Australian of the Year

Environmentalist awarded top honour
January 25, 2007
SMH

Environmentalist Tim Flannery got an early birthday present today when he was named the 2007 Australian of the Year, giving him a platform to convince Australians about the dangers of over-consumption.

As a scientist who has been warning about sustainability and the risk of climate change for decades, public opinion is finally catching up with Dr Flannery.

But the next year will give him an even greater opportunity to convince sceptics that the globe needs to better live within its means.

Prime Minister John Howard, a late climate change convert, bestowed the honour on Dr Flannery at a ceremony at Parliament House tonight.

"He has encouraged Australians into new ways of thinking about our environmental history and future ecological challenges," Mr Howard said.

A renowned explorer and palaeontologist, Dr Flannery, who will turn 51 on Sunday, was the bookies' favourite to take out the award.

His expertise on climate change has come into its own of late as the nation grows increasingly concerned about what global warming could do to our already dry continent.

He has written best-selling books on the issue, been an environmental adviser to the South Australian and federal governments, catalogued the mammals of Melanesia, discovered dinosaur fossils and kangaroo species in his own country, and taught at Harvard.

Dr Flannery accepted his award with pride, vowing to continue his quest to help Australians live sustainably.

"This award means I have an obligation to the people of Australia to continue the quest to create a sustainable future for our country and for our children," he said.

"We can only call ourselves Australian if we have a long-term future in this country and that means to live sustainably."