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Ian Lowe

Emeritus Professor, School of Science, Griffith University

Professor Ian Lowe (BSc, NSW; DPhil, York, UK) is an emeritus professor in the School of Natural Sciences at Griffith University and an adjunct professor at two other Australian universities. He was the president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 2004 to 2014.

His principal research interests are in policy decisions influencing the use of energy, science and technology; energy use in industrialised countries; large-scale environmental issues and sustainable development.

Professor Lowe has previously been a member of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO and a consultant to the CSIRO Division of Sustainable Ecosystems. In 1988 he was Director of the Commission for the Future, and was named Australian Humanist of the Year.

He chaired an Australian government advisory council that produced the first national report on the state of the environment in 1996, and delivered the ABC Boyer Lectures in 1991.

The author of 20 books and more than 500 other publications, Professor Lowe’s contributions to environmental science have won him a Centenary Medal, the Eureka Prize for promotion of science, the Prime Minister’s Environment Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the Queensland Premier’s Millennium Award for Excellence in Science, and the University of NSW Alumni Award for achievement in science.

He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to science and technology and for contributing to public understanding of environmental issues.

Small modular reactors have promise. But we found they’re unlikely to help Australia hit net zero by 2050

Jul 24, 2024 11:27 am UTC| Business

Australias clean energy transition is already underway, driven by solar, wind, batteries and new transmission lines. But what about nuclear? Opposition leader Peter Dutton last month committed to building nuclear...

Global Geopolitics Series

Nuclear subs are coming to Australia

May 20, 2024 09:11 am UTC| Insights & Views

For decades, Australia has exported uranium but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to the nuclear industry, through nuclear...

National Science Statement a positive gesture but lacks policy solutions: experts

Mar 22, 2017 07:24 am UTC| Science Law

Today the Australian government launched the National Science Statement, outlining its commitment to science as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda. This comes in advance of the 2030 Strategic Plan, with...

Global Geopolitics Series

What is the Doomsday Clock and why should we keep track of the time?

Jan 28, 2017 06:45 am UTC| Insights & Views

It made headlines recently when the Doomsday Clock was shifted from three minutes to midnight to a new setting of two and a half minutes to midnight. That is the nearest the clock has been to midnight for more than...

Economy

J.P. Morgan Now Expects Two ECB Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Pressures

J.P. Morgan has dramatically reversed its outlook on European monetary policy, now forecasting two European Central Bank rate hikes in April and July a stark departure from its earlier prediction of unchanged rates...

Goldman Sachs Delays Bank of England Rate Cut Forecast Amid Middle East Inflation Risks

Goldman Sachs has revised its outlook for Bank of England interest rate cuts, now pushing expectations back to 2027 after the central bank held rates steady and flagged growing inflation concerns tied to the ongoing Middle...

Asian Currencies Slide as Oil Prices Surge Amid U.S.-Israel-Iran Conflict

Most Asian currencies declined Friday as rising oil prices triggered by the U.S.-Israel war on Iran rattled financial markets, while the U.S. dollar also edged lower despite briefly touching multi-month highs earlier in...

Israel Defies Trump's Warning, Launches New Strikes on Iran Amid Growing Global Energy Crisis

A new wave of Israeli military strikes hit Tehran on Friday, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump explicitly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against targeting Iranian energy infrastructure. The move...

Asian Markets Mixed as Oil Volatility and Inflation Fears Weigh on Sentiment

Asian stock markets traded in a choppy, directionless pattern on Friday as surging crude oil prices tied to escalating Middle East tensions rattled investor confidence across the region. The uncertainty followed a weak...

Politics

Trump Presses Japan to Support Iran War Effort, Cites Pearl Harbor in Surprise Defense

President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House Thursday, urging Japan to contribute military support amid the ongoing U.S. war with Iran and growing concerns over skyrocketing...

Australian PM Albanese Heckled at Sydney Mosque During Eid al-Fitr Prayers

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced vocal protests during his visit to Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney on Friday, where he joined thousands of worshippers for Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of...

Taiwan Strengthens Deterrence Amid Ongoing Chinese Military Threat

Taiwans Defence Minister Wellington Koo issued a stern warning on Friday, reaffirming that Chinas relentless military expansion continues to pose a serious and pressing threat to the island nation. His remarks came shortly...

U.S. Officials Express Optimism Over New CDC Director Selection Amid Vaccine Policy Turmoil

The United States is moving closer to naming a permanent leader for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a top health official. Chris Klomp, chief counselor at the Department of Health and Human...

S&P 500 Rebounds After Netanyahu's Statements on Iran's Military Setbacks

U.S. stock markets showed resilience Thursday as the SP 500 recovered from a 1% intraday decline to trade nearly flat, driven by remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming significant damage to Irans...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Jeff Bezos Eyes $100 Billion Fund to Transform Manufacturing With AI

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is in early-stage discussions to raise a massive $100 billion investment fund focused on acquiring manufacturing companies and accelerating their automation through artificial intelligence. The...

OpenAI's Desktop Superapp: Unifying ChatGPT, Codex, and Browser Tools for Enterprise AI

OpenAI is moving forward with an ambitious plan to consolidate its flagship products ChatGPT, Codex, and its browser-based tools into a single, unified desktop application, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The...

Super Micro Computer Shares Plunge After Co-Founder Charged in AI Chip Smuggling Case

Super Micro Computer Inc (NASDAQ: SMCI) saw its stock drop as much as 14.6% in after-hours trading Thursday following a major legal development tied to illegal exports of artificial intelligence technology to China. The...

Xiaomi's AI Model "Hunter Alpha" Mistaken for DeepSeek's Next Release

A mysterious artificial intelligence model that appeared anonymously on the developer platform OpenRouter last week has been identified as a product of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, not the widely anticipated next release...

Apple Defies China's Smartphone Slump with Strong Early 2026 Sales

Apple has recorded a remarkable 23% jump in China smartphone sales during the first nine weeks of 2026, outperforming a broader market that contracted by 4% over the same period. The surge highlights Apples strengthening...