Spotlight on tackling climate change at seminar

Anna Rose, Australian author and environmentalist, was the guest speaker at this year’s Deakin Enviro Seminar, with an engaging and inspiring presentation, "Tackling Climate Change: Why you’re more powerful than you think".

Ms Rose is currently the National Manager for Earth Hour with WWF-Australia and was awarded the Australian Geographic Society’s Conservationist of the Year 2015.

There were more than 250 registrations for the annual event, which was hosted by Deakin’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, together with the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, on Monday 11 April at the Melbourne Burwood Campus. The audience included undergraduate and postgraduate students, staff, alumni, industry partners, secondary school teachers, as well as students and members of the wider community.

Dr Kelly Miller, senior lecturer in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences and seminar organiser, said Ms Rose spoke passionately about how and why she started working as a climate change campaigner in secondary school.

"Anna shared some important lessons that have helped her stay focused, explaining that it is important to 'start where you are' and 'do the best you can'," Dr Miller said. "She also outlined three important avenues for influence, using 'social power', 'political power' and 'consumer power' to affect change and address climate change".

Dr Miller highlighted one quote from Ms Rose’s presentation in particular:

“We have the ability to change the course of history, especially in Australia. We are so lucky here that we can exercise our voice… We don’t need to be a corporate CEO, we don’t need to wait until we are the chancellor of a university, we can do incredible things right now.”
Anna Rose

Dr Miller said many of the seminar guests were inspired by Ms Rose’s presentation and discussed their own campaigns with the audience.

"We thank Anna and her family for joining us and for her powerful and important presentation", she said. 

Arrangements for Ms Rose’s presentation were made through Celebrity Speakers. Further information about Ms Rose is available on her website.