Tim Flannery

Tim Flannery

Environmentalist

Tim Flannery is a mammalogist and paleontologist, but his biggest achievements come from his work as an environmental activist. Flannery has shown sacrifice by giving up his own time to help protect the environment.

Since 1994, Flannery has been giving up his time helping the environment and its inhabitants. In 1994, Flannery published The Future Eaters: an Ecological History of the Australasian Lands and People. This best selling book covered the many impacts humans have on the environment. He also argued that firestick farming (an aboriginal method used to burn vegetation) had drastically reshaped the continent’s ecology and further argued that European settlers had intensified bushfires by effectively ending the practice of firestick farming. Both arguments are subject to considerable debate. Also, Flannery recommended that Australia’s population should be as few as 6 million (less than a third of its current level). The book was also later made into a television series.

In another one of his books, Flannery outlined the science behind global climate change. He said that if we didn’t act on climate change soon, it may eventually force the creation of a global carbon dictatorship to regulate carbon use across all industries and nations. He also discussed the establishment of ‘Geothermia’ a new city at the New South Wales and Queensland border; a completely energy self sufficient city, using nothing but natural gases and solar energy to power it. The book won a lot of praise. Bill Bryson, the American best selling author, said that “It would be hard to imagine a better or more important book.” The Weather Makers was honored in 2006 as ‘Book of the Year’ at the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards. But in 2007 he was properly rewarded for his work being named Australian of the Year.

Flannery has shown much sacrifice and loyalty as an environmental activist. Showing much achievement in population, acclimatization and carbon emissions he should be should be further rewarded for his work. I believe he will have achieved even more in the not to distant future.