The Weather That Changed Us
The podcast Who's Gonna Save Us has changed its name to The Weather That Changed Us Australia experiences all kinds of extreme weather. Cyclones, fires, floods and heat — we see it all. But in the midst of these disasters, it seems we're pretty good at rallying together and making necessary changes. So how have we taken what we've learned in the past to shape the Australia of today and our future? And what are the challenges that climate change will bring? In a year of ever-hotter global temperature records, warnings about ice melting in Antarctica and the northern hemisphere, rapidly developing hurricanes, torrential rain and flooding, it can be hard to understand the ways our weather is changing and intensifying. Everyone is grappling with what it's like to live in a warming world and the consequences we will have to face and survive. In this season we revisit 2009 when a blanket of heat smothered south-eastern Australia, killing hundreds and melting cities. It's the story of how that became a wake-up call for Australia, that we need to change how we manage extreme heat. Fifty years later we learn how Cyclone Tracy decimated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974. But its devastation also led to transformation. Building codes were overhauled changing how we build houses across Australia today. In 1999 a hailstorm like no other came out of nowhere and rained down across Sydney, Australia's most populous city. The hail shattered roofs, windows and cars and all previous insurance bills from natural disasters. It also became a transformative moment for the state's emergency services. In 2003 on a baking hot Canberra day, a phenomenon never before caught on camera was captured unleashing its full power. The first pyro-tornadogenesis, or fire tornado, ever recorded screamed across the Canberra hills and into the suburbs. It also supercharged fire research in Australia and changed our warning systems. For some children, the breaking of the millennium drought was the first time they'd seen rain and puddles. But the decade-long dry spell that covered eastern Australia delivered more than cracked earth — it changed how we thought about and valued water. It also heralded 'star ratings' so we could buy appliances that saved water. For those who lived through them, our past disasters have left deep and lasting change. But they've also left a legacy for us all, from the houses we build to the jobs we do, our politics and the way we live in our world. Join 'The Weather That Changed Us' to learn more about the disasters that shocked, united and rallied Australians and how they can prepare us for the next ones Australia will face.
Episodes
In 1999 a hailstorm like no other came out of nowhere and rained down across Sydney, Australia’s most populous city. The hail shattered roofs, windows and cars and all previous insurance bills from natural disasters. It also became a transformative moment for the state’s emergency services.
For some children, the breaking of the millennium drought was the first time they had seen rain and puddles. The decade-long dry spell that covered eastern Australia delivered more than cracked earth, it changed how we thought about and valued water. It also heralded ‘star ratings’ so we could buy appliances that saved water.
Violent winds knocked down electricity transmission towers in South Australia and caused a massive blackout, plunging the state into darkness also started a heated national conversation about renewable energy. The event also sparked a Twitter conversation between prominent tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Mike Cannon-Brookes and an even bigger bet to build a giant battery.
In 2009 a blanket of heat smothered south-eastern Australia, killing hundreds and melting cities. This is the story of how this event served as a wake-up call for Australia to manage extreme heat.
Cyclone Tracy decimated the northern city of Darwin fifty years ago on Christmas Day in 1974. Its devastation also led to transformation. Building codes were overhauled changing how we build houses across Australia today.
On a baking hot Canberra day, a phenomenon never before caught on camera was captured unleashing its full power. The first pyro-tornadogenesis, or fire tornado, ever recorded screamed across the Canberra hills and into the suburbs. It also supercharged fire research in Australia and changed our warning systems.
Australia is a wild continent with some of the most intense weather on the planet. From massive bushfires to severe cyclones and devastating flooding; extreme weather is becoming part of our everyday lives. How do we take what we’ve learned from our past to better prepare and adapt for our future?
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