Prominent environmentalist Professor Tim Flannery has not wasted any chances in raising awareness about the plight of the environment since receiving his Australian of the Year award last month.
While Professor Flannery is a well-known author, is part of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, and is also the director of the South Australian Museum he now finds himself in a position to be able to direct much of the debate and public concern over the environment.
After receiving the Australian of the Year honour from Prime Minister John Howard he said that: "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."
In the time since receiving the award Professor Flannery has not hesitated to criticise the Federal Government's environmental policies.
"There's no doubt this Government has been dragging the chain," he told the ABC.
"I've said in the past that Australia has been the worst of the worst in terms of addressing climate change, but I'm hopeful that we'll see...some movement."
Speaking via satellite last weekend at the launch of Virgin Earth Challenge, a multi-million dollar competition to encourage new ways to capture existing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Professor Flannery urged Australians to make climate change a key issue in the coming Federal elections.
"This year, all Australians have to become focused on the solution and making sure that we elect a government that is extremely serious about tackling this issue in the most vigorous manner that we can manage," Professor Flannery said reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
"This issue now is defined as the single largest issue in terms of the looming election…I am very much focused on trying to get a good outcome for my country, trying to see us pole-vault out from the laggard list into a leading player in this climate-change debate."
It is the boldest step into the political arena by the environmentalist. A few days earlier the Professor called for the cessation of coal exports, something which was taken on board by the Greens but rejected by both Labor and the coalition.
Professor Flannery told media that Australia's exporting of coal could no longer be considered to be in the country's national interest.
However, the Prime Minister responded by saying: "We can't have knee-jerk reactions."
"Much as I respect Tim Flannery, I saw him this morning talking about effectively stopping coal exports. You can't do that. That would be devastating to many communities throughout Australia," he told Sky News. Australia is the world's largest coal exporter.
While his comments regarding coal exports made headlines, the Professor, has said that there has been not enough attention placed upon the cleaner technology of geothermal energy that he believes could have the potential to be a replacement energy source.
Geothermal energy, the ABC reports, is the conversion of heat buried deep beneath the earth into electricity. Supporters for this type of technology that is the only known renewable energy source that is able to carry large base loads, potentially providing a constant source of power.
However, it is said to be years away from being able to be a viable energy supply.
Meanwhile one thing seems certain, the museum director has turned into an international climate-change warrior, and with a whole year ahead, there is surely more to come.
With AAP and Reuters