Will Hobbs

Always great to see the beer/science communities combo @beeraquatic.bsky.social

As US climate data-gathering is gutted, Australian forecasting is now at real risk For decades, Australia has relied on data from US satellites, floats and monitoring programs. Planned deep cuts put Australian forecasting at risk

Our piece in @theconversation.com today:
As US climate data-gathering is gutted, Australian forecasting is now at real risk theconversation.com/as-us-climat...
And it's not just Australia that will lose out. Forecasting all around the world will be set back decades if these cuts go through.

“Push it to the depths!” The very words I ride by… #MTB #tokyo

Not really shocking given the current political situation, but another big blow as Antarctica’s climate change is ramping up

Q: What happens when #Antarctic summer sea ice hits record lows in 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025?

A: aapp.shorthandstories.com/a-world-with...

Screenshot showing a variability of different climate-related graphics for different United States climate change indicators

I'd like to introduce a new page on my website: U.S. climate indicator visuals (zacklabe.com/united-state...).

I only have a few basic variables so far, but I will be expanding this summer to add a range of metrics (e.g., ecological). I welcome suggestions! Hope this is useful, especially nowadays.

Line graph time series of 2025's daily global sea ice extent in red shading compared to each year from 1979 to 2024 using shades of purple to white for each line. There is substantial interannual and daily variability. Seasonal cycles are visible. A disclaimer is shown, which states: Trends/variability in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice are affected by very different atmospheric/oceanic processes and opposite seasonality!

With both poles observing unusually low sea ice conditions, global sea ice extent is the 2nd lowest on record for today's date...

More sea ice graphics available at zacklabe.com/global-sea-i.... Data from @nsidc.bsky.social.

Was this a sanctioned trail?

Incredible heat in the Mediteranean with sea sfc departures up to 7C (13 F) above normal!
While +13F is not unusual for air temps, for large water bodies it's ludicrous.
Marine heateaves in the Med are now 3X more likely than the 1980s due to climate change - CC can explain 90% of this increase.

Tracking sea ice is ‘early warning system’ for global heating – but the US is halting data sharing News comes as research finds record lows of Antarctic sea ice had seen more icebergs splintering off ice shelves

🛰️ "NSIDC's sea ice data is our number one heart rate monitor for the state of the planet’s ice. It’s our early warning system and tells us if the patient is about to flatline." — Dr Alex Fraser, AAPP sea-ice remote sensing scientist
@utas.edu.au
@nsidc.bsky.social

🌊 tinyurl.com/3vphpmzy

What's Antarctic sea ice ever done for us? Quite a lot! It cools the ocean, protects ice shelves, supports an irreplaceable ecosystem. Oh, and helps the ocean absorb $180 billion of carbon per year. Hopefully we can figure this out whilst there still is some summer sea ice...
doi.org/10.1093/pnas...

I don’t understand why you think the climate science community has understated anything. Yes the IPCC reports are (scientifically) conservative documents, but I’m unaware of any public communication by scientists themselves that doesn’t highlight the urgency of mitigation.

Ok, let me be clear then. The climate is incredibly variable system that can’t be bottled in a test tube . It takes time/work to separate human effects from variability (working on it!) If we get it wrong - cry wolf - that’ll just fuel the deniers.

And the “false hope” thing; outdated if it ever was true. The overwhelming narrative I see publicly reported is that we’ve locked in some very serious impacts (1.5c probably a bust now) but mitigation is still both urgent and essential

Ok, read it, a bit surprised to see one of my colleagues quoted so blatantly. I’ve already why the interpretation of IPCC is factually incorrect; the point about caution in peer review is indeed a frustration but probably a necessary bar to maintain integrity

Hmm, what facts are you accusing me of not sticking to? The IPCC process or the main reason why the climate science community can’t keep up with the rapid impacts of climate change?

I don’t need to read about how scientists are struggling to keep up with the rapidity of climate change; I need the university funding structure to change so that we have a hope of keeping up

Climate scientists do tell that truth in their own research publications. But the IPCC process requires that every statement is approved by EVERY IPCC member nation (which includes Russia, Gulf States, USA and Australia)

Continued gas/coal leases would be politically unthinkable if the Australian public really knew what a 2C-warmed world would be like

Been in Cairns all week for the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society conference. Great to catch up with colleagues old and new (and nicely-timed to avoid Hobart’s cold spell!) But I have never been to a conference with such a palpable sense of despair.

Heh, for the record I have enormous gratitude for the work of editors in the current peer review crisis. (But I do occasionally get cranky)

Except for when the subject is well outside my field of expertise and I shouldn’t have been sent the review request in the first place?

Antarctic research jeopardised by 'terminating' funding, scientists say Australia's ability to conduct strategic, in-depth, and long-term research in Antarctica is being compromised by "terminating" funding models for key programs, scientists warn.

Obviously I have skin in this game- being an Australian govt-funded Antarctic scientist and all - but this rolling short-term funding model threatens a world leading concentration of experts at a time when Antarctica is changing faster than govt policy…

Australian Antarctic Program appoints Chief Scientist – Australian Antarctic Program (News 2025) Professor Nerilie Abram from the Australian National University has been appointed as the Australian Antarctic Program's new Chief Scientist.

Awesome news for the Antarctic research community! AAD has some well-publicised issues in the last few years, but if anyone can turn the ship around it’s Nerilie!

Emperor penguin populations shrink by almost a quarter Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica have shrunk by almost a quarter as global warming melts their icy habitat, researchers say.

There’s a lot going on right now I know, but we’ll be dealing with the impacts of Antarctic climate change long after Trump, Putin and Netanyahu are gone

🦭 Seabirds and SciComm: An Immersive Fieldwork Extravaganza 🐧

Join Dr Olly Dove, zoologist and science communicator, as she shares her thrilling adventures in seabird fieldwork. From penguin fleas to shearwater vomit - Olly’s stories are as wild as they are informative.

Don’t miss our May event!

My moonboot, puppet, and I are very excited to share that we’ll be giving a free public talk in two weeks’ time on Thursday 29th May at 6.30pm at Hobart Brewing Company 🌝

Have some fabulous humans helping me make it a fun night so hope to see some of your lovely faces there! 🐥 🍻

Yep, just look at our plumbing! Completely unprotected from drop bears and possum sh1t.

Ok, I admit it, I sometimes put a spoon in the fork drawer. I’ve also worn white after Labor Day. Sorry

Autumn in Derby. Tassie is awful; don’t come here! #mtb #tasmania