Tim Flannery has discovered more than 30 mammal species, but the Australian scientist is probably best known for his work on global climate change. The author of The Weather Makers and Here on Earth has traveled the world to argue that we need to take bold action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Flannery is a professor at Macquarie University and is the chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council and Chief Commissioner of the Australian Climate Commission, an independent group that seeks to inform Aussies about the issue. Flannery was named Australian of the Year in 2007 (the year after An Inconvenient Truth came out).
In presenting that award, then-Prime Minister John Howard said Flannery “has encouraged Australians into new ways of thinking about our environmental history and future ecological challenges.”
It’s clear that human society faces significant challenges, but it’s also clear that we have powerful solutions at our disposal. The words of thought leaders like Tim Flannery may help crystallize action in the Road to Rio+20 and beyond, when the real work needs to get done.
Check out Flannery’s words to a recent National Geographic Live audience above.
