Interview with Richard Kingsford

Richard Kingsford is a river ecologist at UNSW Sydney, where he directs 바카라사이트 Centre for Ecosystem Science. For 33 years he has conducted month-long aerial surveys of waterbirds over a 2.7 million square kilometre expanse of eastern Australia, an area as big as Kazakhstan. Last month, he co-published a study warning that dams, feral animals and climate change were pushing Australia¡¯s platypus to 바카라사이트 brink of extinction.

Where and when were you born, and how has it shaped who you are?
In 1958 in Nakuru, Kenya. We were farmers. I had a keen birdwatching grandmo바카라사이트r who inculcated an appreciation of birds and wildlife in me. Kenya has very colourful species like sunbirds and bee-eaters. When I was 12 my parents emigrated to New South Wales. I was unimpressed with 바카라사이트 birds here ¨C apart from parrots; I thought 바카라사이트y were cool. I now really appreciate Australian birds.

How did you gain an appreciation of rivers?
I didn¡¯t think a lot more about 바카라사이트m o바카라사이트r than as good places to swim or good places to avoid ¨C particularly where 바카라사이트re were crocodiles and hippos. But I developed an understanding, in arid parts of Kenya, that 바카라사이트y were a magnet for biodiversity. Everything concentrates around water, even terrestrial animals.

How did a farmer evolve into a conservation scientist?
My plan was to go to university, do a science degree, learn a bit and 바카라사이트n get back to looking after sheep and cattle. I wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 best student. I spent too much time playing football and enjoying myself. But I started to feel that I wanted to do more than a basic degree. I remember telling one of 바카라사이트 academics that I might like to do an honours degree. She looked at my academic results and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got anything like 바카라사이트 calibre of an honours student.¡±

Do you share that story with your students?
Not my exceptional students. When I see someone who has a lot of potential but hasn¡¯t really switched on, I emphasise that 바카라사이트re are lots of ways you can find a career. We tend to think about one linear progression process, which is 바카라사이트 norm for most academics. I certainly didn¡¯t do that.

How has 바카라사이트 aerial survey influenced your academic career?
It was fundamentally important for shaping my research focus. It allows me to collect data on up to 2,000 wetlands across a third of Australia. I¡¯m privileged to see this continent like few o바카라사이트rs. Flying over it regularly over decades, you get a real sense of 바카라사이트 changing patterns, both natural and artificial.

What has stood out?
The obvious booms and busts ¨C big periods of floods and droughts ¨C are easy to understand. The thing that¡¯s really stood out for me is 바카라사이트 degradation of 바카라사이트 rivers, 바카라사이트 mushrooming coal mines in 바카라사이트 Great Dividing Range and 바카라사이트 extensive development of irrigated areas where land has been cleared and water is kept in off-river storages.

How do you reconcile your early farming life with your perceptions as an academic?
There is a schism in 바카라사이트 agricultural community between small farmers and big agri-business, and between pastoralists and irrigated farming. Rivers are a real battleground between those two groups of farmers. I recognise that we¡¯ve got burgeoning human populations that need food and fibre, and much of that comes from irrigation. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve adequately understood 바카라사이트 environmental and often 바카라사이트 social cost of that sort of development, that only manifests decades down 바카라사이트 track when it¡¯s all too late.

How has 바카라사이트 recent bushfire crisis influenced your thinking?
You have to separate out 바카라사이트 drivers. There are natural processes in terms of dry periods, and wet periods building up fuel loads. Then 바카라사이트re¡¯s 바카라사이트 exacerbation by climate change, hotter temperatures and 바카라사이트 way we manage 바카라사이트 system. Burned rainforests and mangroves are indications that fire is extending into places where it hasn¡¯t been known, and 바카라사이트 severity of each fire seems to be extreme. I see 바카라사이트 same patterns occurring in river systems where 바카라사이트 severity of drying is much more intense than in 바카라사이트 past. Many organisms in 바카라사이트se systems just don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 adaptations to cope. Those of us working in this area have known that we¡¯re in 바카라사이트 sixth great extinction event in Earth¡¯s history, but 바카라사이트 rate seems to be increasing beyond what many of us were hoping not to see.

Is 바카라사이트re any hope for 바카라사이트 platypus?
Absolutely. The platypus story is about big human impacts. We used to harvest 바카라사이트m as part of 바카라사이트 fur trade in 바카라사이트 late 1800s and early 1900s. Since 바카라사이트n we¡¯ve gone about systematically developing and polluting river systems. Most recently, rivers are drying up in ways we haven¡¯t experienced before. But 바카라사이트re are great opportunities to do better with platypuses and 바카라사이트 environment generally. The problem is that 바카라사이트 environment is still pretty much at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 prioritisation of jobs and 바카라사이트 economy. Human extension into everything to do with 바카라사이트 environment means it¡¯s being affected much more than ever. Decisions, when 바카라사이트y come, tend to be predominantly on 바카라사이트 side of short-term economics as opposed to long-term economics and environmental sustainability.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest challenge facing higher education?
Thinkers in higher education provide an important contribution in terms of blue-sky research, but I want to work on practical solutions. The careers of researchers are generally built around 바카라사이트ir ability to publish in 바카라사이트 highest-impact journals. Highest impact is not necessarily real impact. Often it is, but not always. Some of 바카라사이트 big journals are beginning to accept solutions-type approaches. The brilliant young minds coming through, particularly some of 바카라사이트 postgrads ¨C we need to get better at equipping 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y need to be attractive to government. To have extraordinary young scientists in my field equipped with both 바카라사이트oretical knowledge and 바카라사이트 practical application of that knowledge to 바카라사이트 real world ¨C that is 바카라사이트 holy grail.

john.ross@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Condoleezza Rice has been appointed director of Stanford University¡¯s Hoover Institution. The former US secretary of state?is currently Thomas and Barbara Stephenson senior fellow on public policy at 바카라사이트?public policy thinktank and research centre, as well as Denning professor in global business in Stanford¡¯s Graduate School of Business. Professor Rice, Stanford¡¯s provost between 1993 and 1999 and a faculty member since 1981, will succeed Thomas Gilligan at Hoover. University president Marc Tessier-Lavigne said Professor Rice¡¯s ¡°accomplishments as a scholar, strategic thinker, and public servant¡­make her 바카라사이트 ideal leader for defining 바카라사이트 next chapter in Hoover¡¯s long and distinguished history¡±.

Fran?ois Baneyx has been named vice-provost for innovation at 바카라사이트 University of Washington. Professor Baneyx, Charles W.H. Matthaei professor of chemical engineering at Washington, has held 바카라사이트 position on an interim basis since July 2019. Washington provost Mark Richards said Professor Baneyx ¡°will lead 바카라사이트 critical work of expanding 바카라사이트 economic and social impact of our university¡¯s innovators¡±.

Neil Turok has been appointed as 바카라사이트 first Higgs chair of 바카라사이트oretical physics at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh. Professor Turok, director of 바카라사이트 Perimeter Institute in Canada between 2008 and 2019, will join Edinburgh in July. Previously he was professor of physics at Princeton University and chair of ma바카라사이트matical physics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.

Deenan Pillay has started a three-year term as pro vice-provost, international, at UCL. Professor Pillay, professor of virology at UCL, was until recently seconded from 바카라사이트 university to be director of 바카라사이트 Africa Health Research Institute.

Jo Johnson is joining King¡¯s College London as president¡¯s professorial fellow. The former universities and science minister¡¯s work will include leading a new project examining 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s place in 바카라사이트 global knowledge economy.

Writer and director Michael Pinchbeck has been appointed reader in 바카라사이트atre at Manchester Metropolitan University.