Podcasts about Global Change Institute

In this last edition of Being Green, Glynis Crook speaks to esteemed climate scientist, Prof Francois Engelbrecht, Director of Wits University's Global Change Institute, about US President Donald Trump's slew of executive orders back-tracking on climate commitments, and the impact it might have for the rest of us.

Delegates from almost 200 nations are attending this year's United Nations climate conference which is widely being described as the "climate finance COP". The main task for countries is to broker a deal that ensures up to trillions of dollars in financing for climate projects in poorer states around the world. Glynis Crook discusses the first week of COP29 with Professor Francois Engelbrecht, Director of Wits University's Global Change Institute.

Dr. Andrea Marais-Potgieter, a Postdoctoral Researcher and Conservation Psychologist at the Global Change Institute at WITS, is dedicated to revealing how nature can profoundly rejuvenate our mental and physical well-being.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a standing ovation on Wednesday morning when a landmark deal was agreed on at the end of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai. While it doesn't specifically mention the "phasing-out" of fossil fuels, it does call for parties to contribute to efforts to "transition away" from the use of fossil fuels in energy systems in a way that will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But while the COP28 deal is being hailed as an historic step in the right direction, many analysts believe it may not be fast enough to avoid the worst climate change impacts. In this week's Being Green, Glynis Crook looks at the agreement with Professor Francois Engelbrecht, Director of Wits University's Global Change Institute.

- In Being Green this week, Glynis Crook talks to Prof Francois Engelbrecht, a climate scientist at Wits University's Global Change Institute about a new study which suggests that the extreme weather and weather-related events experienced in the northern hemisphere this summer will increase in frequency and severity unless the world stops burning fossil fuels.

Abongile speaks to Dr. Laura Pereira, associate professor at Wits University's Global Change Institute, and sustainability specialist, about the COP15 agreement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the dispute over the causes and sources of climate change continues, few doubt the need for action to deal with the consequences of climate change. And action can best be guided by findings from solid scientific research.  James Arnott, Ph.D. makes the case that science can contribute to not only policy but action. But for that to occur, science will need to be more transparent and inclusive to meet the challenge of coping with the effects of climate change. Dr. Arnott earned his doctorate in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Principia College. His research explores how science can become more actionable for decision making. This involves studying how different approaches to collaboration, science translation, and funding can influence how research becomes used and to what end. Listen to his comments and responses to the following questions: Is it too cynical to argue that the failure to marshal collective efforts to deal with climate change is a matter of politics and economics, not science; that there are vested interests for maintaining the status quo, not challenges to research or the scientific method? Is it the case that even the very best science being devoted to climate change struggles to be interpreted in terms lay persons and governmental officials can comprehend fully? What is “actionable science”? How does it differ from what scientists do now and with what effect? Do you view it as something akin to what Thomas Kuhn termed a “paradigm shift” in science? If actionable science calls for researchers who either have experience with and/or understand the perspectives of those persons to whom the scientific results are presented, how might ways change in order to prepare the next generation of scientists? Actionable research in the contexts of achieving community, national, and global sustainability is compelling in many respects. How does adopting such an approach influence the attributes of those persons who lead scientific centers and laboratories with emphases on climate change?  Innovators is a podcast production of Harris Search Associates.  *The views and opinions shared by the guests on Innovators do not necessarily reflect the views of the interviewee's institution or organization.*

Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet is the title of George Monbiot's new book and an essential challenge that we explore in this Future of Food episode, with the help of George and three other guests committed to transforming our food system. As the current global food crisis continues to push more and more people to the brink of starvation, join us as we take a deep dive into the root causes of the crisis. Surface with a diverse and exciting range of solutions that could ensure we have a ‘glocal' diverse food system, and a paradigm shift in the way we produce protein that regenerates our planet and feeds our population.    Our four contributors to this episode are: George Monbiot, celebrated author, activist and environmentalist; Dr Laura Pereira, Associate Professor at the Global Change Institute at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and a researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University in Sweden; Dr Ruchika Singh, Director of Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration at the WRI or World Resources Institute in India; and Josh Tetrick, Co-Founder and CEO of Just Eat Inc.  You can find their short biographies and links to their work and media platforms below.    All of our guests were incredible, but a special acknowledgement goes to Ruchika who recorded her interview during the middle of a heat wave in India. It should bring home to us all how climate change is already severely affecting particular regions right now.    A huge thanks as ever to The Ikea Foundation for supporting us with the making of this episode. Please check out their wonderful work using the links below:  Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | —   Christiana + Tom's book ‘The Future We Choose' is available now!   Subscribe to our Climate Action Newsletter!   —   Mentioned links from the episode: George's mentions: Solar Foods the precision fermentation company mentioned by George Monbiot who are making food from thin air.  Definitely one to watch!  The Land Institute - Perennial Crops  - the initiative mentioned by George Monbiot Tolhurst Organic - The Oxfordshire Farmer doing incredible things with soil mentioned by George Monbiot Laura's Mentions Scaling Out, Scaling Up, Scaling Deep  by Michelle Moore.  You can read up to 100 articles per month for free on this site if you register.   Ruchika's Mentions The Land Accelerator | World Resources Institute TerraFund for AFR100 —   Thank you to our guests this week:   George Monbiot, Author, Environmentalist and Activist (photo credit Guy Reece) George Monbiot is an author, Guardian columnist and environmental activist. His best-selling books include Feral: Rewilding the land, sea and human life, Heat: how to stop the planet burning, and Out of the Wreckage: a new politics for an age of crisis. George cowrote the concept album Breaking the Spell of Loneliness with musician Ewan McLennan, and has made a number of viral videos. One of them, adapted from his 2013 TED Talk, How Wolves Change Rivers, has been viewed on YouTube over 40m times. Another, on Natural Climate Solutions, that he co-presented with Greta Thunberg, has been watched over 60m times.  George's latest book, Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet, was published in May 2022.   Website | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok   Dr Laura Pereira, Associate Professor at the Global Change Institute at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and a researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University in Sweden Dr Laura Pereira is a member of the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes project and leads two current projects, the first is a Formas funded project entitled “Seeding transformative futures for people and nature in Africa ” and the other is an H2020 project in collaboration with EAT called “Foodtrails”. She also works with Guillermo Ortuño Crespo on a small project to realise transformative scenarios for the high seas using the Nature Futures Framework. Pereira co-ordinates the SRC's module of the Bosch Stiftung Transformational Leadership Post-doc Academy. She is also actively involved in MSc student supervision and gives a lecture on sustainability transformations as part of the MSc course. Pereira holds a DPhil in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Oxford. She completed her BSc (Hons) majoring in Zoology, Ecology and Law at the University of the Witwatersrand and read for an MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy at St Hilda's College, Oxford. Twitter   Dr Ruchika Singh, Director - Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration, WRI India Dr. Ruchika Singh leads the Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration programme in India. Till January 2019, Ruchika anchored the restoration opportunity assessments for the Landscape Restoration programme at WRI India. Ruchika brings over eighteen years of extensive experience of conducting evidence-based research, programme management, assessments and evaluations related to various aspects of forest, water, tenure, resource rights, landscape management and governance issues, taking into consideration social inclusion and gender, from an interdisciplinary lens. Ruchika also contributes to Cities4Forests, an initiative focused on helping cities better conserve, manage, and restore inner forests (such as city trees and urban parks), nearby forests (such as green corridors and watersheds) and faraway forests (such as tropical and boreal forests). Ruchika works closely with Kochi (India) to help them maximize benefits from trees and forests for water, air quality, biodiversity, climate, livelihoods and more. WRI India LinkedIn  | Twitter | Facebook |  Instagram   Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO, Eat Just, Inc. Josh Tetrick is CEO & co-founder of Eat Just, Inc., a food technology company with a mission to build a healthier, safer and more sustainable food system in our lifetimes. The company's expertise, from functionalizing plant proteins to culturing animal cells, is powered by a world-class team of scientists and chefs spanning more than a dozen research disciplines. Eat Just created America's fastest-growing egg brand, which is made entirely of plants, and the world's first-to-market meat made from animal cells instead of slaughtered livestock. Prior to founding Eat Just, Tetrick led a United Nations business initiative in Kenya and worked for both former President Clinton and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. As Fulbright Scholar, Tetrick taught schoolchildren in Nigeria and South Africa and is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Michigan Law School. Tetrick has been named one of Fast Company's “Most Creative People in Business,” Inc.'s “35 Under 35” and Fortune's “40 Under 40.” Eat Just has been recognized as one of Fast Company's “Most Innovative Companies,” Entrepreneur's “100 Brilliant Companies,” CNBC's “Disruptor 50” and a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. GOOD Meat                            Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram                    JUST Egg Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram — Big thanks to the talented team at Airaphon who helped edit and mixed this show for us this week. Check them out: Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | Website —   Keep up with Christiana Figueres online Instagram | Twitter   Tom Rivett-Carnac Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn   Paul Dickinson LinkedIn | Twitter   —   Follow @OutrageOptimism on social media and send us a message! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn   Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!

In just under 30 days, more than 100 areas in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro will be without water. Millions of people will be left without water to drink, cook or clean, unless they drastically reduce their water consumption. The opposition Democratic Alliance is claiming that due to the metro's ineffective awareness campaigns, residents continue using water normally instead of reducing their consumption. The metro says if no significant rain falls in the catchment areas in the coming days, it will be faced with an unprecedented water disaster. We spoke to Joseph Tsatsire, Director of water Distribution at the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.   Meanwhile, natural disasters like the KZN floods and droughts in other areas could double in frequency owing to climate change. Studies show that the recent deadly floods in KwaZulu-Natal were wade made worse by climate change. The study reveals that the probability of such disasters has doubled due to human-induced climate change.  Professor Francois Engelbrecht, Director of the Global Change Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, says the country needs to improve its responses to such extreme events.

Hello everyone!Welcome to Episode 97.This week's episode is a very special one as it is a dedication to honor the memory of a dear friend and mentor Ndoni Mcunu who sadly passed away on 16 April 2022. Ndoni played a significant role in helping me start this podcast and supported me and the vision of amplifying Africans in STEM globally. It was only fitting that I honor her in the best manner that I know.The episode was released originally exactly 2years ago this month on 1 April 2020. Ndoni Mcunu was a PhD Candidate at Witwatersrand University, at the Global Change Institute in South Africa. Also, she is the Founder & CEO of Black Women in Science (BWIS). A registered non-profit organization that aimed to deliver capacity development interventions that target young black women scientists and researchers. Apart from my own dedication to her in this episode, we chatted about some of her passions: women's development, education, and the importance of science communication.  It was a great honor to have her on the show plus to have her in my life as someone I looked up to and loved.You lit life in many people's lives and your legacy WILL live on forever. We will continue what you started. RIP Ndoni.  Support the show (https://paypal.me/RootofSciPod?locale.x=en_US)

Guest: Francois Engelbrecht, Professor of Climatology at the Global Change Institute KwaZulu-Natal has been hit by some of the worst floods in years. Roads, houses, and vehicles were damaged in the process. Many residents had to flee their homes with just the clothes on their backs.    Africa is joined by Francois Engelbrecht, Professor of Climatology at the Global Change Institute to talk about why the province has received so much rain in a short space of time.  EWN reported yesterday that the death toll following heavy rain and major flooding in KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 45. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Professor Coleen Vogel - Professor at the Global Change Institute of the University  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week on Being Green, John Richards spoke about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth climate assessment report which had been published a few days earlier. It was the first to be released by the United Nations body since 2014 and comes ahead of the COP26 summit. The meeting in Glasgow in November is widely seen as one of the last chances for the world to agree to limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The IPCC report's warnings are stark, and it places the blame for changes in the world's climate squarely on the shoulders of humans. It's such an important story that on this week's edition of the programme, Glynis Crook speaks to one of its lead authors, Francois Engelbrecht, who is a professor of climatology at Wits University's Global Change Institute.

Last week on Being Green, John Richards spoke about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth climate assessment report which had been published a few days earlier. It was the first to be released by the United Nations body since 2014 and comes ahead of the COP26 summit. The meeting in Glasgow in November is widely seen as one of the last chances for the world to agree to limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The IPCC report's warnings are stark, and it places the blame for changes in the world's climate squarely on the shoulders of humans. It's such an important story that on this week's edition of the programme, Glynis Crook speaks to one of its lead authors, Francois Engelbrecht, who is a professor of climatology at Wits University's Global Change Institute.

WELCOME TO SEASON 3 OF SHE BRIGADE!!! To kick off the podcast this season, our guest is Ndoni Mcunu (IG: @NdoniMcunu). Ndoni is a Scientist, Environmentalist and the Founder of Black Women in Science. Black Women in Science is a registered non-profit organization aimed at providing scientific and research skills for science students and graduates. She is also currently studying towards her PhD at the Global Change Institute at the University of Witswatersrand. Join us she shares her story of activism, research and academia. Let us know what you think of this episode by sharing it on Instagram or Twitter and tagging us @shebrigade Please also subscribe, follow and leave us a review on whichever platform you're listening on. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shebrigade/message

Guests: Bob Scholes - Professor of Systems Ecology at the Global Change Institute at Wits University See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Bob Scholes - Professor of Systems Ecology at the Global Change Institute at Wits University  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 "We need to learn to communicate our science better.. so that science careers can be more marketable."Ndoni Mcunu is a PhD Candidate at Witwatersrand University's, at the Global Change Institute in South Africa. Also, she is the Founder & CEO of Black Women in Science (BWIS). This registered non-profit organization aims to deliver capacity development interventions that target young black women scientists and researchers. In this episode, she will chat with us about some of her passions: women's development, education,, and the importance of science communication in the present time. She is one of my role models, and it is a great honour to have her on the show. Support the show (https://paypal.me/RootofSciPod?locale.x=en_US)

COP 25 het die week n verklaring uitgereik waarin gevra is dat nuwe riglyne daargestel moet word om koolstofdioksied uitlaatgasse verder te verminder. Intussen was daar kritiek vanuit mediakringe dat die beraad wat in MADRID gehou is, nie genoeg gedoen het om markte te reguleer in die verband nie. Vir meer hieroor, praat ons nou met professor Francois Engelbrecht van WITS universiteit se GLOBAL CHANGE INSTITUTE.

Climate change is an issue that has become frighteningly more relevant in recent years, and because of special interests, the field has become muddied with climate change deniers who use dishonest tactics to try to get their message across. The website SkepticalScience.com is one line of defense against these messengers, and it was created and maintained by a research assistant professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, and both authored and co-authored two books about climate science with an emphasis on climate change. He also lead-authored a 2013 award-winning paper on the scientific consensus on climate change, and in 2015, he developed an open online course on climate change denial with the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland. This person is John Cook. This episode is distributed under a CC BY-SA license. For more information, visit CreativeCommons.org. [Featuring: Sofía Baca, Gabriel Hesch; John Cook] --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/breakingmathpodcast/support

Die Interregeringspaneel oor Klimaatsverandering het pas 'n beraad in Toulouse, Frankryk bygewoon, waar die nuutste inligting bspreek is sodat riglyne vir beleid geskep kan word. Professor Francois Engelbrecht van Wits Universiteit se Global Change Institute was daar en is self ook betrokke by die skryf van die dokument, met 'n spesifieke fokus op die implikasies van klimaatsverandering vir Afrika. Anita Visser het met hom gepraat.

Prof Engelbrecht is a climate modeller based at the GCI (Global Change Institute) at Wits University, Johannesburg. Prof Engelbrecht joined the institute earlier this year after a ten years at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) where he was appointed chief researcher in 2016. We chatted about the GCI, whose work “..addresses problems related to global change, climate change and sustainability in a multidisciplinary and trans disciplinary manner.” But more importantly we look at his work in climate modelling particularly in the context of his work for the recent IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. During our chat Prof Engelbrecht warns of the impending dire consequences for life on the planet if we do not make a revolutionary change to the way we live, travel, produce and consume.

BZE speaks to Associate Professor Matt McDonald, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the School of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS), at The Global Change Institute, University of Queensland. Matt researches on global environmental politics, international security, Australian climate policy and Australian foreign policy. 

In this week’s episode of #ConservationCrossroads we're getting an introductory lesson on financing conservation efforts. We spoke with Dr. Adrian Ward, Program Director (Natural Capital) at the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, about what constitutes “conservation finance” and some of the opportunities and challenges in funding conservation programs and activities. Dr. Ward is also on the College of Experts with the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland. Join the conversation on Twitter by tagging Carla @CarlaWildlife, Rachel @YumMusings or #ConservationCrossroads! To learn more about the work Dr. Adrian Ward is involved with at the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists visit -> http://wentworthgroup.org/ or his Google Scholar here -> http://bit.ly/2G9ZgBz Resources to learn some economics! Crash Crouse, Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Gc5HDW Khan Acadamy: https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain A/Prof David Pannell, The Public Private Goods Framework: http://dpannell.fnas.uwa.edu.au/ppf3pgr.htm Nature Capital: https://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/ Music and editing in GarageBand. Cover Photo: Blake Alexander Simmons

CliffCentral.com — Tumi is back in studio this week to give us the Top Disruptive Tech Trends. Joining her and Mpumi is a successful young woman who is also the founder and member of Black Women in Science. She is passionate about providing knowledge and awareness of science and research for rural women. Miss Ndoni Mcunu holds a Master’s Degree in Science (MSc) in Applied Environmental Science. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the Global Change Institute at Witwatersrand University. Join the insightful and disruptive conversation - brought to you by T-Systems South Africa. T-Systems

Is this a true statement? “97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is real.” It’s one of the most illogical, unscientific arguments you can make How many times have you heard that statement? Probably hundreds. It may seem like a compelling and scientific argument against fossil fuels, but it’s one of the most illogical, unscientific arguments you can make. To see how, let’s use this form of argument for another controversial product, vaccines. An anti-vaccine person approaches you and says, “97 percent of doctors say that the side effects of vaccines are real?” What would you say in response? You’d probably say, “Yeah but the benefits far outweigh the side effects.” By saying that “97% of doctors agree that vaccine side effects are real” without mentioning any of the benefits of vaccines, the anti-vaccine activist is trying to get you to look at the potential dangers of vaccines out of context.  When fossil fuel opponents say “97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is real,” they are doing the same. Yes, using fossil fuels for energy has a side effect—increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Okay. But what about the upside? In the case of fossil fuel that upside is enormous: the cheap, plentiful, and reliable energy that makes modern life possible, and at a scale no other energy source can match. So, how significant is the side effect? This raises another problem with the statement “97% percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is real.” It tells us nothing about the meaning or magnitude of “climate change”—whether it’s a mild, manageable warming or a runaway, catastrophic warming. This is an example of the fallacy of equivocation—using the same term in different, contradictory ways. If someone were to say “97% of doctors agree that vaccine side effects are real,” what exact “vaccine side effects” do the doctors agree on? That a certain number of babies will get a rash? Or that large percentages will get full-blown autism? Precision is key, right? But fossil fuel opponents don’t want you to know the precise magnitude of climate change. Because if you did you wouldn’t be scared of climate change, you would be scared of losing the benefits of fossil fuels. For example, listen to how Secretary of State John Kerry manipulates the “97 percent of scientists” line. “97 percent of climate scientists have confirmed that climate change is happening and that human activity is responsible,” he said in a speech in Indonesia in 2014. Later, in the same speech, he claimed that Scientists agree that, “The world as we know it will change—and it will change dramatically for the worse.” 97 percent of climate scientists never said any such thing. So what did the 97 percent actually say? It turns out, nothing remotely resembling catastrophic climate change. One of the main studies justifying 97 percent was done by John Cook, a climate communications fellow for the Global Change Institute in Australia. Here’s his own summary of his survey: “Cook et al. (2013) found that over 97 percent [of papers surveyed] endorsed the view that the Earth is warming up and human emissions of greenhouse gases are the main cause.” “Main cause” means “over 50 percent. But the vast majority of papers don’t say that human beings are the main cause of recent warming. In fact, one analysis showed that less than 2 percent of papers actually said that. How did Cook get to 97 percent, then? First, he added papers that explicitly said there was man-made warming but didn’t say how much. Then, he added papers that didn’t even say there was man-made warming, but he thought it was implied. A scientific researcher has a sacred obligation to accurately report his findings. Cook and researchers like him have failed us—as have the politicians and media figures who have blindly repeated the 97 percent claim to support their anti-fossil fuel goals. How can we protect ourselves against this kind of manipulation? Whenever someone tells you that scientists agree on something, ask two questions: “What exactly do they agree on? And, “How did they prove it?” I’m Alex Epstein, author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, for Prager University.

Dr Lynette Molyneaux is currently researching the resilience of electricity systems at the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland (UQ). Her research interests include carbon abatement with particular emphasis on incentives for investment abatement technologies.

This full day forum examined recent experience and explore the potential for further aid investment in partnership with business in four areas: inclusive business ventures, service delivery, pro-poor supply chains for internationally-traded products, and product development partnerships in health and agriculture. Session 4 (Product development partnerships) speakers: - Dr Mary Moran, Director, Policy Cures, Sydney. - George Jagoe, Executive VP, Global Access, Medicines for Malaria Venture. - Dr Wayne Best, Managing Director, Epichem Pty Ltd. - Dr Gabrielle Persley, Research Study Director, Crawford Foundation, Adjunct Professor, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland and Chair, The Doyle Foundation. Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/event-extra/past

Host: Chris Mooney How do you successfully debunk misinformation? The question is a deceptively simple one—which is precisely the problem. Debunking is easy—just refute false claims, and provide corrective information. Debunking successfully is something else again-you have to change minds, and make the corrective information stick. And how does that work? Well, as it turns out, we actually don't know very much about the process. But what we do know was recently compiled into a brilliant short document, the Debunking Handbook, available free for download from the website Skeptical Science. Point of Inquiry recently caught up with one of its authors, John Cook, in San Francisco at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. John Cook is the Climate Communication Fellow for the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland in Australia. He studied physics, and maintains the popular global warming website "Skeptical Science," which refutes misinformation by explaining, in user friendly fashion, the findings of the peer reviewed literature.

Special seminar from the James Martin 21st Century School: Climate change and marine ecosystems: have dangerous changes already begun? The Earth's ocean is central to the conditions experienced on our planet, regulating its atmosphere, climate and biology. Recent evidence, however, suggests that the physical and chemical conditions within the ocean are changing in ways that are rapidly moving outside those experienced for millions of years with major changes to ocean temperature, acidity, sea ice extent, sea level, and storm intensity. These changes are impacting the biological components the ocean, including an array of important microbial systems. Observed changes so far include decreased ocean productivity, altered food web dynamics, declining abundances of habitat forming species such as oysters, mangroves and corals, species range shifts, and an increased incidence of disease and invasion by exotic species. These changes to the marine biosphere are also beginning to amplify changes within major nutrient cycles, adding to impacts driven by other human activities such as coastal land use and overfishing. As we continue to push carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, there is also growing uncertainty as to the risks associated with passing non-linear triggers and tipping points. This talk will examine the totality of changes occurring in the world's oceans as result of anthropogenic climate change, and will explore the consequences for the biological systems that are otherwise crucial for healthy oceans and their many human dependents. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is Professor and Director, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland.