Jun 29 2024 41 mins
In this episode, Jessica talks to writer and former CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Paul Hardisty, about his new nonfiction book, In Hot Water, which charts historical and contemporary efforts to save the Great Barrier Reef, and about the importance of fiction for educating and creating empathy in readers.
Hailing originally from Canada, Dr Paul E Hardisty has spent thirty years working all over the world as an engineer, hydrologist and environmental scientist. He co-founded international environmental consultancy Komex Environmental Ltd, which he helped develop from a startup to a $50 million-a-year company with 1,000 employees, and sold to ASX-listed Worley in 2007.
Paul is a university professor and was CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) from 2017 to 2023. He is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles, two textbooks on environmental sustainability, and seven novels. The Abrupt Physics of Dying was named Telegraph Thriller of the Year in the UK and was shortlisted for the CWA Creasy Prize. His latest novel, The Forcing, and its prequel, The Descent, imagine a near future affected by climate change. The Forcing was shortlisted for the 2023 Crime Lovers' Awards in the UK. Paul lives in Western Australia.
Buy In Hot Water here
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