Penny Whetton
Penny Whetton | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | Melbourne, Victoria | 5 January 1958
Died | 11 September 2019 Sisters Beach, Tasmania | (aged 61)
Nationality | Australian |
Spouse | |
Children | John Rice-Whetton Leon Rice-Whetton |
Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
Occupation | Climatologist |
Penelope Whetton (5 January 1958 – 11 September 2019) was a climatologist and an expert in regional climate change projections due to global warming and in the impacts of those changes. Her primary scientific focus was Australia.[1]
Early life
Whetton was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 5 January 1958. She held a Bachelor of Science (Honours), majoring in Physics, and an Honours year in Meteorology, from the University of Melbourne. She received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the same university in 1986.
Career
Whetton started her career in the late 1980s as a researcher in the Department of Geography at Monash University in Clayton, Victoria.[2]
In 1989, she joined the Atmospheric Research division of CSIRO (later becoming CMAR CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research). Whetton became a research leader in 1999 and a research program leader in 2009.[2] Whetton contributed as a Lead Author to the Fourth Assessment Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.[3]
Whetton was an invited speaker at various climate change conferences such as the Aspen Global Change Institute,[4] Four Degrees Or More? Australia in a Hot World[5] at the University of Melbourne in 2011, and the Greenhouse 2011: The Science of Climate Change conference.[6]
Whetton published numerous scientific journal articles on climate change as well as a contribution to more popular publications.[7]
Personal life
Whetton lived in Footscray, Victoria, with her wife Janet Rice, a Greens Senator and former Mayor of Maribyrnong, and their two sons. In 2003, Whetton underwent gender affirmation surgery.[8][9]
Whetton died on 11 September 2019 in Sisters Beach, Tasmania.[10]
References
- ^ Marsa, Linda. "The Continent Where Climate Went Haywire". Discover Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Dr Penny Whetton: researching climate impact and risk". CSIRO. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ Nobel winners here, there, everywhere!, Tony Thomas, Quadrant (magazine), 12 November 2012, accessed 17 September 2019
- ^ "Future Changes in Climate Extremes: Toward an Assessment for the Australian Report". Aspen Global Change Institute. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Four Degrees or More: Australia In A Hot World". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Greenhouse 2011: The Science of Climate Change". CSIRO. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Australia's Dust Bowl and Global Warming: Earth Wind and Fire". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ Birnbauer, William. "Gender changes, but a wife's love stays". The Age Company Ltd. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ I still love her, we can stay married: The Senator and her transgender wife, SBS, 6 February 2015
- ^ "Janet Rice". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 16 September 2019.