I’ve helped a variety of organisations get their science messages across. Here are a few of them.

2011: Understanding Floods, Queensland Government

From December 2010 to January 2011, Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland experienced widespread flooding. There was extensive damage to both public and private property, towns were evacuated and 37 lives were lost, 35 of those in Queensland. Three quarters of Queensland was declared a disaster zone, an area greater than France and Germany combined, and the total cost to the Australian economy has been estimated at more than $30 billion. I was the consultant writer for Understanding Floods: Questions and Answers, which was prepared by the Queensland Floods Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Panel, convened by the Queensland Chief Scientist, Dr Geoff Garrett AO, to explain in clear and simple language the fundamental concepts of floods, including flood causes, impacts, forecasting, and flood risk management now and in the future.

2012: The Science of Immunization, Australian Academy of Science

The Australian Academy of Science is an independent institution that provides science advice and builds public awareness and understanding of science. I was the consultant writer on the first version of this guide, created to help Australians understand scientific information about immunisation so that everyone can make well-informed healthcare decisions. It can be used as a helpful tool for discussions between healthcare professionals and patients, between family and friends, and any conversations about vaccination.

2010: The Science of Climate Change, Australian Academy of Science

This publication from the Australian Academy of Science aims to address confusion created by contradictory information in the public domain. It sets out to explain the current situation in climate science, including where there is consensus in the scientific community and where uncertainties exist. I was the science writer on the first edition of this document, working with a panel of experts to create messages that were based in fact, but also as comprehensible as possible.

2015: Energy 2030 Blueprint, Waterloo Global Science Initiative

HOW CAN WE USE THE LATEST SCIENCE AND SOLAR PANEL TECHNOLOGY TO PREPARE FOR AN ELECTRICITY-HUNGRY FUTURE WHILE LIMITING OUR IMPACT ON THE PLANET? This was the fundamental question behind WGSI’s Energy 2030 Summit for which I was rapporteur. The goal of the Summit was not to produce a technical assessment of any one technology, nor to produce a detailed list of policy prescriptions for governments or corporations. Rather, the Summit sought to merge the collective talents and knowledge of its participants to stimulate long-term creative thinking about how science and solar panel technology might most effectively be harnessed to help address one of most complex challenges for the century ahead. Together the participants outlined a roadmap to their implementation in the decades ahead. Their recommendations for investment and focus culminated in the Energy 2030 Blueprint.