Blair Donaldson; a friend of future generations

	Bald Hills Wind Farm, Gippsland, Victoria Blair was very pleased to see this wind farm built before he died in 2016. These are some of the photos that Blair took of the wind farm. Click on the pictures for a higher definition version; click 'back' to return to this page. Bald Hills WF was completed in early 2015

Blair recognised that if future generations were to inherit a world not greatly inferior to the one that we are fortunate to enjoy it was essential that we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. He could see that we must replace fossil fuels with renewable energy such as wind and solar power.

He was disgusted when he found people telling lies about wind farms around the time that the Toora Wind Farm was being built near his home in 2002. So he decided to do something about it. He was instrumental in setting up Gippsland Friends of Future Generations, a group devoted to supporting action on climate change and debunking myths and fallacies spread by wind power opponents.

I only met Blair once, in 2008, but we had a lot of Internet contact for years before and after that. Blair lived in Foster, Gippsland, south-east of Melbourne; I live in Mid-North South Australia, about 900 kilometres away.

Blair and I had very similar aims. We were both devoted to doing what we could to get action on climate change and we both did what we could to expose the misinformation being spread by the opponents of wind farms.

Blair didn't allow his quadriplegia to stop him from doing what he believed he needed to do; he had limited use of his right hand, so he could use a computer keyboard, and he made the most of it.

He achieved far more than the great majority of fully able-bodied people.

I miss you Blair. I'm sure that many people who want to protect the lives of those who will come miss you too.

Some time in the future, people will recognise the great harm that was done by those who opposed action on climate change and the introduction of renewable energy, and they will recognise how valuable, good and rare a person Blair Donaldson was and appreciate the contribution he made toward the welfare of the future of our shared planet and all future generations.

Links

Gippsland Friends of Future Generations Blogspot

Blair Donaldson: A local son and hero; a poem by Christopher Eastman-Nagle.