Today, the temperature is expected to reach 40 degrees c (104F) and with the smoke haze, as surreal as it all looks, I suppose we here in Australia will have to get used to it and become will be the new norm. What happened in 2019? It’s hard to remember what happened past the last month. The focus has been on all the fires and heat that Australia is currently facing. The poem by Dorothea Mackellar, “My Country”, comes to mind.
…
I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooded plains
—-
Dorothea wrote this in 1908 while in the UK at the age of nineteen. I wonder what she would be thinking now if she was alive to see it. Would the poem have changed? Climate scientists have been suggesting for many years that the globe is warming and that extreme weather patterns will increase. Its barely two weeks into summer in Australia and vast amounts of land, homes, animals’ plants and sadly human lives lost. It is hard to think about Christmas leave.
Australia is not alone with its challenges with the significant political, environment and regional unrest. We are in unprecedented times.
Supporting researchers is something which I have been very passionate about for a long time and with my current job at Elsevier, this is more important than ever. Providing support for researchers, research institutions and community to come up with innovative solutions for some of these world challenges could not be more important. When the community starts to understand when theories become a reality, we often have a better appreciation of the effort and support systems that are needed to make things real! From ideas to Government support and adoption for the community support, it takes time. Somehow using the technology systems, artificial intelligence and the petabytes of data machines have collected, we need to help us better humans to test theory’s, suggest new alternatives. How do we progress things in a more timely and efficient way? Each of us has a part to play in supporting our communities (however you define this). For those working or volunteering, stay safe and thanks for your help. I recognize the commitment that it takes.
When reflecting on the past, you often hear the saying to have 20/20 vision. Well, 2020 is next year, in front of us so let’s make it count!
Grahame's Thoughts 