Rhonda Boyle

With a background in science, urban planning, environment policy and climate change, Rhonda Boyle worked for the Victorian Government in a variety of roles. She now coordinates a global movement known as PASK (Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards) to increase the availability of piano keyboards with narrower keys given the conventional keyboard is too large for the majority of pianists.

Rhonda's recent articles

Australia has close to zero chance of achieving net zero emissions by 2050

The newly released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is emphatic: the effects of climate change we are seeing now are irreversible and will worsen. It underscores the critical importance of the upcoming Glasgow climate conference and the need for all countries to lock in net zero emissions by mid-century in order to have any hope of avoiding catastrophic impacts.

Greenhouse gas emissions: What are they and how are they measured?

The goal of theParis agreementon climate changeis tolimit global warmingto well below 2C, and preferably to1.5oC above pre-industrial temperatures of the 1700s. This requires countries toreduce net greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible in orderto achieve a climate-neutral world by the middle of this century. Unlike 131 other countries, Australia is yet to commit tonet-zeroby 2050.

Standard piano keys are too wide for too many. But alternatively sized keyboards are on the way.

The piano is the instrument most preferred by music students. It is often the instrument of their dreams: playing beautiful music perfectly and displaying extraordinary pianistic athleticism. However, the conventional keyboard with its fixed key width is unsuitable for many, dooming them to a future of unmet hopes. We cant change our hands but we can change the keyboard!

Australias Covid-19 quarantining an abrogation of federal responsibilities! There is no national plan

Perhaps the most contentious issue of our Covid year is who is in charge of quarantining? With continuing outbreaks of Covid-19 linked to incoming travellers, Australians have reacted with astonishment that quarantining issues were not foreseen and planned for years ago. How did we end up where we are and what should be done about it?

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