Fire and Water

With the climate crisis looming, it can feel like the world’s on fire - especially when sometimes, it literally is. With temperatures rising, rivers drying, and trees dying, wildfires are becoming a greater threat than ever before, burning from Canada’s boreal forests to the shrublands of Australia. But what if I told you that one of the best tools we have to combat both climate change and the megafires of the future…is fire itself? In this talk, I’ll take you on a journey through fire history, from how fire first shaped our lives on earth and how we, in turn, can wield it to shape our future.

Why should we learn about the Indian Ocean? Because of its importance in regulating the global climate or its implications on the economy or international trade relations? These things are important but let’s talk about its physics first! Monsoon and the Indian Ocean dipole are some of the buzzwords when it comes to the Indian Ocean, but what do they mean, why are they so important? In this talk, I will be explaining the physical processes in the Indian Ocean and exploring the effects it has on people’s lives - from fish, floods, and drought to the role it plays in the global climate.