The Double-Edged Sword of AI and the Battle Against Climate Change Misinformation

EARTHDAY.ORG - Dory Miller

In the age of artificial intelligence, how we seek answers has fundamentally changed, whether for complex questions or just simple inquiries. 

What was once a matter of working through library bookshelves transformed into sifting through Google search results and has now been reduced to typed conversation with AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. 

But as these tools become more central to how we access information, their reliability — especially on urgent and politically-charged topics like climate change — has come under intense scrutiny.

The uncomfortable truth is that these models do not always provide accurate and factual responses that we are looking for. Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard have been known to “hallucinate” data — a polite way of saying they make things up. 

That’s a huge problem in our current age of misinformation, particularly for those who willfully or overly trust AI-generated responses. 

In a bit of a confessional, I asked ChatGPT to give me some examples of information it had shared on climate change in the past that was wrong, it happily coughed up these:

1. “Climate models can’t be trusted — they’re too uncertain.”

ChatGPT said this was incorrect framing. In earlier outputs, it admitted that it sometimes gave too much weight to uncertainty, downplaying how accurate and useful climate models actually are. 

While they do have uncertainties (especially about feedback and timing), their broad projections have been remarkably accurate, especially about global temperature rise.

2. “Individual actions like recycling are the key to stopping climate change.” Misleading emphasis.

ChatGPT admitted to occasionally overstating the impact of individual choices without making clear that systemic policy changes and industrial shifts have far greater impact. 

Recycling is good, but not enough without major structural changes in energy, agriculture, and transportation.

3. “The effects of climate change are in the future.” Wrong timeline.

Major confession here — ChatGPT used to refer to climate change impacts as distant or future events, even as things like extreme heat waves, floods, and wildfires were already escalating. That misrepresented how present and urgent the crisis already is.

Now AI could just be making these gaffes up to make me happy, but I doubt it’s that sophisticated.

When ChatGPT first came out, it told a friend of mine that it was alive, had a dog called Bailey, and believed in Jesus. Though this was freaky, it demonstrates how far generative AI platforms have come in a short span of time, as it won’t tell us that anymore.

Still, not everyone sees AI as part of the problem. Some researchers believe it could be the very tool we need to fight back against digital deception.

Why Misinformation Matters

When falsehoods about climate science circulate widely, people are far less likely to make changes to their own behaviour — or support policies that do. 

As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation can directly influence public behavior, with hesitancy around trusting vaccines being just one example. The same logic applies to climate change.

As one expert at the Stockholm Resilience Centre warns, “misinformation and conspiracy theories about wind energy farms are already affecting the expansion of renewable energy negatively, and thus the prospects for achieving a transition to zero-carbon energy sources.” 

We know that one popular myth is that wind farms are killing thousands of whales; they are not. And while they are responsible for millions of killed birds, the honest truth is that cats kill more birds than turbines, but we don’t hear conspiracy theories risking the ire of cat lovers by suggesting we get rid of cats! 

In other words, the spread of climate misinformation isn’t just confusing — it’s selective and designed to actively undermine the building of a more sustainable fossil-free future by weakening our determination and will to act.

These narratives do not just emerge organically. Rather, they are fueled by industries with a lot to lose in a greener world. Oil and gas lobbyists, with the help of some fossil-friendly politicians, rely heavily on spreading doubt and confusion to delay climate regulations and maintain their grip on both energy policy and the economy. 

In this context, disinformation — false information spread deliberately to mislead — becomes a weapon to conflate and confuse scientific fact. 

Between eroding public trust in scientific consensus and fostering political polarization, both misinformation and disinformation stop climate action in its tracks and fuel a toxic status quo. 

Misinformation, and being told over and over again that our everything is fine, is what put us into the current environmental situation we are in. The decline in our planet’s health is because we listened to those that have a direct interested in degrading our environment.
Aidan Charron, Associate Director of Global Earth Day

The Dark Side of AI

The very features that make AI so powerful — its speed, scalability, and ability to generate human-like content — also make it a potent tool for spreading climate misinformation. 

Platforms like ChatGPT are trained on enormous amounts of data pulled from across the internet, including conspiracy theories, biased articles, and outdated information. 

Without proper oversight, they can easily end up repeating — or even amplifying — misinformation.

A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate tested Google’s AI chatbot Gemini (formerly Bard) on 100 false narratives across several themes. 

The results? Gemini produced misinformation in 78 out of 100 cases, and it generated falsehoods in all 10 climate-related narratives. That’s not just an occasional slip-up; that’s a pattern with irrevocable consequences.

As Asheley R. Landrum, an associate professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, pointed out in an email to DeSmog, “malicious actors exploit LLMs … to create disinformation.” 

That means people — and corporations within polluting industries — can intentionally use AI to spread lies, knowing that the authority of the technology makes those lies more believable.

With just a few prompts, AI can spin a conspiracy theory into a slick, emotionally charged script, complete with fabricated “evidence,” sensationalized language, and hooks tailored to specific demographics. Add dramatic music, trending hashtags, and a charismatic creator, and the lie becomes compelling content. 

TikTok’s algorithm rewards engagement, not accuracy, so the more provocative and polarizing the video, the more it gets pushed to new viewers. 

Suddenly, an absurd conspiracy theory — say, that climate change was caused by the government to control us —- can rack up millions of views, influence public opinion, and even change someone’s vote before fact-checkers catch up.

There’s also a deeper issue here: media literacy. We’ve become so used to letting AI answer our questions that we’ve stopped doing the work ourselves. 

Reliance on AI, particularly in academic settings, is weakening our research and critical thinking skills — and making us more vulnerable to digital deception in the process. 

It’s not just that AI gets things wrong. It’s that we trust it so much, to the point where we don’t even realize it or feel the need to check the veracity of what it is saying to us. 

The Bright Side of AI

But it’s not all doom and gloom. 

AI can also be part of the solution, especially when it’s used thoughtfully and with purpose. 

One promising example comes from John Cook, a senior research fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change. 

Cook is part of a team working on a project called CARDS (Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism), an AI-powered fact-checking tool that identifies and debunks climate misinformation.

CARDS uses a “fact-myth-fallacy-fact-debunking” structure to identify and counter climate misinformation in real time. 

It works like this: identify the real fact, point out the fallacy behind the myth, and explain how the fallacy misleads. 

The goal is to make climate science easier to understand while disarming harmful narratives in the process.

Interestingly, the data CARDS was trained on came from climate denial blogs and conservative think tanks — precisely the sources that have fueled much of the online climate skepticism that the AI tool is trying to counter. 

While the tool isn’t perfect (it still struggles with AI’s tendency to hallucinate), it’s been shown to detect misinformation with almost 90% accuracy. And the team isn’t stopping there; they’re aiming for 100%.

This kind of innovation shows how AI can be repurposed as a solution. Instead of being a mouthpiece for fossil fuel propaganda, it can be a powerful ally in the fight against climate disinformation.

So, What Comes Next?

Clearly, we can’t just sit back and hope AI will magically sort itself out. 

Regulation is going to be key. 

A professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, who specializes in AI, has expressed deep concern over the growing distrust in science, particularly when it comes to climate change. With the current administration shrinking NOAA and gutting its climate research programs, we’re already moving in the wrong direction.

She believes we need laws that introduce incentives for social platforms to do their own fact-checking. 

One idea she’s been exploring is a negligence standard: if a platform knowingly publishes false information, it should be held financially accountable. 

It’s a legal approach to a digital-age problem — one that, with the right oversight, can help slow the spread of climate lies.

She also emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility. 

Being mindful of how we browse, share, and interact with content online can help prevent misinformation from spreading across platforms. 

Everyone has a role to play, from tech companies to users,  in protecting what she calls our “fundamental right to truthfulness.”

Utilizing journalistic double sourcing, peer-reviewed sources is the easiest and best step to limit repeating any falsehoods AI tries to feed you.

A More Climate Literate Future Starts Now

What is clear is AI isn’t going anywhere. 

If anything, it is only becoming more embedded in our daily lives and information ecosystems. 

The real question is whether we’ll let it drag us backward or push us forward. Projects like CARDS prove that there’s still hope — that AI can be a force for good if we’re willing to steer it in the right direction. But we can’t afford to be passive. 

Take action today by educating yourself on the real science behind climate change and improving your environmental literacy, starting right here on EARTHDAY.ORG. 

The fight against climate misinformation is also a fight for a livable future on the planet we call home.

And we need all the tools — and truth — we can get.

Links

• Geographical Magazine – Could AI Fuel the Spread of Climate Change Denial?
  Explores how AI-generated content, including deepfakes and fabricated sources, is used to spread climate change denial.
• Science News – Experts Try to Spot Climate Misinformation Created by AI
  Highlights how AI chatbots can make climate misinformation more credible, and how experts are working to counter it.
• CAAD – The AI Threats to Climate Change
  Discusses the dual risk of AI: spreading climate disinformation and increasing carbon emissions due to high energy use.
• DeSmog – The ABCs of AI and Environmental Misinformation
  Analyzes how AI tools like ChatGPT can be misused to amplify environmental misinformation.
• National Observer – Weaponized AI Chatbot Targets Climate Policies
  Investigates how AI chatbots are being used to sway local government decisions on climate action.
• Stockholm Resilience Centre – AI Could Create a Perfect Storm of Climate Misinformation
  A comprehensive look at how AI and social media algorithms could rapidly accelerate the spread of misinformation.
• Inside Climate News – AI Can Spread Climate Misinformation Faster and Cheaper
  A study warns that AI may allow climate misinformation to spread more widely, cheaply, and quickly.
• Sustainable Brands – AI Is Fueling Climate Change
  Outlines the energy demands of AI and its role in worsening both carbon emissions and disinformation.
• The Independent – AI Misinformation Is Now the World's Second Biggest Threat
  Reports from Davos suggest that AI-generated misinformation is a global threat just behind climate change.
• The Guardian – AI Likely to Accelerate Climate Misinformation
  Discusses how AI is expected to increase energy use and worsen the climate misinformation crisis.

BOM forecast predicts major climate driver could boost winter rainfall

ABC – Tyne Logan

The end of May saw severe flooding in NSW's mid-north coast, while parts of South Australia and Victoria were in a record drought. (NSW Police/ABC News: Jess Davs)

Outlook
The bureau's official winter outlook shows a warm winter is likely across all of Australia, but the rainfall prediction is less clear. Fire authorities are warning there is an unseasonal increased fire risk this winter across parts of southern Australia.
Climate Driver
There are forecasts a major climate driver could swing into its wet phase over the coming months, helping to drive rainfall in late winter.

There are signs a major climate driver could shift into its "wet phase" over the coming months, boosting the chance of rain across large parts of Australia toward the end of winter.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has released its official outlook for the season ahead.

It shows strong signs that winter will be warmer than normal, continuing on from what has been a record-warm start to the year for large parts of southern Australia.

But, for many, it's the rain that will matter the most, with southern parts of the country in the grip of severe drought, while flooding devastated parts of the east.

Wait for the rain could stretch on

Unfortunately, the long-range forecast offers few clues on what is to come for the next two months for the regions that rely on winter rainfall.

Across June and July, the model slightly favours wetter-than-normal weather through flood-affected parts of the east coast and some drought-affected parts of South Australia.

But for most of Australia's populated areas there is no clear sign that rainfall will veer from the average.

"What we're really saying is the dice aren't particularly loaded over the next three months for either wetter or drier conditions," BOM's national manager of climate services Karl Braganza said.

There is, however, a notable shift later in the season, with the rainy signal strengthening for large portions of the country from July to September.

This signal is strongest through northern and central parts of the country, but also extends through the majority of Queensland, into New South Wales away from the coast, and across much of South Australia.

Dr Braganza said this was consistent with forecasts that a major climate driver — known as the Indian Ocean Dipole — would swing into its wet phase over the coming months.

The Indian Ocean Dipole — or IOD — is often referred to as the cousin of the better-known El Niño and La Niña.

During a negative phase, warmer-than-normal waters concentrate near Australia's north-west, helping to create a moisture-rich atmosphere that the western winds can tap into as they move across the country from the north-west to the south-east.

"So, for the last couple of years now, we've had just really warm waters around the coast of Australia," Dr Braganza said.

"And we've seen that with some of the rain-bearing systems that we've had come through. They've tended to rain a lot, including the recent system that we had in the east over New South Wales."

"So those warm oceans are having an influence on the east of the continent, and they're having an influence over the north-west and inland parts of the continent as they bring moisture over the mainland."

Southern Australia desperate for rain

In South Australia and western Victoria, rain is desperately needed soon, according to agronomist Martin Colbert.

The soil is incredibly dry across drought-stricken areas. (ABC News: Jess Davis)

"We need above-average rainfall immediately just to get the crop to start," he said.

"If we get sub-average rainfall before spring, things will be so poor that, while rain will be nice, it won't save us."

Unfortunately, for drought-stricken parts of western Victoria, the prospect of above-average rainfall remains inconclusive even into the later part of the season.

It is the same for large parts of Western Australia and Tasmania, which have also been overwhelmingly dry and warm for the past year.

The ongoing dry conditions have forecast an unseasonal increased fire risk through large parts of South Australia and Victoria this winter.

"At this time of year, typically you don't get the really high temperatures, low humidity and wind speeds that cause a fire to rapidly spread," Dr Braganza said.

"So it's quite different to summer, but it's very dry out there with dry paddocks and other things. So grassfires and other fires could get going at this time of year."

The dry conditions in parts of southern Australia have caused authorities to warn of an unseasonal increased fire risk this winter. (Supplied: Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council)

Another warm winter

One thing that is clear in the winter forecast is the temperature.

The entire country is strongly favoured to have warmer-than-normal day and night-time temperatures this season.

Warm winters are something that have become commonplace in recent decades. Of the 10 warmest winters on record, nine have occurred since 2010.

How much did yearly winter temperatures veer from the average?

Only two of the last 35 winters in Australia have been cooler than the 1960 to 1990 average.

ABC | Source: Bureau of Meteorology

"So that just really emphasises how our climate is changing," Dr Braganza said.

Warmer-than-normal weather overall does not mean it will necessarily feel warm, however. Nor does it mean it will be warm all the time.

Last year, for example, was Australia's warmest winter on record but featured several days where the mercury plummeted to freezing levels.

Forecast not set in stone

Dr Braganza said the bureau's long-range model represented "conditions at the largest scale", such as pressure patterns and ocean conditions.

But it cannot pick up on individual systems and how much rain they will bring.

These individual systems can make a big difference to the outcome.

Australian National University hydro-climate scientist Chiara Holgate said studies of past droughts in southern Australia had shown the presence of just a "handful" of big, organised storms could be the difference between a wet and dry season.

Just a handful of strong winter cold fronts and storms can change the fortunes of southern Australia's season. (Supplied: Marcus Scott)

"We know from other studies that it's a handful of the heavier rain days, say about 10mm in a day, that can change the fortunes of a region of Australia," Dr Holgate said.

"So if there's 10 extra days compared to normal of those higher rain days, we can expect it would be a wet year. But if we didn't get those 10 or so heavy rain days, then that region would be at risk of entering drought."

Links

• Australian climate trends
• Climate projections for Australia
• Impacts and Adaptation for Natural Resource Management Regions
• A land of drought and flooding rains
• The drought that changed us
• Global Climate Change - Causes of past and recent change

Climate advocates devastated after Woodside North West Shelf project approved until 2070

ABC - Phoebe Pin  Michelle Stanley

The life of Woodside's Karratha Gas Plant will be extended after the project
gained approval from the federal government. (Supplied: Woodside)

Climate advocates have been left devastated by the federal government's decision to sign off on an extension of Australia's largest oil and gas project until 2070, describing it as a "dark day".

Federal environment minister Murray Watt has
approved the decision to extend Woodside's
North West Shelf project.
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Newly minted Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday approved Woodside's proposal to extend the life of its North West Shelf gas project, after it sat on ice for six years.

Approval was granted under strict conditions, which the gas giant has 10 days to review and accept.

A swathe of scientists have raised concerns about the project, including the impact of emissions on the environment and ancient Aboriginal rock art at the nearby Murujuga Cultural Landscape.

UN recommendation

Ms Rollins is concerned about
the climate change ramifications.
(ABC News: Courtney Withers)

Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Piper Rollins said there were no conditions that could be imposed to address those concerns.

"We know that this approval is going to be responsible for billions of tonnes of carbon emissions emitted into our atmosphere," she said.

 "This state is going to suffer the most and this project is going to disproportionately drive climate change and make it even worse."

Senator Watt's announcement came just hours after a bid to have the petroglyphs at Murujuga added to the World Heritage list stalled over concerns about the effect emissions were having on the priceless rock art.

The UN recommended the government inform it of the intention to authorise major projects which may affect the "outstanding universal value" of the Murujuga site.

And a leading scientist expressed "grave concern" about "unacceptable interference" in a study of the potential impacts of emissions on the rock carvings.

Greens MP Sophie McNeill says
the decision left her 'speechless'. 
(ABC News: Courtney Withers)

Greens Upper House MP Sophie McNeill said the timing of Senator Watt's announcement was concerning.

"The UN World Heritage listing of Murujuga's rock art is under threat from Woodside industrial emissions," she said.

"That's the breaking news that came out from UNESCO just this morning, and what we've seen is federal Labour rush to get this decision out before the news about UNESCO does the rounds.

"This is a devastating, dark day and I know there will be many parents like myself tonight having to tell my kids what happened today.

"We're just so devastated by this news, we're kind of speechless."

The Environment Minister Murray Watt has given Woodside the green light
to extend the life of the Karratha Gas Plant. 
(ABC News: Charlie Mclean)

'See you in court'

Ms Cooper opposes the approval.
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Mardathoonera woman Raelene Cooper, a former chair of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, expressed her intention to continue fight the decision, after she launched a last-minute legal bid last week to stop it in the Federal Court.

Her court application had argued Woodside's industrial developments on the Burrup Peninsula pose a threat to thousands of Aboriginal petroglyphs.

"See you in court," she said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I'm not on my own, I'm bringing warriors from this ngurra [home] with me."

Kaylene Daniel campaigned against an extension to
the North West Shelf gas project on the Burrup
Peninsula, and said she wouldn't give up the fight.
(ABC News: Charlie Mclean)

Ngarluma Yindjibarndi woman Kaylene Daniel said the decision "saddened" her.

"Because all through those years that me, my family and others out there have talked about this place, protected this place Murujuga," she said.

"Murujuga meant so much to us."

Ms Daniel described Murujuga as "like a library" full of First Nations stories, songlines and rock art and said she would not give up fighting to protect her country.

"I can't give up, it's not for me to give up, my family didn't give up," she said.

"I'm still going to speak out for this country, because this country is important, it's sacred and it's been passed on to me.

A crowd of protesters gathered outside Woodside Energy's annual general meeting in Perth earlier this month.
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility analyst Alex Hillman worked as Woodside's climate change advisor for five years.

He said there were merits to using gas as a transitional fossil fuel on the path to greater renewable use, but said the world already had enough of it for this purpose.

"We don't need any more gas to be developed," he said.

Mr Hillman also questioned if the project was in the best interests of Woodside shareholders.

"We don't see a compelling business case for Woodside to invest in any of the gas that would feed North West Shelf," he said.

Woodside reviewing approval

Ms O'Neill says Woodside was working closely
with the government to understand the impact
of its emissions.
(ABC News: Elizabeth Pickering)

Woodside chief executive Meg O'Neill said the gas giant was currently reviewing the conditions of the approval.

"The conditions relate to heritage and air quality, so our team is working through with the department to understand what the conditions mean, and we will respond and work with the department in coming days," she said.

Addressing concerns around potential emissions damage to cultural heritage sites, Ms O'Neill said Woodside believed "industry and heritage can coexist".

"We've worked very closely with the government over many years to understand what sort of emissions might cause an impact," she said.

Publican relieved

Mr Bond feels common sense has prevailed.
(ABC News: Charlie Mclean)

Dampier publican Nick Bond said the decision brought "a sense of relief and optimism".

"It's going to give security and financial backing to the country for a long, long time to come," he said.

"It gives us the security we need to be able to invest in new accommodation, new infrastructure and make our asset better for the community.

"The whole country's going to benefit from this decision."

Karratha local Elise Murray took a different view.

"I've lived there, I've grown up there, it's a beautiful place to be," the 18-year-old said.

"To put it at risk by focusing on the money that it will bring in — obviously it's amazing that it'll build so many jobs for local people, but if you're ruining the environment in the first place, you're not going to have enough people that want to live there by the end of it."

"It's really important that we look after the area and focus on a more renewable energy source."

Links

• Pilbara Traditional Owner launches Federal Court bid to block North West Shelf approval – ABC News article on Raelene Cooper's legal challenge.
• Woodside Energy Annual General Meeting draws protest – Coverage of protests during the AGM in Perth.
• North West Shelf Project Extension Approved Until 2070 – Announcement of the project’s federal environmental approval.
• Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill: Industry and Heritage Can Coexist – Statement on emissions and Indigenous heritage impacts.
• Alex Hillman Criticizes Gas Expansion Plans – Commentary by former Woodside climate advisor on the project’s economics.

Fire Country: Aboriginal Land Management and Climate Resilience - Lethal Heating Editor BDA

Australia’s oldest land managers may hold the key to surviving its hottest future. Across the continent, Indigenous fire knowledge is making a comeback—and it’s reshaping how we think about bushfires, biodiversity, and resilience.

🔍 In Brief Cultural burning: A low-intensity practice used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years to reduce fuel loads and support ecosystems. Climate buffer: Helps prevent catastrophic fires, protect biodiversity, and rejuvenate native species post-burn. Community-led programs: Firesticks Alliance and Indigenous ranger groups are scaling cultural fire practices. Science alignment: Modern fire science increasingly supports Indigenous approaches as effective and sustainable. Policy lag: Bureaucratic barriers and fragmented land tenures are slowing integration into national fire strategies. Carbon potential: Cool burns may aid in carbon storage and reduce methane release from high-intensity wildfires. Land justice link: Fire knowledge is tied to cultural identity, sovereignty, and long-term stewardship.

🔥 Fire, the Oldest Tool

Long before hazard reduction burns became policy, Aboriginal communities were using fire as a tool, not just for survival, but for care. 

Known as “cultural burning”, these low, cool burns were designed to clear undergrowth, protect trees, and invite regrowth of food plants and medicinal species.

“Our fires speak the language of Country,” says Victor Steffensen, a Tagalaka fire practitioner. “When done properly, fire doesn’t destroy—it heals.”

After decades of suppression policies, this ancient knowledge is finally gaining ground again, especially as Australia faces hotter, longer bushfire seasons.

🌡️ Fire and a Warming Climate

Australia’s climate is becoming more fire-prone. The CSIRO warns that extreme fire weather days have increased since the 1970s, and fire seasons are starting earlier and ending later.

This puts more pressure on conventional hazard reduction methods. High winds, dry fuel loads, and erratic rain patterns make broadscale burning riskier. 

But cultural burns, done at the right time and scale, offer a safer alternative.

Studies show these methods reduce catastrophic fire risk and even enhance biodiversity—especially in savannas and woodlands.

🌾 Reviving Knowledge, Rebuilding Country

Organizations like the Firesticks Alliance are working to train Indigenous rangers and landholders in cultural fire practices. In Arnhem Land and parts of Queensland, these burns are already being used to manage over 17 million hectares.

“This is about more than land—it’s about culture, ceremony, and healing,” says Walgett elder Narelle Long. “Fire knowledge connects us to our ancestors.”

But scaling these efforts faces roadblocks. 

Land tenure issues, regulatory red tape, and lack of sustained government support make it hard to integrate traditional knowledge into national bushfire plans.

🌍 Carbon, Co-Benefits, and the Future

Beyond fire risk reduction, cultural burning offers climate co-benefits. 

According to a 2021 study by the Climate Council, early-season cool burns can lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to late-season wildfires, which release more methane and nitrous oxide.

There’s also growing interest in the carbon market: Indigenous land managers may earn carbon credits for emissions avoided through cultural burning, providing economic incentives for climate-smart land care.

But to unlock these opportunities, Australia must commit to Indigenous-led fire programs—not just as a cultural gesture, but as core climate policy.

🧭 The Path Forward

Australia’s future will burn.

It’s a matter of how, when, and why. 

If done right, fire can be an ally against ecological collapse. 

But that means listening to those who’ve managed this land for 65,000 years.

“Cultural burning isn’t just about fire,” says Steffensen. “It’s about responsibility. It’s about reading Country. And it’s about time we put it at the centre of our resilience planning.”

Links

• 🔗 Firesticks Alliance – Cultural fire knowledge and training
• 🔗 Climate Change in Australia – CSIRO
• 🔗 Indigenous Fire Management in a Changing Climate – Climate Council
• 🔗 What Is Cultural Burning? – The Conversation
• 🔗 IPCC AR6 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
• 🔗 Victor Steffensen – Indigenous fire practitioner and author

The Future of Farming in a Warming Australia - Lethal Heating Editor BDA

Australia’s farmers are no strangers to adversity. But as the nation warms faster than the global average, the agricultural landscape is reaching a tipping point, one defined by drought, flood, and the urgent need to adapt.

🔍 In Brief Shifting zones: Warmer conditions are pushing crop and livestock zones southward and upslope, making some regions less viable. Adaptation limits: Many farmers are adapting, but rising costs and speed of change risk outpacing capacity, especially in dryland regions. Regenerative potential: It's promising but still niche scaling requires financial incentives, education, and policy reform. Indigenous knowledge: Integration is growing, especially in land management, but needs greater institutional support. Water policy impact: Current frameworks are fragmented and contested—reform is urgently needed to balance competing interests. Mental health toll: Climate stress is contributing to higher anxiety, depression, and suicide risk in rural areas. Support remains patchy. Tech barriers: High costs and poor connectivity limit uptake of smart farming tools in many regions. Export vs. emissions: Tension exists. Emissions from agriculture must fall to meet climate targets, requiring innovation and accountability. Insurance outlook: Insurers are beginning to price in climate risk. Some regions may become uninsurable within decades. Vision gap: No unified long-term strategy exists. The future is being shaped piecemeal by a mix of actors with differing priorities.

🔥 Climate Pressure on the Paddock

Australia's climate is shifting, and it’s hitting farmers first. 

According to the CSIRO, temperatures in Australia have risen by 1.5°C since 1910, with longer dry spells and more frequent extreme weather events becoming the new norm. 

This means crops are failing more often, livestock are under increasing heat stress, and water sources are drying up or becoming salinised.

“Farming has always been about resilience,” says Dr. Rachel Whitmore, a climate agronomist based in Wagga Wagga. “But we’re now dealing with nonlinear shifts. Entire growing seasons are disappearing.”

💧 Water, the New Gold

Access to water is now the most critical variable in Australian farming. 

In the Murray–Darling Basin, mismanagement, over-extraction, and prolonged drought have created a hydrological nightmare. 

Irrigation-dependent crops like cotton and almonds are under scrutiny, while farmers growing wheat and barley are turning to drought-tolerant varieties or abandoning their fields altogether.

Meanwhile, rainfall deficits in eastern Australia are exposing how fragmented water governance fails both farmers and ecosystems.

🌱 Regenerative Agriculture: Trend
      or Transformation?

Out of crisis comes innovation. 

Across the country, a growing number of producers are turning to regenerative agriculture, which focuses on building soil health, storing carbon, and reducing chemical inputs. 

In Central Victoria, some farms have cut emissions by up to 60% while improving yields—even during dry years.

But critics warn that without government support, regenerative methods will remain a niche practice. “It’s not enough to be climate smart,” says sustainability consultant Maya Chen. “We need national-scale reform in subsidies, land use, and water rights.”

🚜 The Role of Tech and Policy

Smart farming tools, like AI-assisted irrigation, drone crop monitoring, and carbon accounting platforms, A are spreading fast. 

Yet rural broadband gaps and high equipment costs are major barriers. 

The Department of Agriculture is promoting innovation hubs, but critics say it’s too little, too late.

In March 2025, a Climate Council report warned that without an integrated national adaptation strategy, many of Australia’s food-growing regions will become economically unviable within 20 years.

🌍 The Big Picture

The future of farming in Australia isn’t just a rural issue. 

It’s about food prices, export revenues, carbon emissions, and national resilience. 

As the climate crisis deepens, farmers will either lead the transformation, or become its earliest casualties.
 

📚Links

• 🔗 Climate Change in Australia – CSIRO
• 🔗 Australian Farmers Facing Climate Change: What Lies Ahead? – ABC News
• 🔗 Murray–Darling Basin Plan – Murray–Darling Basin Authority
• 🔗 Regenerative Agriculture: Growing Solutions to Climate Change – Soils For Life
• 🔗 Climate Change 2023: The Physical Science Basis – IPCC
• 🔗 Climate Change and Agriculture in Australia – Climate Council
• 🔗 Heat Stress in Livestock – Meat & Livestock Australia
• 🔗 Australian Agricultural Innovation Hubs – Department of Agriculture

Climate Change Books: Fact and Fiction

🌍 Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) Novels
	The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018) Theme: Interconnectedness of humans and trees; ecological activism. Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Why Read: A deeply moving novel about people brought together by environmental catastrophe and forest conservation.
	Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson (2020) Theme: Climate policy, geoengineering, global governance. Scope: Realistic and sweeping in scale; near-future speculative fiction. Why Read: Possibly the most comprehensive fictional take on humanity's response to global warming.
	Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (2012) Theme: Shifting ecosystems and climate denial in rural America. Setting: Appalachian Mountains. Why Read: A poetic and personal exploration of how climate affects both nature and community.
	New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson (2017) Theme: Sea level rise, economic inequality. Setting: A partially submerged New York City. Why Read: A vivid and well-researched vision of urban life post-climate collapse.
	The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard (1962) Theme: Post-apocalyptic world of melting ice caps and flooded cities. Legacy: One of the earliest works of climate-oriented science fiction. Why Read: A surreal, psychological take on climate catastrophe.
	American War by Omar El Akkad (2017) Theme: Climate-induced civil war and displacement. Setting: Future America devastated by rising seas and oil bans. Why Read: A gripping, brutal allegory for the geopolitical impacts of climate change.
🌀 Young Adult & Dystopian Fiction
	Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993) Theme: Societal collapse due to climate change and inequality. Why Read: Visionary and prophetic, Butler explores resilience in the face of environmental and social collapse
	Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman (2018) Theme: Water scarcity in suburban California. Why Read: A gripping young adult novel about survival and community in crisis.
📚 Non-Fiction Books About Climate Change
	This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein (2014) Focus: Economic systems as drivers of climate crisis. Why Read: A foundational text in environmental justice and climate policy.
	The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells (2019) Focus: Worst-case scenarios of unchecked climate change. Why Read: Vivid, shocking, and meticulously reported.
	The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (2014) Focus: Biodiversity loss as a result of human activity. Awards: Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. Why Read: A sobering examination of humanity's impact on life on Earth.

 Links

📘 Recent Academic Studies on Climate Change

1. A Bibliometric Analysis on the Research Trends of Global Climate Change
   This study examines current directions in climate change research, highlighting areas such as human health risks, societal inequalities, and policy regulations.
2. Critical Environmental Justice in Contemporary Scholarship and Activism
   This paper explores the complex constructions of environmental justice (EJ) in both academic and activist spheres, aiming to map contemporary EJ discourse and identify opportunities for cooperation and real-world change.
3. Climate Smart Agriculture Strategies for Enhanced Agricultural Sustainability
   This research discusses the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, aiming to boost resilience in the agricultural sector.
4. Heads, Hearts, and Hands: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies on Climate Change Education
   This systematic review analyzes empirical studies on climate change education, emphasizing pedagogical approaches that support learners in processing their emotions and taking action.
5. Climate Challenges for Event Management: A Research Agenda
   This study addresses the impacts of human-induced climate change on event management, proposing a research agenda to tackle the challenges posed by more frequent and intense extreme events.
6. Climate-Change-Driven Conflict: Insights from North Wollo, Northeast Ethiopia
   This research investigates the link between climate change and conflict in Northeast Ethiopia, providing insights into how climate-induced stressors can exacerbate existing tensions.
7. Negotiating Climate Change in Public Discourse: Insights from Critical Discourse Analysis
   This paper examines how climate change is communicated in the media, highlighting the importance of discursive constructions in raising public awareness and mobilizing action.
8. A Systematic Review of Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts in the Transport Sector
   This review assesses adaptation strategies to climate change impacts within the transport sector, identifying gaps and proposing future research directions.

📚 Foundational Reports and Resources

• IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) – Synthesis Report (2023)
  An integrated view of climate change, summarizing the latest scientific findings.
• IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) – Ongoing Work
  The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, with new reports in development.
• UNSW Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC) – 2024 Annual Report
  Highlights recent research activities and collaborations focused on climate dynamics and extreme weather.