Jennifer Marohasy

Marohasy worked as a field biologist in Africa and Madagascar during the 1980s and 1990s,{{Cite book | first=Craig | last=Walton | year=2005 | title=Reclaiming Lost Provinces: A Century of Weed Biological Control in Queensland | publisher=Department of Natural Resources & Mines, Queensland}} [http://www.land.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/8DFABBDF34E66ABACA2570B2002BC3F6/$File/UC31.pdf#page=18 Reviewed here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060916174843/http://www.land.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/8DFABBDF34E66ABACA2570B2002BC3F6/$File/UC31.pdf#page=18 |date=16 September 2006 }} and has a number of published papers in science journals.[http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/publications.php?id=9 Early Scientific Publications :: Publications] This link does not work.

In 1997 she switched from researcher to environment manager with the Queensland sugar industry. In 1998, Marohasy received a PhD on the biological control of weeds.{{Cite web |date=1998 |title=Assessing host specificity in weed biological control, with particular reference to the lantana mealybug |url=https://search.library.uq.edu.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=TN_cdi_nla_trove_33165269&context=PC&vid=61UQ&lang=en_US&search_scope=61UQ_All&adaptor=primo_central_multiple_fe&tab=61uq_all&query=any,contains,marohasy,AND&mode=advanced&pfilter=pfilter,exact,dissertations,AND&offset=0&pcAvailability=true |website=University of Queensland Library, thesis search.}} In 2001, she started to develop an interest in environmental campaigns and, in particular, claiming that there are anomalies between fact and perception regarding the health of coastal river systems and the Great Barrier Reef.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/547/wwf-says-%27jump%21%27-governments-ask-%27how-high-%27/pg/4 |title=WWF Says 'Jump!', Governments Ask 'How High?' | Institute of Public Affairs Australia |access-date=14 May 2011 |archive-date=4 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304075704/http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/547/wwf-says-%27jump%21%27-governments-ask-%27how-high-%27/pg/4 |url-status=dead }}

In July 2003, she became director of the environment unit at the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA).

As of November 2022, Marohasy is a senior fellow at the IPA.{{Cite web |title=Jennifer Marohasy, Author at IPA - The Voice For Freedom |url=https://ipa.org.au/author/jennifermarohasy |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=IPA - The Voice For Freedom |language=en-US}}

While head of the Environment Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs, Marohasy compiled a backgrounder titled Myth and the Murray - measuring the real state of the river environmentJennifer Marohasy, IPA Backgrounder Vol 15/5, December 2003,[http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/449/myth-and-the-murray-measuring-the-real-state-of-the-environment/pg/2 Myth and the Murray - measuring the real state of the river environment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727072704/http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/449/myth-and-the-murray-measuring-the-real-state-of-the-environment/pg/2 |date=27 July 2008 }} which was published by the Institute in December 2003. The Institute received a $40,000 donation from Murray Irrigation Limited at that time.ABC Local Radio, VIC Country Hour, 04/06/2004, [http://www.abc.net.au/rural/vic/stories/s1124703.htm Institute of Public Affairs accepts irrigation funds.] This paper is quoted in the Interim Report of the Inquiry into future water supplies for Australia’s rural industries and communities of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, March 2004. At a science round table of the committee, when asked for her views on how much water should be returned to the River Murray, Marohasy argued that there was no need for additional flows at that time and that we should test the results of current environmental measures before committing to more.House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2004, [http://www.aph.gov.au/House/committee/primind/waterinq/interimrpt/wireport.pdf Inquiry into future water supplies for Australia’s rural industries and communities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080825054512/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/primind/waterinq/interimrpt/wireport.pdf |date=25 August 2008 }}

Marohasy was instrumental in establishing a joint programme with the Institute of Public Affairs and the University of Queensland, funded by Western Australian philanthropist, Bryant Macfie (A top 20 Shareholder in Strike Resources Limited [https://www.amazon.com/review/R148F67H949L9J] [http://www.strikeresources.com.au/fileadmin/FastScout/archive/AnnualReports/20071029_SRK_2007_Annual_Report.pdf]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}).AAP MediaNet Press Releases, Media Release: Institute of Public Affairs, 30 April 2008; Andrew Trounson, Greg Roberts,"Climate sceptic's $350,000 grant to uni has 'no strings attached'", The Australian, 7 May 2008The Australian, 7 May 2008. [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23657735-11949,00.html Dispute over climate sceptic uni grant] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510145559/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23657735-11949,00.html |date=10 May 2008 }}

In a 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview she claimed that... "[i]t's not clear that climate change is being driven by carbon dioxide levels".[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1423001.htm Report released on climate change - Broadcast 7/26/05]

On the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National program, Ockham's Razor, Marohasy said in 2005... "I agree with Professor Flannery that we need to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels", later adding "But I completely reject the concept of 'sustainability science' and I am tired of being told the sky is about to fall in".[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/2005/1509193.htm Ockham's Razor - Broadcast 11/20/05]

In a 2008 interview on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National program, Counterpoint, she claimed recent cooling by starting with the extreme temperature peak of the 1998 El Niño[http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/eln/rcnt.rxml 1997-1998 El Nino: the most recent event, Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Illinois] event.[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/stories/2008/2191714.htm Interview on Counterpoint - Broadcast 3/17/2008]

In 2020, during and in the aftermath of the Black Summer Bushfires, Marohasy argued that climate change was not a contributing factor, and that the extent of the natural disaster was not as severe as some claimed.{{Cite web |last=Marohasy |first=Jennifer |date=2020-01-04 |title=It has been hotter, fires have burnt larger areas |url=https://jennifermarohasy.com/2020/01/it-has-been-hotter-fires-have-burnt-larger-areas/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Jennifer Marohasy |language=}}{{Cite web |last=Marohasy |first=Jennifer |title=Unprecedented Panic Over Bushfire Impact – CLIMATE CHANGE THE FACTS |date=19 November 2020 |url=https://climatechangethefacts.org.au/2020/11/19/unprecedented-panic-over-bushfire-impact/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |language=en-AU}}

Marohasy disagreed with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), claiming in the Australian media [http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/climate-researcher-questions-cyclone-marcias-category-5-status/story-fnkt21jb-1227236188297 Courier Mail - You Call that a Category 5?] that Cyclone Marcia's warning should be for a category 3 cyclone. BOM's Cyclone Marcia warning was for a category 5 cyclone.[http://media.bom.gov.au/releases/144/tropical-cyclone-marcia-to-reach-category-5-system-at-landfall/ Tropical Cyclone Marcia to reach Category 5 system at landfall] Marohasy cited data from Middle Percy Island station[http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ60801/IDQ60801.94372.shtml Latest Weather Observations for Middle Percy Island] showing maximum wind gusts of 208 kilometres per hour.[http://jennifermarohasy.com/2015/02/know-cyclone-marcia-category-5-landfall/ Marohasy, "Just before the cyclone made landfall it passed over Middle Percy Island ... A wind gust of 208 km/hr was recorded at 4.30 am, which suggests Marcia was almost a Category 3 at this time"] BOM stated however, that the strongest winds of the cyclone were on the eastern side, some 40 kilometres per hour faster - typical for cyclones in the southern hemisphere. The cyclone was gaining in strength. Middle Percy Island was on the western side of the cyclone. Middle Percy Island measuring equipment was destroyed by the cyclone and therefore the BOM data stream ceased. Marohasy's claim, that BOM's category 5 warning was based solely on computer modeling, was rejected by Bureau chief Rob Webb.

Jonathan Nott,[https://research.jcu.edu.au/tess/people/staff/Nott_J Professor Jon Nott Profile - James Cook University] a James Cook University specialist in extreme natural events, said the bureau numbers showed it was a category 5 rather than a 3. “I would agree with the bureau,’’ Nott said. “Percy didn’t get the strongest winds. They were substantially stronger to the east.’’

• Peter Ridd

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.ipa.org.au/ IPA homepage]
• [http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/ Jennifer Marohasy homepage]
• [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jennifer_Marohasy Profile] at SourceWatch

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Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:Australian biologists

Category:Australian women biologists

Category:20th-century Australian women scientists

Category:20th-century Australian biologists

Category:21st-century Australian scientists

Category:21st-century Australian women scientists

Category:21st-century Australian biologists

Category:University of Queensland alumni