Tim Flannery: Here On Earth Book Review

Professor Tim Flannery is a famous Australian biologist and Australian of the Year. He has raised awareness about the environmental issues and would be deemed a leader here in Australia.

I was just listening to the end of a Press Conference that took place September 2010 at the The National Press Club in Canberra. It was interesting to watch him field questions in a gentle and respectful way. He displayed a sense of fairness and a desire not to demonise others, it was refreshing to see peace within the heart of an environmentalist.

He spoke of hope as he conveyed great leaps forward in China’s policies acknowledging they are the biggest polluter in the world. He spoke of India’s bright and young Environment Minister and the introduction of renewables, notably solar in rural areas. He noted that this assisted people coming out of poverty. He turned to Australia and indicated there were improvements and in the US it is a difficult situation. He explained it is not easy for politicians to deal with this type of issue, however he believed some progress had been made, particularly in light of the fact that the environment is on the agenda publicly, CFC’s were removed and the issue is taken seriously. He did believe that the central focus should be CO2 reduction rather than changes to the system. My take on his statement was of obstructionism through fears of system change, he felt if the politicians could just look at the problem of reducing emissions and achieve that. I felt that was very true. What you often hear is the arguments played out in the media which are fears of interest groups. It turns into a power struggle which polarises problem solving and we end up not moving forward, given the importance of natural systems, we may consider working out why we are in conflict.

I respected his approach as it wasn’t increasing fear, he was building hope in people to tackle the issue. His approach I felt was the way to go. We get caught up and drained in fighting others, rather than solving the problem.

The head of the Press Club made an interesting point that people seem to deny and don’t change, he had somewhat of a cynical perception of the ability of humans to change. I am sure many would agree. However, change can only come when you can envisage a future that is sustainable, if you believe it is crashing, many will just go for broke or consume until it is gone.

I personally feel yes we will have crashes, but this will be the catalyst for change, survival will kick in and people will solve the challenges that beset the planet. The best will come out of people and of course the worst, but that is life here on this planet. We can overcome anything when we make a decision.

Here is a critique by Professor Ian Lowe, another respected Australian in the environmental area. I remember him at Griffith University 20 years ago when I was a student. He is a very dedicated professional. His work and repuation grew and Griffith now has an Environmental School. I was checking it out this year as we all have to become aware of the main issues. Today he is head of the Conservation Foundation, so a worthy critique to review Tim Flannery’s book.

http://www.readings.com.au/review/here-on-earth-an-argument-for-hope-
tim-flannery

Here On Earth: An Argument For Hope: Tim Flannery

Review by Professor Ian Lowe, President of the Australian Conservation Foundation

Tim Flannery is a distinguished biologist. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of the unique biota of Australia and New Zealand. Like many of us who began life as narrow scientists, he was driven by the science to be concerned about the impact of humans on natural systems. When he became aware of the devastating effects of climate change, he wrote a best-selling book on the topic, was chosen as Australian of the Year and used that position very effectively to stimulate public debate of the issue.

This book addresses the broader issue of human ecology, the cumulative impacts of humans on natural systems and the prospects for redirecting the trajectory of development onto a sustainable path. He concludes, like the Hawaiian futurist Jim Dator, that we are responsible for ‘our rose’. We have modified natural systems so substantially that there is no practical way to return the Earth to its state 200 years ago. So we now have to take responsibility for handling its altered condition. Flannery gives an excellent summary of the macroscopic changes that humans have superimposed on the Earth’s natural systems. This leads inevitably to the specifications for what the Global Scenarios Group calls a Great Transition that would enable a sustainable future. The book is liberally peppered with striking data and anecdotes that should enrage any thinking reader. It includes the shocking figures about blood-lead levels in Mount Isa children and the enormous quantities of nuclear waste dumped in oceans, including the fissile material from 17 Russian nuclear submarines.

Flannery has a well-deserved reputation for fluent and engaging writing. This book is no exception. It presents a series of complex and challenging concepts clearly and unambiguously, setting out the strong case for a new approach. There are a few uncharacteristic slips that should not have escaped the editing process. One unfortunately worded sentence blurs the components of Australian population growth and could reinforce the widespread myth that the increase is solely due to immigration. The discussion of the success of the Montreal Protocol is oversimplified; it was only after the agreement was strengthened at subsequent meetings in Stockholm and London that the treaty finally banned production and release of CFCs. The costing figures for Borisov’s ambitious geo-engineering scheme are clearly wrong.

Flannery attributes our irresponsible behavior to ‘discounting the future’, not formally as practiced by financial analysts but informally in the sense of being obsessed with short-term gratification. Apart from discussing the psychological problems that beset the economics profession, he doesn’t discuss the root cause of our problems, the mindless pursuit of economic growth. His perceptive analysis of governance issues is strangely silent about the role of transnational companies. The omission is particularly pointed given the role of international resource companies in the removal of our prime minister and the related political acceptance of irresponsibly expanding the export coal industry.

But these are minor criticisms. This is a very good book. It should be required reading for politicians and corporate leaders.

Professor Ian Lowe is the president of the Australian Conservation Foundation. His most recent book is A Big Fix: A Radical Solutions For Australia’s Environmental Crisis.

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Mohandas Gandhi

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