by Tokie Laotan

Created on: October 01, 2008

The newly celebrated Author, conservationist and scientist, Tim Flannery, has been named Australian of the year. The author believes that human activities have contributed immensely in the degradation of the environment. Tim Flannery was decorated by the Howard Administration in Australia. As the worst, greenhouse pollution emitters currently under scrutiny, Australia has not attained this title because of inadequate planning regulations but as a result of the inability to recycle natural water supply. The author in his recent book "The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change" has described global warming as a detrimental crisis, which has resulted in Australia's dry-lands being consumed by drought, cascading bush fires, increasingly diminishing water supply.

The need to look for alternative energy resources, should be of the utmost importance, Tim Flannery suggests that the coal industry will need to be shut down in order for renewable energy to be developed. It is imperative that carbon emissions are drastically reduced to improve the environmental position in which Australia finds itself. he suggests that to avert a pending biological disaster, Australia will need to move climate warming as first on it's policy agenda. Developing solar, wind and geothermal energy has to be initiated immediately, for this to be a success. He suggested a move to the Cooper Basin were Australia has the best geothermal energy source in the World. He also believes that this will be a definite starting point in developing a central electrical grid in Australia. The development of a new city in the Cooper Basin with a geothermal resource as an integral part of the regeneration process of the economy.

Tim Flannery has also suggested the use of nuclear energy in some parts of Europe, United states and China, as an alternative resource because of the insufficient renewable energy resources in these regions. He also recognises the risks involved but feels in the long term, it will be beneficial to the regions mentioned. He believes Australia will not need to use Nuclear energy because of the abundance of renewable energy it has. As an optimist, he believes that with careful planning, regulative measures that uranium mining can be used in the future. He believes that the impacts of climate change has been felt from the current disastrous floods, diseases and humanity shows that this is being felt worldwide. It is imperative that all governments around the world try to focus on reversing the impact of climate change. He also suggest that since there is nothing we can do about the degradtion that has occured currently but more can be done before it becomes a dire problem in the not so distant future.

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