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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

Federal Reserve Probes Big Banks Over Private Credit Exposure Amid Growing Systemic Risk Concerns

The Federal Reserve has launched a formal inquiry into major U.S. banks and their financial ties to the private credit sector, raising fresh concerns about systemic risk across the $1.8 trillion industry. The move comes as...

Middle East Conflict Threatens Global Economic Stability, World Bank Warns

The ongoing Middle East war is sending shockwaves through the global economy, and even a fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump may not be enough to prevent lasting damage, World Bank President Ajay...

U.S. Markets Post Strong Weekly Gains Despite Middle East Tensions and Rising Energy Prices

U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Friday as investors weighed a fragile Middle East ceasefire against an inflation report that came in better than feared. Despite Fridays uneven session, major indexes logged their...

Colombia and Ecuador Trade War Escalates With Retaliatory Tariffs

Tensions between Colombia and Ecuador have reached a breaking point after Colombia announced 100% retaliatory tariffs on Ecuadorian imports, intensifying an ongoing trade dispute between two ideologically divided...

Asia FX Weekly Gains Hold Amid U.S. Inflation Data and Iran Ceasefire Uncertainty

Most Asian currencies slipped slightly on Friday but remained on track to close the week in positive territory, as traders adopted a cautious stance ahead of the U.S. March Consumer Price Index (CPI) release and monitored...

Politics

Iran's Lost Mines Threaten Strait of Hormuz Reopening and Global Oil Markets

A major obstacle has surfaced in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iran admitted it can no longer locate or recover all of the naval mines it deployed in the critical waterway, according to a New York Times...

MATCH Act: How New U.S. Chip Legislation Could Freeze China's Semiconductor Ambitions

American lawmakers are advancing one of the most aggressive semiconductor export control bills ever proposed. The Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware Act, widely known as the MATCH Act, has drawn...

FAA and Pentagon Approve Laser Counter-Drone System Along U.S.-Mexico Border

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon have reached a landmark agreement authorizing the deployment of a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the southern U.S. border. This milestone follows extensive...

Eric Swalwell Faces Sexual Assault Allegations Amid California Governor's Race

California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell is facing serious sexual assault allegations from a former district office staffer, throwing his prominent gubernatorial campaign into turmoil. The accusations, first...

Iran's Missile Arsenal Poses Ongoing Risk Despite U.S. Claims of Destruction

Recent U.S. intelligence assessments reveal that Iran still maintains thousands of operational ballistic missiles, directly contradicting the White Houses assertion that the regimes military capabilities have been...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

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...

Technology

OpenAI Addresses Security Vulnerability in macOS App Certification Process

OpenAI disclosed a security concern on Friday involving a third-party developer tool known as Axios, which is connected to the process used to verify the authenticity of its macOS applications. The company confirmed it has...

San Francisco Suspect Arrested After Molotov Cocktail Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home

San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old suspect Friday following a pre-dawn attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altmans residence in the citys North Beach neighborhood. According to the San Francisco Police Department, an...

SanDisk Joins Nasdaq-100, Replacing Atlassian on April 20

Nasdaq Inc. confirmed late Friday that SanDisk Corporation will enter the Nasdaq-100 Index, taking the spot previously held by Atlassian Corp Plc when markets open on Monday, April 20, 2026. The change signals a broader...

TSMC Posts Strong Q1 2025 Revenue, Riding AI Chip Demand Wave

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has reported first-quarter revenue of T$1.134 trillion (approximately $35.71 billion USD), surpassing analyst expectations and...

Lumentum Holdings Rides AI Wave With Order Book Filled Through 2028

Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LITE) is experiencing a surge in demand from the artificial intelligence sector, with its order pipeline now fully booked through 2028, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday. The...