his property. He’s also hosting wind turbines on his land, and has come up with a fantastic way to share the revenue with nearby farmers. Charlie’s opinion of politicians who hold back on renewable energy development? Well, let’s just say there are people in power who are much, much less intelligent than sheep.

How did climate science become such a polarised issue? In Part 2 of our chat with climate science communications guru John Cook, we chart the transformation from a Republican White House which sought to combat climate change (under George H. W. Bush) to a divisive world of entrenched climate tribalism. Fortunately, John's got a trick or two to help get us all on the same page.

Climate science communications expert John Cook wrote the renowned 2013 study which showed that a whopping 97 percent of climate scientists are in consensus about the theory of human-caused climate change. But how can we spread the consensus to people who just won't accept the science? In part one of our two-part chat, John is here to show the way.

When Australian National University climate scientist Sophie Lewis wrote a column saying why she could never in good conscience have children, it sparked heated debate. Now, one month before she goes on maternity leave, she explains why she's ecstatic to be bringing a child into a warming world.

When Australian climate scientist Chris Turney got stuck in the ice, his Antarctic expedition became a fight for life. But that was only the beginning of his troubles. The real struggle was for credibility in the face of hostile bloggers and media who viciously mocked the the idea of an ice-bound expedition which had been studying melting ice. Three years after the event, Chris Turney is finally setting the record straight.

Breaking The Ice will be back in late July with more from the people behind the climate science. 

Climate scientist Peter Kalmus works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. But he's not planning to get on a jet anytime soon, because he has given up flying. In fact this keen cyclist, urban beekeeper and chicken farmer has abandoned nearly all activities requiring fossil fuels. His incredible life transformation is brilliantly documented in his book "Being The Change". But why the radical lifestyle shift? Is he trying to save the world? Ah, well it's not that simple...

British climate modeller and lecturer Dr Tamsin Edwards knows the greatest secret in science. Is it the grand unified theory of life, the universe and everything? Nope, guess again. It’s that if people trust the SCIENTIST, they will trust the SCIENCE too. Of course, earning that trust is not always easy in climate science, and the quest has taken Edwards to some pretty interesting -- and boozy -- places.

They’ve come at him from all angles, but Professor David Karoly won’t be bullied. Now, the distinguished Australian climatologist faces his greatest professional challenge yet: He has to convince his own government to accept the advice they employ him to provide. If only life were so simple for climate scientists…

After a hard day’s work in Greenland, glaciologist Jason Box loves nothing better than kicking back with a flask of Greenlandic whisky watching icebergs break off glaciers and tumble into the sea. But not every moment is so sublime. Jason has worked in Greenland for 25 years now. His data reveal the destruction of a landscape which has frightening implications for each and every one of us.

Should climate scientists just shut up and do the science? Or should they add communication to the list of skills they need to master?  Dr Sarah Myhre believes climate scientists must do more than document the problem. She says they must speak out, and loudly.But that doesn’t mean raising the alarm with horrifying statistics or images of polar bears on icebergs in some distant ocean. It means making the effects of a rapidly warming climate relatable. It means linking it to the food we eat, the leisure pursuits we enjoy, the relationships we value.

Michael E. Mann never signed up for war. But despite death threats and attempts to discredit him, the climate scientist famous for the 'Hockey Stick Graph' fights on. 

Who are the climate scientists? How are they coping with the stress of researching the most controversial topic on earth? Are they cracking up or staying ice cool? Join the HuffPost Australia on May 22 for the first part of Breaking The Ice,  an intimate look at the people behind the climate science.