A lifelong passion for writing led a scientist from climate to conflict

Dr Paul Hardisty will soon return to Ukraine to talk to section group successful nan war-inflicted nation. 

“When nan Russians invaded Ukraine successful 2022, I sewage a property walk from nan Armed Forces and went complete location to constitute astir what was going on,” says Paul.

“I spent a period by myself, travelling around, interviewing group each complete nan state – soldiers, assistance workers, refugees, you sanction it.”

After a fewer return trips, he is half-way done penning a caller non-fiction book astir Ukrainians’ experiences during nan existent conflict pinch Russia.

While warfare correspondence is simply a acold outcry from nan section of biology subject that built Paul’s career, he says nan guidelines origin of conflict is disaffection.

“It’s ever astir inequality, astir biology degradation, astir injustice. It intends a group of group are facing existent hardship and they consciousness for illustration they’ve sewage nary different measurement to get their constituent across, aliases to conflict back, and truthful they are forced to return up arms.

Caption: Dr Paul Hardisty’s profession has taken him astir nan world, including nan war-inflicted Ukraine
Credit: Supplied Paul Hardisty

“I was successful Yemen erstwhile nan civilian warfare collapsed retired successful 1994. I was successful Ethiopia erstwhile nan Mengistu authorities was falling. I’ve been to a batch of places wherever location was conflict.

“And I’ve recovered that biology issues are often astatine nan halfway of nan problem, 1 measurement aliases another.”

A SHARED VISION

While Paul’s been an avid writer since his teens, it was his passion for nan situation that launched his career.

After finishing university, he co-founded an biology consultancy patient called Komex Environmental.

“We started initially moving for lipid and state companies and mines that had contamination problems, and past we started expanding into nan United States … and past into Europe and nan Middle East,” says Paul.

“When we expanded into Europe, I was surviving successful nan UK and worked connected atomic discarded from atomic powerfulness procreation but besides from atomic limb sites.

“We rode that activity done nan 80s and 90s wherever location was a batch of biology consciousness and a batch of caller legislation, peculiarly astir an area that I focused on, which was water.

“Often, it’s luck. You meet nan correct group astatine nan correct clip successful nan correct place.

“You travel together … you person immoderate compatibility and a shared vision, and it was really fun, it was really exciting.”

Caption: Paul co-founded Komex International pinch 4 colleagues and built it into a multinational company
Credit: Supplied by Paul Hardisty

Over 2 decades, Paul and his colleagues built nan business from a start-up to a multinational company.

In 2007, it was sold to an Australian engineering services patient coming known arsenic Worley.

Paul says nan timing of nan waste turned his dream of 1 time coming to Australia into a reality.

“We had astir 1000 group astatine nan clip and we were turning complete astir US$100 cardinal a year, and they bought america conscionable earlier nan [Global Financial Crisis] astatine nan tallness of nan market,” says Paul.

“It brought maine and my family to Australia almost 20 years ago, for which we’re ace grateful.”

FROM WATER TO WORDS

Paul continued to activity nether Worley for 8 years, earlier a caller opportunity arose.

He was asked to subordinate CSIRO arsenic Director of their Climate Adaptation Flagship, starring a nationalist inaugural assisting communities, governments and manufacture to respond to nan impacts of ambiance change.

“Within a twelvemonth of being successful that role, CSIRO reorganised. They went from 26 flagships aliases divisions, down to 8 business units,” says Paul.

“I was chosen to lead nan Land and Water Business Unit, which included what was near of ambiance adaptation.”

After 3 years astatine CSIRO, Paul near to attraction connected his writing.

He wrote a bid of thriller novels, including an award-winner.

But successful 2017, his profession took different move erstwhile he was approached by nan Australian Institute of Marine Science, besides known arsenic AIMS.

Caption: Paul was nan CEO of nan Australian Institute of Marine Science for 6 years
Credit: Supplied by Paul Hardisty

Paul was surviving successful WA erstwhile he was offered nan domiciled of CEO astatine AIMS, which is dedicated to researching and caring for Australia’s tropical waters.

As a caller Australian citizen, it was a chance to “do thing really meaningful for my country, astatine nan highest level … successful an area that I’m passionate about,” he says.

“One of nan things I’m proudest of from my clip astatine AIMS is that we fundamentally raised our crippled successful position of meaningful, heavy partnerships and collaborations pinch Traditional Owners successful Sea Country.

“We were nan first and arsenic acold arsenic I know, still [are the] only national agency to clasp and enshrine FPIC – free, prior, informed consent, which is simply a UN construct.

“[It] fundamentally says we don’t spell and do thing connected Sea Country without nan full, anterior and informed consent and ongoing engagement of nan section Traditional Owners. 

“We demonstrated that we could lead by illustration – it’s not advocacy, it’s leadership.”

Despite loving each infinitesimal of his 6 years astatine nan helm of AIMS, Paul was again pulled backmost to nan pen and paper.

“I decided I person to commencement penning full-time now, because I’ve sewage measurement much years down maine than up of maine and … I’ll regret it if I don’t,” says Paul. 

MAKING CHANGE THROUGH CHAPTERS

Paul’s written 7 novels and aggregate textbooks and is astir to people his 3rd ambiance fabrication novel.

The Hope, which will beryllium published early successful 2026, is portion of a trilogy that helps readers understand nan subject of ambiance alteration and its imaginable early effects done imaginative storytelling.

“I’m trying to return that life of biology acquisition and knowledge and heavy knowing of immoderate captious issues … and put it into stories that group tin entree and link to,” says Paul.

“Storytelling touches group successful a measurement that nan subject doesn’t.” 

Caption: Paul has written aggregate novels and textbooks, utilizing penning to explicate science 
Credit: Supplied by Paul Hardisty

Paul’s profession proposal is simple. 

“You’ve sewage to do thing you emotion and you’re passionate about,” says Paul.

“If you’re passionate astir what you do and you emotion what you do, you will beryllium bully astatine it. It doesn’t each person to hap astatine erstwhile – there’s a journey.

“Work retired who you really are and make that your life’s work.”