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Lesley Hughes

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
Professor Lesley Hughes is an ecologist in the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University and an expert on the impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems. She is the co-convenor of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Adaptation Research Network, Chair of the Tasmanian Climate Action Council and a member of Climate Scientists Australia and the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

She was a commissioner with the independent federal government advisory body The Climate Commission until it was disbanded. She now works pro bono as a councillor for the independent, non-profit group the Climate Council. Funded by donations from the public, its mission is to provide authoritative, expert advice to the Australian community on climate change.

Professor Hughes was also a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Climate Change and Biodiversity for the Australian Greenhouse Office and the Department of Climate Change, and a lead author for the UN’s IPCC Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports. Her research has been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals.

Professor Hughes is very interested in the potential impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, as it is most serious and challenging environmental issue we face. Her research integrates a number of different methods, from small-scale field and laboratory manipulations, to computer modeling of potential impacts on hundreds of species. This research interest has led to work focused on the implications of climate change on the applied issues of land management and conservation policy in Australia and elsewhere. She is currently involved in a large collaborative project assessing the impacts of climate change on the major environmental weeds in Australia.

Methane is turbocharging unnatural disasters – Australia must get serious about reducing emissions

Jul 31, 2024 12:17 pm UTC| Business

One of the most significant achievements of the 26th United Nations climate conference in Glasgow (COP26) three years ago was the launch of the Global Methane Pledge. The goal is to reduce global methane emissions at least...

Economy

Oil Prices Soar Over 8% After Israel Launches Preemptive Strike on Iran

Oil prices surged sharply in Asian markets on Friday after Israel launched a large-scale preemptive airstrike on Iran, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict and potential disruptions to global oil supply. As of...

Gold Soars as Israel-Iran Conflict Triggers Safe-Haven Rush

Gold prices surged in Asian trading on Friday as geopolitical tensions escalated following Israels preemptive airstrikes on Iran, targeting numerous military and nuclear facilities. The strikes triggered a wave of...

Dollar Gains with Yen and Franc as Israel Strikes Iran, Oil and Gold Prices Surge

The U.S. dollar rose sharply alongside safe-haven currencies like the Japanese yen and Swiss franc following reports that Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Two U.S. officials confirmed the strikes to Reuters, clarifying...

Japan Denies Discussing U.S. Treasury Holdings in Tariff Talks

Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato clarified on Friday that Japans $1 trillion-plus U.S. Treasury holdings were not specifically discussed in meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking at a regular...

US Stock Futures Drop as Israel Launches Strikes on Iran

U.S. stock futures plunged late Thursday following reports that Israel launched military strikes on Iran. The SP 500 Futures dropped 1.5% to 5,961.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 1.7% to 21,567.55, and Dow Jones Futures...

Politics

Trump to Hold Security Meeting After Israeli Strikes on Iran Raise Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump will convene a National Security Council meeting at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday, following Israeli airstrikes on Iran that heightened fears of wider conflict in the Middle East. The White House...

Iran Vows Harsh Retaliation After Israeli Strike on Nuclear Sites

Iran has warned of a harsh and decisive retaliation following an Israeli airstrike on its nuclear facilities early Friday, escalating fears of a broader Middle East conflict. According to a high-ranking Iranian security...

Israel Coordinated Iran Strike with U.S., Denies Rift Claims

Israel fully coordinated its recent military strike on Iranian targets with the United States and informed Washington ahead of the operation, according to an Israeli official quoted by state broadcaster Kan on Friday. The...

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung Vows Business-Friendly Trade Talks with U.S.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his commitment to pro-business policies and trade reform on Friday, pledging to ease regulations and accelerate tariff negotiations with the United States. Speaking at a...

Senator Padilla Handcuffed During DHS Press Conference, Sparks Outrage

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed, handcuffed, and briefly detained during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in Los Angeles on June 12. Padilla, a Democrat from California, attempted to...

Science

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

SpaceX Starship Test Flight Reaches New Heights but Ends in Setback

SpaceXs massive Starship rocket, central to Elon Musks vision for interplanetary travel, launched its ninth uncrewed test flight from Starbase, Texas, on May 27, 2025. The two-stage vehiclecomprising the upper-stage...

Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency

Jared Isaacman, billionaire, CEO and nominee to become the next NASA administrator, faced questions on April 9, 2025, from members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation during his confirmation...

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology...

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

Technology

Apple Shifts iPhone Exports from India to U.S. to Bypass China Tariffs

Apple is ramping up iPhone exports from India to the U.S. to sidestep rising tariffs on Chinese-made devices. From March to May 2025, Foxconn exported $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with a striking 97% headed to...

FAA Closes Investigation Into SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Engine Failure

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it has officially concluded its investigation into the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap, attributing the incident to a hardware failure in one of the...

Meta Invests $14.3B in Scale AI to Boost AGI Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has made a strategic $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, valuing the AI data infrastructure startup at over $29 billion. The move marks Metas second-largest deal after its $19 billion...

Reddit User Growth Slows for Third Straight Month as Digital Ad Market Rebounds

Reddits user base declined for the third consecutive month in May, according to Piper Sandler. The platform lost 6 million users month-over-month, driven mainly by a 7 million drop in feed ad units. Conversation units,...

OpenAI Eyes $40B Fundraise with Backing from Saudi PIF, Reliance, and SoftBank

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions with major global investors, including Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Indias Reliance Industries (NSE:RELI), as it seeks to raise up to $40 billion in fresh funding,...