NSW Rural Fire Service Library
New books, reports and articles in the library
July 2024
Subjects
Social vulnerabilities and wildfire evacuations: A case study of the 2019 Kincade fire (US Journal article)
Safety Science, Vol 176, August 2024 2024
Vulnerable populations (e.g., populations with lower income or disabilities) are disproportionately impacted by natural hazards like wildfires. It is crucial to develop equitable and effective evacuation strategies to meet their unique needs. While existing studies offer valuable insights, we need to improve our understanding of how vulnerabilities affect wildfire evacuation decision-making, as well as how this varies spatially. The goal of this study is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the impacts of social vulnerabilities on aggregated evacuation decisions, including evacuation rates, delay in departure time, and evacuation destination distance by leveraging large-scale GPS data generated by mobile devices.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Extreme wildfires are on the rise globally, powered by the climate crisis (News article)
The Conversation, 2 June 2024
Wildfires are the new “polar bear”, routinely used by the media to epitomise the climate crisis and the threat of major natural hazards. This is despite most fire on Earth being harmless, even ecologically beneficial. But are wildfires really getting more extreme? Climate sceptics have challenged this claim. They point to a global decline in the area burned and argue the attention given to wildfire is a distracting form of media confirmation bias. So are these extreme fires getting worse? Yes they are, as new research, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, shows.
Use The Conversation link to read the news article online.
Contact the library for a copy of the related journal article, Increasing frequency and intensity of the most extreme wildfires on Earth, published in Nature Ecology and Revolution in June.
Two weeks after the 2023 Maui wildfires: Drinking water experiences and needs (Journal article)
Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, July 2024
This report focuses on understanding community impacts and needs after the August 2023 Maui wildfires. A rapid survey-based field investigation was conducted two weeks after the incident. During the fires, municipal water customers were warned not to use their water due to potential drinking water contamination. Household displacement and isolation of some impacted areas limited extensive study participation. 14 households in the affected areas were visited and surveyed about property characteristics, evacuation, water use, and water quality observations. Publicly available test results from Maui County and University of Hawaiʻi were also reviewed.
Use this Royal Society of Chemistry link to read the article online.
Into the fire (Book)
By Alpine/Aylmerton Rural Fire Brigade, 2023
This book captures the 70 year history of the Alpine/Aylmerton Rural Fire Brigade from 1953 to 2023, it is the story of the brigade their volunteer members.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Fire Safety for Electric Vehicles and Other Modern Vehicles in Parking Structures (US Research blog)
National Fire Protection Association), July 2024
Over the past five years, the electric vehicle (EV) market has seen substantial growth, with global sales reaching 10 million in 2023 and EV market share rising to 14 percent. Advances in battery technology, falling costs, supportive government policies, and expanded charging infrastructure have driven this growth. Recent changes in vehicle design, materials, and motor technologies, however, have raised concerns in the fire protection community. Vehicles have become heavier and now incorporate substantially more plastic components. The shift to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hydrogen fuel cells, and hybrid vehicles also introduces different fire hazards compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, potentially requiring modifications to traditional fire protection design strategies and firefighting tactics applied in parking structures. While vehicle fires are common, large-scale parking garage fires are rare but can cause significant economic losses, as seen in incidents at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, Stavanger Airport, and Luton Airport. The US Fire Protection Research Foundation has conducted a research study to address the concerns relating to vehicle fire safety.
Use this NFPA link to read the research blog online.
Coexisting with wildfire: strengthening collective capacity by changing the status quo (Journal article)
Fire Ecology, 22 July 2024
The article provides a consideration of our capacity to cope, care, and coexist in a fiery world from a social and structural point of view. It focuses on privilege as the root cause of a long and troublesome history within the wildfire profession of not valuing all generational knowledge equally, not treating all cultures with the same respect, not embracing diversity and inclusion, and not affording the same status to all disciplines and voices. The article argues that we can strengthen our collective capacity to coexist with wildfire by embracing local and indigenous fire stewardship practices, by enabling workforce diversity and inclusive leadership culture, and by providing sustainable working conditions for wildland firefighters.
Use this Fire Ecology link to read the article online.
Comparing ground-based lightning detection networks near wildfire points-of-origin (Journal article)
Natural Hazards, June 2024
In this study authors compared two operational ground-based lightning detection networks used by fire managers to identify cloud-to-ground strokes within operationally-relevant distances (1.6 km) of the origins of 4408 western United States lightning-ignited wildfires spanning May–September 2020. Lightning detection and attribution to wildfire ignitions is a critical component of fire management worldwide to both reduce hazards of wildfire to values-at-risk and to enhance the potential for wildland fire to provide resource benefits in fire-adapted ecosystems.
Use this Springer Publisher link to read the article online.
Fighting fires from space in record time: How AI could prevent a repeat of Australia’s devastating wildfires (Research brief)
University of South Australia, June 2024
Australian scientists are getting closer to detecting bushfires in record time, thanks to cube satellites with onboard AI now able to detect fires from space 500 times faster than traditional on-ground processing of imagery.
Remote sensing and computer science researchers have overcome the limitations of processing and compressing large amounts of hyperspectral imagery on board the smaller, more cost-effective cube satellites before sending it to the ground for analysis, saving precious time and energy. The breakthrough, using artificial intelligence, means that bushfires will be detected earlier from space, even before they take hold and generate large amounts of heat, allowing on ground crews to respond more quickly and prevent loss of life and property.
Use this UniSA link to read the brief online.
The related journal article, published in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, is available online here.
How will future climate change impact prescribed fire across the contiguous United States? (Journal article)
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Vol 7, May 2024
As of 2023, the use of prescribed fire to manage ecosystems accounts for more than 50% of area burned annually across the United States. Prescribed fire is carried out when meteorological conditions, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed are appropriate for its safe and effective application. However, changes in these meteorological variables associated with future climate change may impact future opportunities to conduct prescribed fire.
Use this Nature link to read the journal article online.
A research brief about the Los Alamos National Laboratory study is online here.
Trends in prescribed fire weather windows from 2000 to 2022 in California (Journal article)
Forest Ecology and Management, Vol 562, July 2024
As increasing wildfire activity puts pressure on wildland fire suppression resources both nationally and within the state of California, further development of programs and infrastructure that emphasize preventative fuels treatments, e.g. prescribed burning, is critical for mitigating the impacts of wildfire at large spatial scales. Among many factors that limit the use of prescribed fire, weather and fuel moisture conditions are among the most critical.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online
Review of Emergency Volunteering (Report)
NSW Premier’s Department, 2024
The Premier's Department, on behalf of the State Emergency Management Committee, undertook this Review to provide advice to the Minister of Emergency Services on the current state of emergency volunteering in NSW and preparing for the future of emergency volunteering. More than 4,000 people across NSW engaged with the Review, from group interviews and discussions to online survey. The Review of Emergency Volunteering made 13 recommendations for the State Emergency Management Committee. Two reports were published - The Current State of Emergency Volunteering and Preparing for the Future of Emergency Volunteering
Use this NSW Government link to read the reports online.
Igniting change: 5 AI innovations to help extinguish wildfire risks (News article)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 18 July 2024
Traditional methods of assessing fire damage often rely on labour-intensive, time-consuming processes that can delay critical response efforts and prolong uncertainty for affected communities. AI-powered tools represent a paradigm shift by enabling rapid analysis of all kinds of wildfire-related data, enhancing the overall efficiency of disaster response and recovery operations.
Use UNDRR link to read the news article online.
Fires and climate are changing. Science needs to change too (Research brief)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, July 2024
A new white paper on the many ways wildfires affect people and the planet makes clear that as fires become more intense and frequent, the urgency for effective and proactive fire science grows. By addressing these challenges, the fire research community aims to better protect our planet and its inhabitants. Recently, a group of scientists from 14 countries and across several disciplines - physical and social sciences, mathematics, statistics, remote sensing, fire communication and art, operational fire science, and fire management - gathered to discuss rapid changes in fire regimes and identify pathways to address these challenges.
Use this UNDRR link to read the research brief online.
The related white paper, Igniting Progress: Outcomes from the FLARE workshop and three challenges for the future of transdisciplinary fire science, is available online here
Complex impact of large wildfires on ozone layer dynamics (ScienceDaily news article)
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, July 2024
In a revelation highlighting the fragile balance of our planet's atmosphere, scientists have uncovered an unexpected link between massive wildfire events and the chemistry of the ozone layer. Using satellite data and numerical modeling, the team discovered that an enormous smoke-charged vortex nearly doubles the southern hemispheric aerosol burden in the middle stratosphere of the Earth and reorders ozone depletion at different heights. This study reveals how wildfires, such as the catastrophic 2019/20 Australian bushfires, impact the stratosphere in previously unseen ways.
Use this ScienceDaily link to read the article online.
The related journal article, published in Science Advances, is available online here.
Multi-resolution monitoring of the 2023 maui wildfires, implications and needs for satellite-based wildfire disaster monitoring (Journal article)
Science of Remote Sensing, Vol 10, December 2024
The August 2023 wildfires over the island of Maui, Hawaii were one of the deadliest U.S. wildfire incidents on record with 100 deaths and an estimated U.S. $5.5 billion cost. This study documents the incidence, extent, and characteristics of the 2023 Maui wildfires using multi-resolution global satellite fire products, and in so doing demonstrates their utility and limitations for detailed fire monitoring, and highlights outstanding satellite fire observation needs for wildfire monitoring.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
First Nations wildfire evacuations : a guide for communities and external agencies (Book)
By Tara K. McGee and Amy Cardinal Christianson ; with the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership, 2021
Nearly one third of wildfire evacuations in Canada involve Indigenous communities. While evacuations are carried out to protect people from smoke and flames, deciding to leave brings its own challenges. This evacuation guide is based on interviews with over two hundred wildfire evacuees from seven First Nations. By comparing the evacuees’ experiences, both good and bad, it provides direction on how Indigenous communities and external agencies can best prepare for the different stages of an evacuation. Packed with real-life stories, checklists, and guiding questions, it gives an overview of what to expect and how to plan.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Travel Behaviour and Community Needs for Resilience Hubs (Journal article)
Sustainability Analytics and Modeling, Online July 2024
Communities continue to experience significant and damaging disasters, which has prompted governments to devise solutions to protect lives and reduce overall impacts. One emerging strategy is the development of resilience hubs, which can serve the community during disasters and everyday conditions. However, most research and guidance for resilience hubs remain largely theoretical and do not account for community needs. Moreover, research and practice have not fully integrated transportation into resilience hub design, such as how travel to and from resilience hubs is facilitated. The authors conducted an empirical study leveraging statistical tools and models using data from a survey of Edmonton, Canada, residents (n = 950) conducted between November 2022 and February 2023. Through descriptive statistics and discrete choice models, we uncover important results related to resilience hub usage, transportation design, and mode choice in both normal and disaster conditions.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Building cross-sector recovery collaborations after Australian bushfires: the importance of embracing and linking diverse capitals and capacities (Journal article)
Environmental Hazards, July 2024
The literature on disaster management highlights that communities that mobilise and integrate a range of local capacities, resources and knowledges tend to fare best. This demonstrates the critical, yet underappreciated, role these attributes play in disaster management. This paper contributes to scholarship by examining the conditions, values and practices for building effective cross-sector ties. Importantly, it highlights the need for decentralised, cross-sector supports for building community recovery (increasingly known as ‘polycentric’ disaster governance). It reports on the results of a local community engagement program after country-wide bushfires in Australia (2019–20). Participatory action planning is used in two regional communities and ethnographic methods are employed to glean the experience and learnings from local recovery workers (n = 5). Findings support calls for embracing and linking diverse capacities post-disaster to boost social capital and invest in local knowledges. Focus is given to bonding, bridging and linking capital, the importance of capacity ‘redundancy’, and the role of trust, serendipity, and ‘culture brokers’ in identifying, mobilising and integrating diverse capacities and resources to support community-centred disaster recovery. Findings are used to fine-tune understandings of cross-sector ties that enable communities to move beyond a passive stance.
Use this Taylor and Francis Publisher’s link to read the article online.
Trust, risk, and gender: Evidence from the Black Saturday Fires in Victoria, Australia (Journal article)
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Vol 223, July 2024
We investigate whether individuals’ preferences for trust and risk change after being exposed to a natural disaster, specifically, the 2009 Black Saturday Fires. Taking advantage of longitudinal data on a large nationally representative sample of Australians, we find that men who experienced greater intensities of the Fires become less trusting, while women living in those same locations become more risk averse. Furthermore, we find that these effects on men’s trust and women’s risk aversion are robust to several alternative specifications as well as different measures of the key variables and controls. Finally, we find supportive evidence that men are still less trusting at least for two to three years following the Fires, while women remain more risk averse even four to five years after the event. Overall, these findings are consistent with the idea that people’s preferences are endogenous and can be fundamentally and enduringly altered by a large (temporary) shock, such as a natural disaster.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online
Wildfire smoke killed more than 50,000 Californians over a decade (US Research brief)
Yale University 360, June 2024
A new study by the University of California has found that more than 50,000 Californians died from exposure to wildfire smoke over a little more than a decade. Smoke contains tiny particles, small enough to enter the bloodstream when inhaled, that can raise the risk of dying from heart or lung disease. For the study, researchers modelled particulate pollution from wildfires across California from 2008 to 2018. They then compared their model with local mortality numbers to infer the number of deaths from wildfire smoke.
In total, they estimate that at least 52,480 Californians met early deaths as a result of breathing smoke.
Use this Yale University 360 link to read the brief online.
The related journal article, published in Science Advances, is available online here.
By Winfried E.H. Blum, Peter Schad, Stephen Nortcliff, 2018
This book is an introduction to soil science and describes the development of soils, their characteristics and material composition, and their functions in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Soil functions include the delivery of goods and services for human society, such as food, clean water, and the maintenance of biodiversity. This concise yet comprehensive text is supplemented throughout with colour illustrations, diagrams and tables. It is ideal reading for all those looking to understand soils, their functions, their importance in terrestrial and aquatic environments and their contribution to the development of human society. It will provide a valuable resource for teachers, practitioners and students of soil science, agriculture, farming, forestry, gardening, terrestrial and aquatic ecology and environmental engineering.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Are Ya Right, Mate? A walk around Australia : A true story of courage, joy and connection (Book)
By Terra Roam, 2024
“Go for a walk," suggested the psychologist. Four and half years later, Terra became the first female to walk solo and unsupported around Australia, all in aid of suicide prevention. Not only did the 17,200-kilometre walk set a distance record, but Terra became a roadside counsellor, helping thousands of people on their own paths to mental health recovery. As Terra faces down wild dogs, staggers through dust storms, and battles exhaustion, the story also delves into lifelong experiences of depression, PTSD, anxiety, autism and identity. This is a real-life recounting of surviving and thriving, no matter the odds.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
It's Just Work Stuff (Book)
By Stewart Williams, 2023
A book for parents working in front-line emergency services roles who may be experiencing PTSD or it's symptoms. It is intended to be used as a tool to stimulate family discussions and to help children better understand the changes they have seen in their mum or dad. In the absence of an explanation, children will often blame themselves for a changing home environment. This book aims to demystify PTSD and like illnesses ad ensure children understand it's not their fault and that they are loved without exception.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Shining a Light: Stories of Trauma & Tragedy, Hope & Healing (eBook)
Patrick Lindsay, 2024
The trauma-informed book, authored by journalist Patrick Lindsay AM, showcases the lived experience of suicide and suicidal behaviour of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members, and their families. These experiences, which have been at the heart of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s, during its inquiries, were bravely and generously shared through submissions and evidence.
(Please note that this book contains quotes from interviews and submissions detailing people’s lived experiences. While many of the stories demonstrate great courage, tenacity and perseverance, they also contain details of traumatic experiences, including violence, sexual assault, bullying, suicidality and suicide.)
Use this Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s link to read the book online
Mental health impacts from repeated climate disasters: an Australian longitudinal analysis (Journal article)
The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, Vol 47, June 2024
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense under changing climatic conditions. Whilst there is substantial evidence that exposure to a single weather related disaster is detrimental for mental health, few studies have explored how exposure to multiple disasters impacts mental health.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
The CSIRO women's health & nutrition guide (Book)
By Dr Jane Bowen, Assoc. Prof. Bev Muhlhausler & Gemma Williams, 2021
The CSIRO Women's Health & Nutrition Guide offers research-based advice from the CSIRO on the critical role of lifelong healthy eating as the cornerstone of overall good health for women. While body weight is one risk factor for developing chronic diseases later in life, being active, eating well, not smoking and avoiding or limiting alcohol are also very important factors for maximising health and avoiding disease. Here you will find advice on lifestyle practices to support good health, from puberty through to pregnancy and menopause, as well as 80 delicious recipes, all of which are: - quick and easy to prepare - suitable for the entire family - nutritionally complete. This is the essential guide to what women can do throughout their life, to make a difference to their long-term health and wellbeing.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Outlive : the science & art of longevity (Book)
By Peter Attia, MD ; with Bill Gifford, 2023
"Wouldn't you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health. For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of healthspan, or quality of life. Dr. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, one where we take action now, rather than waiting.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
All-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and wildfire-related ozone: a multicountry two-stage time series analysis (Journal article)
The Lancet Planetary Health, Vol 8, July 2024
Wildfire activity is an important source of tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution. However, no study to date has systematically examined the associations of wildfire-related O3 exposure with mortality globally. In this study the researchers observed an increase in all-cause and respiratory mortality associated with short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure. Effective risk and smoke management strategies should be implemented to protect the public from the impacts of wildfires. This research was funded by the Australian Research Council and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Beyond the plan: The need for adaptive leadership in crisis (Magazine article)
Crisis Response Journal, June 2024
In times of crisis or emergency, our existing plans may fail or prove inadequate for the situation at hand. In the worst-case scenario, there may be no plan to rely on at all. During such moments, capable individuals step up, think critically, and take decisive action to solve problems, mitigate further effects, and, in extreme cases, save lives
Use this CRJ link to read the article online.
The one minute manager builds high performing teams (Book)
By Kenneth Blanchard, Donald Carew, Eunice Parisi-Carew, 2023
The alternative way towards better team-building, this is the bestselling management tool from the author of The One Minute Manager. Most managers spend over half their time working with a team, and the One Minute Manager's practical advice shows how any team can work better and more effectively. The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams explains the four stages on the way to building a high performing team: Orientation, Dissatisfaction, Resolution and Production and reveals how to tap the creativity and potential of people at all levels in order to become an effective group leader.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
When Your Employee Feels Angry, Sad, or Dejected. (Magazine article)
Harvard Business Review, July-Aug 2024
Dealing with the negative emotions of employees isn’t easy, but knowing what to do or say can make a huge difference to their well-being, the quality of your relationships with them, and team performance. The trouble is, many leaders fail to respond at all because they think discussing emotions at work is unprofessional or worry they don’t have the right to intervene in personal matters. That’s a mistake. Research shows that teams whose leaders acknowledge members’ emotions perform significantly better than teams whose leaders don’t.
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.
Leaders eat last : why some teams pull together and others don't (Book)
By Simon Sinek, 2016
Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work. This is not a crazy, idealised notion. In many successful organisations, great leaders are creating environments in which teams trust each other so deeply that they would put their lives on the line for each other. Yet other teams, no matter what incentives were offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why? Sinek illustrates that leaders who are willing to eat last are rewarded with deeply loyal colleagues who will stop at nothing to advance their vision.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
The power of a positive team : proven principles and practices that make great teams great (Book)
By Jon Gordon, 2018
Worldwide bestseller ― the author of The Energy Bus and The Power of Positive Leadership shares the proven principles and practices that build great teams - and provides practical tools to help teams overcome negativity and enhance their culture, communication, connection, commitment and performance. In The Power of a Positive Team, Jon draws upon his unique team building experience as well as conversations with some of the greatest teams in history in order to provide an essential framework, filled with proven practices, to empower teams to work together more effectively and achieve superior results.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
The Leadership Compass ; the ultimate guide for women leaders to reach their full potential (Book)
By Michelle Redfern, 2024
Award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion leader, Michelle Redfern believes that closing the gender leadership gap is not about fixing women. It is about providing them with a human compass to navigate their way to leadership success. Rather than change their behaviour, they need to learn the skills and gain the confidence required to reach their leadership potential. The Leadership Compass is a no-holds-barred look at leadership through the lens of the career of a woman who is, and always has been, a leader. It is essential reading for women at all stages of their career.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
How CEOs Build Confidence in Their Leadership (Magazine article)
Harvard Business Review, July-Aug 2024
Believing the conventional wisdom that they have roughly 90 days to prove themselves, many new CEOs get into trouble by launching bold initiatives before they’ve won the support and trust they need to effect change. According to a study of nearly 1,400 CEOs, earning people’s confidence actually takes two years. But leaders who focus methodically on gaining it can generate remarkable increases in company value. Drawing on their research and experience, the authors advise incoming CEOs to adopt a patient approach by setting a deliberate pace, picking battles strategically, and engaging stakeholders when the time is right
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.
Meteorology and Climate Change
Of ice and fire: what sea salt in Antarctic snowfall reveals about bushfires worse than the Black Summer (News article)
The Conversation, 13 June 2024
New research has reconstructed the past 2,000 years of southeast Australia’s bushfire weather, drawing on evidence of past climates laid down in changing patterns in deep ice in East Antarctica. The high and low pressure weather systems south of Australia are so large they connect the two continents, even though they are more than 3,000 km apart. These historic weather patterns are recorded in the ice. Buried in the ice is a warning. At least seven times over the last two millennia, our new research shows bushfire-prone southeast Australia has endured bushfire weather as bad or worse than what was experienced during the devastating Black Summer bushfires.
Use The Conversation link to read the article online.
The related journal article, published in Commuications, Earth & Environment, is available online here.
Too close to home: how we keep communities safer from escalating climate impacts
(Report)
Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, Climate Council, June 2024
Emergency services and governments worldwide are already being periodically overwhelmed by the increasing frequency, intensity and destructiveness of climate-fuelled disasters, and this will continue to worsen until we stabilise temperatures. If we are to have any hope of successfully coping, all adaptation and resilience efforts must sit alongside urgent efforts to reduce climate pollution further and faster this decade. Five priorities identified by Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) are concrete steps Australian governments can take to help better protect communities from the impacts many are already experiencing due to climate pollution.
Use this Climate Council link to read the report online.
Large wildfires create weather that favours more fire (US Research brief)
University of California - Riverside, June 2024
A new UC Riverside study shows soot from large wildfires in California traps sunlight, making days warmer and drier than they ought to be. Many studies look at the effect of climate change on wildfires. However, this study sought to understand the reverse - whether large fires are also changing the climate.
Use this UCR link to read the brief online.
The related journal article, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, is available online here.
Urban planning for climate change (Book)
By Barbara Norman, 2023
Urban Planning for Climate Change focusses on how urban planning is fundamental to action on climate change. In doing so it particularly looks at current practice and opportunities for innovation and capacity building in the future - carbon neutral development, building back better and creating more resilient urban settlements around the world. The complex challenge of possible urban resettlement from the impact of climate change is covered as a special issue bringing a focus on adaptation, working with nature and delivering real action on climate change with local communities. Norman recommends ten essential actions for urban planning for climate change along with some suggestions to inspire the next generations to embrace these opportunities with creativity and innovation.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Assessing Risk to National Critical Functions as a Result of Climate Change (US Report)
RAND, April 2024
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) requested a climate change risk assessment for the 55 National Critical Functions (NCFs). The authors examined the current and future risk that eight climate hazards — drought, extreme cold, extreme heat, flooding, sea-level rise, severe storm systems, tropical cyclones and hurricanes, and wildfire — pose to the 55 NCFs on a national scale. This analysis focused on three primary steps: (1) identifying climate hazards that span the variety of climate-related hazards that could degrade or disrupt NCFs across the United States and characterising how they might change by 2050 and 2100; (2) determining the impact mechanisms by which the climate hazards could disrupt NCFs; and (3) assessing the risk that a climate hazard poses to disrupting an NCF by 2050 and 2100 under two scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions.
Use this RAND link to download the PDF.
Black duck : a year at Yumburra (Book)
By Bruce Pascoe with Lyn Harwood, 2024
From the bestselling author Bruce Pascoe comes a deeply personal story about the consequences and responsibility of disrupting Australia’s history. Bruce Pascoe and Lyn Harwood invite us to imagine a different future for Australia, one where we can honour our relationship with nature and improve agriculture and forestry. Where we can develop a uniquely Australian cuisine that will reduce carbon emissions, preserve scarce water resources and rebuild our soil. Bruce and Lyn show us that you don’t just work Country, you look, listen and care. It’s not Black Duck magic, it’s the result of simply treating Australia like herself.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Killing for Country : a family story (Book)
By David Marr, 2023
Marr brings his experience as an investigative journalist, an award-winning biographer and political analyst to the story of a colonial family that seized hundreds of thousands of acres of land and led Aboriginal troopers into bloody massacres in the most violent years of the Native Police. Killing for Country is a unique history of the making of Australia, a richly detailed and gripping family saga of fortunes made and lost, of politics and power in the colonial world, and the violence let loose by squatters and their London bankers as they began their long war for the possession of this country, a contest still unresolved in today's Australia.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Make your bed : small things that can change your life... and maybe the world (Book)
By William H. Mcraven, 2017
'What starts here changes the world' was the university slogan that inspired William H. McRaven to take charge of the small things that could change his life . . . and even the world. Here McRaven shares the 10 life-changing principles he learned during his 37 years as a Navy SEAL. These 10 philosophies helped him to overcome challenges not only in his career, but also throughout his life. What's more anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves, and the world, for the better.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Mindstuck : mastering the art of changing minds (Book)
By Michael McQueen, 2023
Having spent the past two decades helping Fortune 500 brands and leaders embrace the changes they’d rather fight or ignore, Michael McQueen understands what it takes to change even the most stubborn minds. But persuading others is getting harder and harder. In our ideology-driven and polarised age, certainty has taken the place of curiosity and open-mindedness has given way to obstinance. Drawing on the latest discoveries in disciplines ranging from neuroscience to behavioural economics, McQueen suggests that we are too often using nineteenth- and twentieth-century techniques to change twenty-first-century minds—and are wondering why it’s not working. What we need is an upgrade in our understanding of what it really takes to influence others.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Human factors for the private & commercial pilot licences (Book)
By David Robson, 2021
An introduction to the complex but fascinating subject of Human Factors. Covers the CASA syllabus and includes practice questions at the PPL and CPL level. Expanded to cover airmanship and threat and error management (TEM). The PPL/CPL manuals provide a complete set of reference texts for all examination subjects. They are prepared in accordance with the CASA Syllabus for both levels of licence and are the perfect preparation for the composite PPL and the single subject CPL cyber exams. They are true to the depth of knowledge requirements of the syllabus and do not attempt to be an easy passage.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Navigation : for the private and commercial pilot licenses (Book)
By David Robson, 2021
The greatest freedom in flight is to be able to plan and conduct flights away from home base and even tour this incredible country. The techniques of navigation are simple but must be followed assiduously. Even GPS has to be backed-up by mental and visual authentication. This volume explains how. The PPL/CPL manuals provide a complete set of reference texts for all examination subjects. They are prepared in accordance with the CASA Syllabus for both levels of licence and are the perfect preparation for the composite PPL and the single subject CPL cyber exams. They are true to the depth of knowledge requirements of the syllabus and do not attempt to be an easy passage.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Meteorology : for the private and commercial pilot licenses (Book)
By David Robson, 2021
Arguably the most important aspect of cross-country flights is the planning and this requires an understanding and interpretation of weather cues and the effect they may have on the flight. The PPL/CPL manuals provide a complete set of reference texts for all examination subjects. They are prepared in accordance with the CASA Syllabus for both levels of licence and are the perfect preparation for the composite PPL and the single subject CPL cyber exams. They are true to the depth of knowledge requirements of the syllabus and do not attempt to be an easy passage.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Flight radio for pilots - VFR operations (Book)
By David Robson, 2023
During our training as pilots, we are taught the importance of priorities. ‘Aviate, navigate, communicate’, is a commonly used phrase and while there is no doubt that a pilot must allocate priorities in this way, there are circumstances where communications are more important. As traffic increases, the reliance on clear communications for safe separation, is paramount. We can all learn to fly. We can all learn to navigate. But will we equally well, learn to communicate? This manual is the complete guide to all radio communications including use of the radios, phraseology and standard calls for all VFR operations.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Towards early forest fire detection and prevention using AI-powered drones and the IoT (Journal article)
Internet of Things, Vol 27, October 2024
Wildfires are a significant natural hazard, resulting in financial losses, human deaths, and environmental damage. Due to the rising severity and frequency of wildfires, wildfire management and detection have recently received increased attention worldwide. Monitoring potential risk areas and early fire detection are critical factors for shortening the reaction time and reducing the potential damage. Conventional wildfire detection techniques like satellite imaging and remote camera-based sensing need more latency and low reliability. To tackle these limitations, this paper proposes a novel airborne UAV-based IoT (UIoT) system for wildfire sensing, detection, and extinguishing. It presents the design of low-cost and low-maintenance fire-detecting IoT nodes for large-scale deployment.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
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