Penny Whetton
Dr. Penny Whetton | |
|---|---|
Penny Whetton in 2017 | |
| Born | 5 January 1958 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 11 September 2019 (aged 61) Sisters Beach, Tasmania, Australia |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Climatologist |
| Spouse | |
| Children | John Rice-Whetton Leon Rice-Whetton |
Penny Whetton (5 January 1958 – 11 September 2019) served as a leader as a climatologist and an advocate for and communicator about the need for powerful action on climate change. She was actively engaged in the communication of climate change projections for Australia, leading to an improved national understanding of and preparedness to respond to climate change. [1]
Early life
Whetton was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 5 January 1958. She held a Bachelor of Science (Honors), majoring in physics, and an honors year in meteorology from the University of Melbourne. She additionally received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Meteorology/Climate from the same university in 1986.[2]
Career
Whetton started her career in the late 1980s as a researcher in the Department of Geography at Monash University in Clayton, Victoria.[3]
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.[3] Whetton was a Lead Author on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Assessment Reports of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).[4] The Fourth Assessment Report of which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.[5] Whetton distinguished 25-years at CSIRO, and was the lead author of three reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Whetton was an invited speaker at various climate change conferences such as the Aspen Global Change Institute[6], Australia in a Hot World[7] at the University of Melbourne in 2011, and the Greenhouse 2011: The Science of Climate Change conference.[8]
Whetton published numerous scientific journal articles on climate change as well as a contribution to more popular publications.[9] Including some of her own work, "Potential impacts of climate change on soil organic carbon and productivity in pastures of south eastern Australia", "Seasonal and regional signature of the projected southern Australian rainfall reduction," and many more within ResearchGate.
Personal life
Whetton lived in Footscray, Victoria, with her wife Janet Rice, a Greens Senator and former Mayor of Maribyrnong, and their two children. In 2003, Whetton underwent gender-affirming surgery.[10][11]
Whetton died on 11 September 2019 in Sisters Beach, Tasmania.[12]
References
- ^ Stephenson, Zoe (31 March 2020). "Dr Penny Whetton (1958 – 2019)". About us. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Whetton, P. H. (1986), A synoptic climatological analysis of Victorian rainfall variability, retrieved 11 February 2022
- ^ a b "Dr Penny Whetton: researching climate impact and risk". CSIRO. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Penny Whetton". Climate Energy College. University of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Penny Whetton, wife of Senator Janet Rice, climate scientist and transgender woman, dies". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 September 2019. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Future Changes in Climate Extremes: Toward an Assessment for the Australian Report". Aspen Global Change Institute. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Four Degrees or More: Australia in a Hot World". University of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Greenhouse 2011: The Science of Climate Change". CSIRO. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Australia's Dust Bowl and Global Warming: Earth Wind and Fire". The New York Times Company. 30 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ Birnbauer, William (9 September 2007). "Gender changes, but a wife's love stays". The Age Company Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ I still love her, we can stay married: The Senator and her transgender wife Archived 3 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine, SBS, 6 February 2015
- ^ "Penny Whetton, wife of Senator Janet Rice, climate scientist and transgender woman, dies". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
External links
- Penny Whetton publications indexed by Google Scholar