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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

Japan Exports Rise Fourth Month as Yen Weakness Lifts Trade Outlook

Japans exports increased for a fourth consecutive month in December, highlighting the resilience of the countrys trade sector despite slower shipments to the United States. According to government data released Thursday,...

South Korea Economy Contracts Unexpectedly in Q4 2025 Amid Investment Slump

South Koreas economy recorded an unexpected contraction in the final quarter of 2025, marking its sharpest quarterly decline in three years and raising concerns about the countrys near-term growth outlook. According to...

U.S. Stocks Surge as Trump Eases Europe Tariff Threats, S&P 500 Jumps 1.2%

U.S. stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday after President Donald Trump signaled a major easing of trade tensions with Europe, lifting investor sentiment and pushing major Wall Street indexes firmly into positive...

Trump Drops Tariff Threat After NATO Talks on Greenland’s Future

U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn a controversial threat to impose tariffs on several countries following discussions over Greenland, signaling a potential diplomatic breakthrough with NATO. The announcement came...

Ecuador Imposes 30% Tariff on Colombian Imports Amid Border Security Tensions

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa has announced a 30% punitive import duty on goods from Colombia, a move set to take effect on February 1, as part of efforts to pressure the neighboring country into strengthening border...

Politics

Supreme Court Signals Doubts Over Trump’s Bid to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook

U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday signaled strong skepticism toward President Donald Trumps unprecedented effort to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, raising serious questions about presidential power and...

Spain Pushes for EU Joint Army to Strengthen European Security and Deterrence

Spain is calling on the European Union to move toward the creation of a joint European army, arguing that deeper military integration would strengthen deterrence and ensure the bloc can defend itself against external...

Trump Administration Launches Immigration Enforcement Operation in Maine Amid Political Tensions

The Trump administration has launched a new immigration enforcement operation in Maine, drawing sharp criticism from state leaders and immigrant advocacy groups as federal agents increase their presence in refugee-rich...

Trump’s “Board of Peace” Gains Support from Middle East and Asian Nations

Several key countries across the Middle East and Asia have formally accepted invitations to join U.S. President Donald Trumps newly announced Board of Peace, an initiative aimed at addressing and resolving global...

Trump Warns Iran Against Restarting Nuclear Program, Signals U.S. Readiness to Act

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he hopes there will be no further U.S. military action against Iran, but he issued a firm warning that the United States is prepared to respond if Tehran attempts to...

Science

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...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Memory Chip Shortage Drives Higher Gadget Prices and Weakens Global Tech Demand

Global demand for smartphones, personal computers, and gaming consoles is expected to decline this year as rising memory chip prices force manufacturers to increase product prices. Major electronics brands, ranging from...

Morgan Stanley Flags High Volatility Ahead for Tesla Stock on Robotaxi and AI Updates

Morgan Stanley has warned that Teslas fourth-quarter earnings could lead to an unusually wide range of outcomes for the stock, with investor reaction likely driven less by near-term financials and more by updates on...

Apple Stock Jumps as Company Prepares Major Siri AI Chatbot Upgrade

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares climbed as much as 1.6% on Wednesday afternoon after a Bloomberg News report revealed that the tech giant is preparing a major overhaul of Siri, signaling Apples most significant move yet...

HKEX’s Permissive IPO Rules Could Open Opportunities for Korea to Strengthen Its Position in International Listings

In 2025, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) became the premier venue for initial public offerings (IPOs) globally, having raised nearly US$36 billion from new listings. This notable 200% year-on-year increase is directly...

Global DRAM Chip Shortage Puts Automakers Under New Cost and Supply Pressure

Automakers worldwide are bracing for renewed cost pressures and potential production disruptions as a deepening global shortage of memory chips, particularly DRAM, intensifies due to surging demand from data centres and...