Is Environmentalism Failing?

Absolutely worth the hour and a half of your time watching...

Sourced from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 15 March 2011

'The environmental movement in Australia was the first in the world to become a political movement and Australia was home to the world's first Green Party. Australian public opinion and policies have been swayed in the past on crucial issues such as land conservation and nuclear power, but what about climate change?

What is the environmental movement doing right and where is it failing? At a packed theatre at Melbourne's "Sustainable Living Festival", an extraordinary line up of panellists debate how the environmental movement can best negotiate the most critical global issue it has faced to date... climate change.

This event was moderated by the wickedly funny host of the SBS TV show "Rock Wiz", Julia Zemiro.

PANELLISTS:

David Suzuki is a world-renowned Canadian academic, scientist, TV broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990 to work "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us". Suzuki was a professor in genetics at the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001. He is best known, though, for his hit television and radio programs that examine and explain the natural sciences, including "A Planet for the Taking" and "The Sacred Balance". He has written over 48 books, his latest being "The Legacy: An Elder's Vision for Our Sustainable Future". He was recently in Australia to promote his latest documentary, "Force of Nature".

Clive Hamilton is Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics and the founder and former director of left-wing think tank, "The Australia Institute". Hamilton is well known as a climate change advocate and a public intellectual, regularly appearing in the Australian media and contributing to public policy debates. He has published a number of best-selling books including, "Affluenza" (2005) and "Requiem for a Species" (2010). In December 2009 he was the Greens candidate in the by-election for the federal seat of Higgins.

Ian Lowe is President of the Australian Conservation Foundation and Professor of Science, Technology and Society at Griffith University. For 13 years, Lowe wrote a regular column for New Scientist and has also authored a number of books including "Living in the Hothouse" (2005).

Senator Christine Milne is an Australian Senator and deputy leader of the Australian Greens. She was first elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1989 as a member of the Tasmanian Greens in the electorate of Lyons, after being prominent in the blockade opposing the Franklin Dam and the building of the Wesley Vale Pulp mill in Tasmania. After her career in state politics, she was an advisor to Senator Bob Brown from 2000 until she was elected to represent Tasmania in the Senate at the 2004 federal election.

Anna Rose is co-founder of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and is a member of the Environment Minister's Advisory Council on Environmental Education. She co-authored the book "Future by U"', is a former editor of Australia's largest student paper and a regular speaker, blogger and opinion writer on climate and energy issues.

Philip Sutton is convener of the "Greenleap Strategic Institute", a non-profit environmental strategy think tank and advisory organisation promoting the very rapid achievement of global and local ecological sustainability. Sutton recently co-authored "Climate Code Red", which puts forward a case for emergency action on climate change.'