Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

The judges have begun collaborating to find the best answer to the Yahoo!7 Answers/Be a Better Planet question – and they certainly have a stack to sort through! While the question is yet to be resolved it is no longer officially taking answers to be considered to win the competition, however you are still welcome to add your thoughts on the best way to spend $50,000 to improve the Australian environment if you have any.

Before the big announcement is made let’s meet one more of our judging panel members – Professor Derek Eamus. An expert and well renowned environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, and author of over 150 research papers, book chapters and reports into climate change, plant ecology and water use, Professor Eamus is well armed with knowledge to help decide which response to the $50,000 question has the most merit.

Professor Eamus took some time from sorting through the myriad responses to tell us about why he feels so strongly about environmental issues…

When did you first become passionate about environmental issues?

When I started a research project in Scotland looking into the impacts of acid rain on forest growth. Acid rain was a serious problem for much of Europe and North America in the 70’s and 80’s but through the research we conducted we were able to convince government and industry of the need to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide and other acid forming chemicals. Consequently acid rain is not a problem for Europe and America now (although it is in China and elsewhere).

What made you decide to become involved in spreading the word about climate change?

A second research project that I started in Scotland looked at the impact of carbon dioxide on forest growth and physiology. I continued this research in Darwin, NT and now am part of a major research team growing Australian trees in giant chambers in the field with a CO₂ enriched atmosphere. These research projects clearly revealed to me that forest growth and forest water use will be altered in response to climate change and that there was a need for this research to be widely understood in the public domain. Consequently I lecture about this topic to my students.

What is your biggest concern about the state of Australia’s environment? The rate of climate change and the impact this has on Australia’s natural environment, (including water resources) will be faster than politicians and industry are willing to respond.

What do you do in your own daily life to reduce carbon emissions? I use public transport as often as possible. We buy the most energy and water efficient appliances we can for the household. I ride a motorbike in preference to a car. We recycle as much as we can and we repair as much as we can (I’ve repaired the vacuum cleaner three times with new carbon brushes for the motor) before buying new. We try to buy locally grown produce to reduce the transport costs embedded in food. We don’t iron many clothes!

Is Australia lagging behind other countries in terms of reducing carbon emissions and generally being environmentally friendly?

Australia has particular problems not shared by many other countries, such as the lack of consistent rainfall, the high temperatures and the large distances between major centers of population. This presents challenges. We should be harnessing renewable energy more effectively and re-evaluating the crops we grow in Australia. For example, why do we choose to grow cotton and rice in Australia when rainfall is so unpredictable? We are very poor at investing in effective accessible and cheap public transport. So, on balance, we could be doing better than we do at the moment.

Do you think people have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change?

I don’t think people have their heads in the sand about this, but I think they feel that the politicians and industry groups need to unite and act on this and provide some sustained and intelligent leadership.

Professor Eamus is joined by his fellow judges, including Yahoo! Founder and co-chief David Filo, New Idea Editor Robyn Foyster, Planet Ark founder Jon Dee, and Better Homes and Gardens Landscaper Jason Hodges, to whittle more than a thousand entries down to just one. I don’t envy him the task – there are so many great responses – take a look for your self!

Clea