Jennifer Marohasy

Jennifer Marohasy (born 1963) is an Australian biologist, columnist and blogger. She was a senior fellow at the free-market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs between 2004 and 2009 and director of the Australian Environment Foundation until 2008.[1] She holds a PhD in biology from the University of Queensland. She is sceptical of anthropogenic global warming and co-authored a peer-reviewed paper in GeoResJ suggesting that most of the recent warming is attributable to natural variations, a view disputed by climate scientists.[2][3]

Career

Marohasy worked as a field biologist in Africa and Madagascar during the 1980s and 1990s,[4] and has a number of published papers in science journals.[5]

In 1997 she switched from researcher to environment manager with the Queensland sugar industry. In 1998, Marohasy received a PhD on the biological control of weeds.[6] In 2001, she started to develop an interest in environmental campaigns and, in particular, claiming that there are anomalies between fact and perception regarding the health of coastal river systems and the Great Barrier Reef.[7]

In July 2003, she became director of the environment unit at the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA).

As of November 2022, Marohasy is a Senior Fellow at the IPA.[8]

Institute of Public Affairs

While head of the Environment Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs, Marohasy compiled a backgrounder titled Myth and the Murray - measuring the real state of the river environment[9] which was published by the Institute in December 2003. The Institute received a $40,000 donation from Murray Irrigation Limited at that time.[10] This paper is quoted in the Interim Report of the Inquiry into future water supplies for Australia’s rural industries and communities of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, March 2004. At a science round table of the committee, when asked for her views on how much water should be returned to the River Murray, Marohasy argued that there was no need for additional flows at that time and that we should test the results of current environmental measures before committing to more.[11]

Marohasy was instrumental in establishing a joint programme with the Institute of Public Affairs and the University of Queensland, funded by Western Australian philanthropist, Bryant Macfie (A top 20 Shareholder in Strike Resources Limited ).[12][13]

Public position on global warming

In a 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview she claimed that... "[i]t's not clear that climate change is being driven by carbon dioxide levels".[14]

On the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National program, Ockham's Razor, Marohasy said in 2005... "I agree with Professor Flannery that we need to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels", later adding "But I completely reject the concept of 'sustainability science' and I am tired of being told the sky is about to fall in".[15]

In a 2008 interview on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National program, Counterpoint, she claimed recent cooling by starting with the extreme temperature peak of the 1998 El Niño[16] event.[17]

In 2020, during and in the aftermath of the Black Summer Bushfires, Marohasy argued that climate change was not a contributing factor, and that the extent of the natural disaster was not as severe as some claimed.[18][19]

Disagreement with the Bureau of Meteorology

Marohasy disagreed with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), claiming in the Australian media [20] that Cyclone Marcia's warning should be for a category 3 cyclone. BOM's Cyclone Marcia warning was for a category 5 cyclone.[21] Marohasy cited data from Middle Percy Island station[22] showing maximum wind gusts of 208 kilometres per hour.[23] BOM stated however, that the strongest winds of the cyclone were on the eastern side, some 40 kilometres per hour faster - typical for cyclones in the southern hemisphere. The cyclone was gaining in strength. Middle Percy Island was on the western side of the cyclone. Middle Percy Island measuring equipment was destroyed by the cyclone and therefore the BOM data stream ceased. Marohasy's claim, that BOM's category 5 warning was based solely on computer modeling, was rejected by Bureau chief Rob Webb.

Jonathan Nott,[24] a James Cook University specialist in extreme natural events, said the bureau numbers showed it was a category 5 rather than a 3. “I would agree with the bureau,’’ Nott said. “Percy didn’t get the strongest winds. They were substantially stronger to the east.’’

See also

References
  1. Melissa Fyfe, "Cool reception for new green group", The Age, 8 June 2005.
  2. Abbot, John; Marohasy, Jennifer (2017). "The application of machine learning for evaluating anthropogenic versus natural climate change". GeoResJ. 14: 36–46. doi:10.1016/j.grj.2017.08.001.
  3. Readfearn, Graham (26 August 2017). "Why the IPA's claim global warming is natural is junk science". The Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  4. Walton, Craig (2005). Reclaiming Lost Provinces: A Century of Weed Biological Control in Queensland. Department of Natural Resources & Mines, Queensland. Reviewed here
  5. Early Scientific Publications :: Publications
  6. "Assessing host specificity in weed biological control, with particular reference to the lantana mealybug". University of Queensland Library, thesis search. 1998.
  7. "WWF Says 'Jump!', Governments Ask 'How High?' | Institute of Public Affairs Australia". Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  8. "Jennifer Marohasy, Author at IPA - The Voice For Freedom". IPA - The Voice For Freedom. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  9. Jennifer Marohasy, IPA Backgrounder Vol 15/5, December 2003,Myth and the Murray - measuring the real state of the river environment
  10. ABC Local Radio, VIC Country Hour, 04/06/2004, Institute of Public Affairs accepts irrigation funds.
  11. House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2004, Inquiry into future water supplies for Australia’s rural industries and communities
  12. AAP MediaNet Press Releases, Media Release: Institute of Public Affairs, 30 April 2008; Andrew Trounson, Greg Roberts,"Climate sceptic's $350,000 grant to uni has 'no strings attached'", The Australian, 7 May 2008
  13. The Australian, 7 May 2008. Dispute over climate sceptic uni grant
  14. Report released on climate change - Broadcast 7/26/05
  15. Ockham's Razor - Broadcast 11/20/05
  16. 1997-1998 El Nino: the most recent event, Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Illinois
  17. Interview on Counterpoint - Broadcast 3/17/2008
  18. Marohasy, Jennifer (4 January 2020). "It has been hotter, fires have burnt larger areas". Jennifer Marohasy. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  19. Marohasy, Jennifer. "Unprecedented Panic Over Bushfire Impact – CLIMATE CHANGE THE FACTS". Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  20. Courier Mail - You Call that a Category 5?
  21. Tropical Cyclone Marcia to reach Category 5 system at landfall
  22. Latest Weather Observations for Middle Percy Island
  23. Marohasy, "Just before the cyclone made landfall it passed over Middle Percy Island ... A wind gust of 208 km/hr was recorded at 4.30 am, which suggests Marcia was almost a Category 3 at this time"
  24. Professor Jon Nott Profile - James Cook University
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