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Introduction

The following list is of the people whose activities I am aware of, and in most cases have had some interaction with. Some have been active in supporting action on climate change and others in opposing such action. I have concentrated on Australians because it is well beyond my ability to go beyond our shores. There are many organisations that are pushing for action (just two examples, CEDAMIA (Climate Emergency Declarations and Mobilisation In Action) and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition), and organisations that are opposing action (for example, the Liberal Party and the Institute of Public Affairs), but this page deals with individuals only.

Considering the gravity of climate change one might expect that most people would be clamouring for action; in fact, while there are quite a few who are, they amount to a very small proportion of the Australian population; the great majority do not seem to care enough to do anything.

This list particularly involves wind power, because I have developed an interest in that form of renewable energy. (My interest came about because my region, the Mid North of SA, was leading Australia in wind power development from about 2005 to 2017 and because of the amount of disinformation I was reading about wind power in Australia).

On the right side of history:
Australians who are trying to get serious action on climate change

I have listed only one or a few of these people's activities. My list cannot be, and is not intended to be, complete. My apologies to those who I should have included but forgot.

Albion, Kirsty

National Co-Director of Australian Youth Climate Coalition

How many climate change activists are there? I have used the following in my email 'signature' for several years: "When climate change is destroying the world as we know it, why is only about one person in a thousand making a serious effort to do anything about it?" In fact, it is probably more like one in ten-thousand or a hundred-thousand, but that is still quite a few, as I found when I started trying to list those who I have come across.

Ally, Jamie;

Team Leader for the proposed Fremantle Community Wind Farm

Armstrong, Fiona;

Very active in pushing for climate change action, Fiona is Founder and Convenor of the Climate and Health Alliance

Astill, Isaac;

Climate change activist, Young Environmentalist of the Year for 2013, associated with the AYCC and the Bob Brown Foundation

Barber, Greg;

Victorian Greens member of parliament (MLC) and supporter of renewable energy, both wind and solar

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Barrett, Neil;

A long-time campaigner for renewable energy, Neil has videoed interviews of a number of people who live near the turbines of the Waubra Wind Farm and shown that they have no problems from the wind farm.

Blakester, Adam;

Executive Director (honary) of Starfish Initiatives and campaigner for renewable energy

Wind turbines at Waterloo Wind Farm, South Australia

Bray, Andrew;

Active on the Internet, involved in Victorian Wind Alliance and more recently the Australian Wind Alliance. Supporting the adoption of wind power and spreading the truth about it. Andrew produced a video in which Challicum Hills farmer Graeme Maconachie explains why he is proud to have wind turbines on his farm.

Brown, Bob

Past Greens Senator and leader of the Australian Greens, Mr Brown has long been a campaigner for the environment and action on climate change.

Cannon-Brookes, Mike

Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has been very active in pressing for renewable energy development and funding innovative Australian projects.

Cass, Dan;

Climate change activist, consultant and blogger

Chapman, Professor Simon;

Head of School of Medicine, University of Sydney. Very active, and highly effective, in discrediting claims that wind turbines cause illnesses

Courtice, Ben;

Campaigner for climate change action

Cuthbertson, Alan;

Activist in promoting action on climate change: organised and completed the climate walk from Melbourne to Canberra, 2014.

Diesendorf, Mark;

Deputy Director University of NSW Institute of Environmental Studies, Dr Diesendorf has written a plan for powering Australia with zero carbon emissions.

Donaldson, Blair;

Founder of Gippsland Friends of Future Generations, a climate change action organisation

Ellis, Liam;

Campaigner for action on climate change and social justice; Liam has been active in the Australian Youth Climate Coalition

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Ewbank, Leigh

Friends of the Earth. Very active in supporting the adoption of wind power and in discrediting the statements made by those who spread disinformation on wind power

Flannery, Tim;

Author, scientist and prominent spokesperson on climate change

Gardner, Peter;

Actively pushing for climate action and active in elections, both federal and local.

Garnaut, Ross;

Economist and campaigner for climate change action

Grainger, Char;

A devoted campaigner for action on climate change

Wind turbines at Canunda, SA

Gresham, Bill;

A campaigner for renewable power, rail transport and electric vehicles

Hender, Margaret;

Founder of CORENA (Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia), an organisation that converts donations into solar energy.

Hengeveld, Martin;

Campaigner for climate change action: completed the climate walk from Melbourne to Canberra, 2014.

Hewson, John;

One time leader of the Federal Liberal Opposition. He is probably the most honest, and seems to be have the highest ethical standards, of the people who have held that position in the past few decades. He is pressing for action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Holmes A Court, Simon;

Founding Chair at Hepburn Wind, active in community wind farms, Chair of Embark, an organisation that aims to advance the community energy sector and founding member of Climate 200: "Climate-proof politics for good".

Joshi, Ketan;

Employed by Infigen, active blogger on wind power facts

Keane, Sandi;

Deputy editor of Independent Australia. Sandi has written many articles exposing those who try to stop the advance of renewable energy in Australia. In her own words she specialises in investigating "carbon claptrap and other bunkum".

Knox, John;

John rode a bike around Australia to raise awareness of the need for climate change action

Ludlam, Scott;

Greens Senator for Western Australia; campaigner for climate change action

Manne, Lucy;

National Co-Director of Australian Youth Climate Coalition

McFeeters, Angela;

South West Victorian Organiser at Australian Wind Alliance

Milne, Christine;

Senator and leader of the Australian Greens; campaigner for climate change action

Mohr, Tony;

Climate change program manager at the Australian Conservation Foundation

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Norman, June

A tireless campaigner for many things, including climate change action: completed the climate walk from Melbourne to Canberra, 2014.

Parkinson, Giles;

Main writer of RenewEconomy and climate action campaigner

Parnell, Mark;

Greens member of Parliament in South Australia's Legislative Council; campaigner for climate change action

Poland, Michael;

Led the Walk for Solar Thermal Power from Port Augusta to Adelaide in September 2012, later with GetUp Campaigns.

Posselt, Steve;

Kayak4Earth, Climate Reality Project

Prell, Charlie;

Wind power, renewable energy supporter; at Crookwell, NSW.

Wind turbine at Starfish Hill; the first wind farm in South Australia

Rich, Dr Bob;

Long-time conservationist and climate change action campaigner. Net site

Ryan, Brendan;

Employed in the wind industry and active in providing the facts on wind power

Sadler, Hugh;

Prolific writer on climate change; Principle Consultant in the Climate Change Business Unit of Pitt and Sherry

Sandell, Ellen;

Campaigner for climate change action and, from November 2014, Greens MP for the seat of Melbourne, Victoria. Link

Seed, John;

Forestry and climate change campaigner

Singer, Peter;

Philosopher and author; has written on the ethics of, and need for, climate change action

Smith, Byron;

Climate change action campaigner, Byron is a committed Christian and is writing a PhD thesis on ethics

Spencer, Daniel;

Campaigner for climate change action; winner of the Bob Brown Foundation Young Environmentalist of the year for 2012

Taylor, Nick;

Co-founder of the WA state branch of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition

Tomlin, Nigel and Josh;

Working at run-of-the-river hydro power projects in tasmania. (The Abbott Government has made further projects unviable.)

Vorrath, Sophie;

Prolific writer on climate change and renewable energy

Walker, Cam;

Campaigner for climate change action; involved with Friends of the Earth

Wakeham, Mark;

Acting CEO and Campaigns Director at Environment Victoria (May 2014)

Whitehead, Adrain;

One of the founders of Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) and long-time campaigner for climate change action, has a Net site

Woodroffe, Andrew;

One of the prime movers of SkyFarming, responsible for the Mount Barker and Denmark wind farms in WA

Wright, Matthew;

One of the founders of Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE), producer of Australia's only dedicated radio program on climate change.

Valentine, Nick;

Active on the Internet in providing the facts about wind power and discrediting misinformation

Not Australian, but active in Australia

In the age of the Internet people can have an impact anywhere in the world.

Barnard, Mike;

A Canadian who gets around. Mike is very active in getting out the truth on wind power. (Also see Barnard on Wind.)

Crichton, Fiona;

A New Zealanders who has conducted psychological research showing that expectation of harm can cause symptoms. People who believe they have been made ill by wind turbines may just as well be responding to people like Sarah Laurie who spread the belief that a nearby wind turbine will make one ill.

On the wrong side of history:
Australians who are opposing climate change action

In coming decades, when the magnitude of the climate change disaster becomes clear and undeniable, these people will quite rightly and understandably be despised. I have argued elsewhere that for a person in a position of power to dishonestly oppose renewable energy and support the burning of fossil fuels has to be a great crime against humanity, perhaps the greatest crime in the history of humanity.

People in prominent postions who have opposed action on climate change and the adoption of sustainable energy

Coal, mining, money and influence There are fabulous amounts of money involved in coal, so long as it can be mined and either burned locally or exported. The mining of other minerals also make fortunes for Australians who are involved in the industry. If emission reductions are enforced in Australia, and the world, the value of coal will continue to decline and the recycling rather than the mining of metals will become much more economically attractive – a lot of the money will go out of mining. Is it any wonder that wealthy people with connections to mining are funding climate science denial? Is it any wonder that organisations like the Australian Liberal Party, who rely heavily on donations from big business, do the bidding of the miners and polluters? Renewables price advantage   Written 2018/06/02 Fortunately by mid 2018 the costs renewable energy in its wind and solar PV forms had fallen so far that they had become the cheapest forms of new-build power generation. Consequently this has resulted in an explosion of renewable energy. The ethical imperative for renewables has been recognised for many years, but nothing moves people like money does!

Abbott, Tony;

Liberal Prime Minister; climate science skeptic, opponent of renewable energy and action on climate change, and strong supporter of the fossil fuel industry. PM Abbott leads a government that has been perhaps the most strongly opposed to climate change action of any in the world.

Back, Senator Chris;

This Liberal Senator is strongly opposed to the adoption of wind power and has made many erroneous statements on the subject

Baillieu, Ted;

Past Liberal Premier of Victoria, Mr Ballieu passed laws making it almost impossible for any organisation to gain approval for a wind farm in that state. This has possibly cost Victoria billions of dollars in potential development as well as holding back climate change action.

Barilaro, John;

NSW Nationals member of parliament for Monaro. Mr Barilaro is opposing the ACT Government's attempts to achieve 90% renewable energy by 2020

Bell, Randall;

Climate science denier, lobbyist against wind power and President of the Victorian Landscape Guardians

Bennett, Jeff;

Wrote a book titled 'Little Green Lies' that aimed to discredit anthropogenic climate change. I have written a short review pointing out some of the glaring errors in his book.

Bernardi, Senator Cory;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Lightning striking turbines at Hallett Lightning strikes cannot stop wind turbines. These people will slow, but not stop renewable energy. Image credit: Osprey Photography, Helen Simpson

Bolt, Andrew;

Popular writer in Murdoch Australian newspapers, Mr Bolt is trying to stop action to limit climate change by spreading misinformation

Boswell, Nationals Senator for Queensland, Ron

I was moved to write a page about Senator Boswell in 2013, remarking that he had been opposed to wind power for several years and had not bothered to learn anything about the subject in that time, making a number of glaring errors (or would they more accurately be called lies?) in his statements.

Bushby, Senator David;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Cash, Senator Michaelia;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Cormann, Senator Mathias;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Day, Family First Senator, Bob;

Senator Day's foolish or dishonest claims about wind power moved me to write a page about him. He has called climate change a scam and has repeated the fallacy that wind turbines are a health hazard among a number of other bizarre claims.

Devine, Miranda;

Climate science denying columnist with the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, News Corp. newspapers. She is complying with her boss, Rupert Murdoch's, stance on climate science.

Edwards, Senator Sean;

Senator Edwards, who refuses to say whether he accepts the reality of anthropogenic climate change, has made a speech in the Senate opposing renewable energy

Fifield, Senator Mitch;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Goward, Pru;

NSW Liberal member of parliament for Goulburn. Ms Goward is opposing the ACT Government's attempts to achieve 90% renewable energy by 2020

Hockey, Joe;

Liberal Federal Treasurer. Has said that he finds wind turbines "utterly offensive. I think they're a blight on the landscape."

Hodgkinson, Katrina;

NSW Nationals member of parliament for Burrinjuck. Ms Hodgkinson is opposing the ACT Government's attempts to achieve 90% renewable energy by 2020

Howard, John;

Former Prime Minister of Australia. When he was Prime Minister Mr Howard refused to commit Australia to the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Hunt, Greg;

Federal Minister for the Environment. Mr Hunt's university thesis was about why a tax on carbon emissions would be a good idea, yet he helped the Abbott Government to repeal the carbon tax legislated by the Gillard Government.

Jones, Alan;

Radio shock-jock, climate science denier and wind power opponent

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Joyce, Barnaby;

Deputy Leader of the Nationals in Federal Parliament, Minister for Agriculture, climate science skeptic and renewable energy opponent, one of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Laurie, Sarah;

CEO of the so-called Waubra Foundation. Ms Laurie has very effectively spread the mass-delusion of 'Wind Turbine Syndrome' in Australia and overseas. This has slowed the uptake of renewables and meant that coal-fired power stations, well known to be responsible for millions of illnesses and deaths worldwide, continue to pollute our atmosphere.

The Senators who voted to repeal Australia's carbon tax These Senators should hang their heads in shame. They have betrayed future generations. Of course the House of Representatives parliamentarians who also supported the repeal of the carbon tax are equally culpable.

Leyonhjelm, Senator David;

Senator Leyonhjelm either through dishonesty or ignorance actively opposed wind power developments in Australia, spreading the myth that they harm people's health.

Lloyd, Graham;

So-called Enviromental Editor of The Australian Mr Lloyd casts doubt on the reallity of anthropogenic climate change and dishonestly writes anti-wind power articles. See also The Guardian.

MacDonald, Senator Ian;

Showed where he stands by wearing a hi-vis jacket labelled "Australians For Coal" while he was making a speech in favour of coal in the Senate.

Madigan, Senator John;

The only Democratic Labor senator in the Australian Parliament, Senator Madigan makes ill-informed statements about wind power and climate change

Marohasy, Dr Jennifer;

Active climate science denier; see The Guardian. Dr Marohasy claims that the BoM and NASA are involved in a conspiracy and are dishonestly changing the data.

Mason, Senator Brett;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Mitchell, Peter;

Chairman of the anti-wind power, so-called Waubra Foundation, Mr Mitchell is also heavily involved in the mining industry.

Morrison, Scott;

Prime Minister following Turnbull, an enemy of future generations because of his determined support of the fossil fuel industry and opposition to development of renewable energy in Australia.

Murdoch, Rupert;

Running an international campaign in his many newspapers to discredit climate science

Murray, David

Head of PM Abbott's financial system inquiry, Mr Murray has made climate science denial remarks that offended meteorologists and other climate scientists.

Nash, Senator Fiona;

One of the "Group of 8" senators who were instrumental in getting the carbon tax repealed.

Newman, Maurice;

Chair of Prime Minister Abbott's Business Advisory Council, Mr Newman rejects anthropogenic climate change, does not trust science, and makes many false and/or misleading statements about wind power

Nova, Joanna;

Climate science denier and spreader of misinformation

Palmer, Clive;

A coal billionaire who has funded political campaigns opposing action on climate change

Plimer, Ian;

One time Professor of Mining Geology at the University of Adelaide and very vocal climate science denier. Professor Plimer has many connections with the mining industry. His books and claims on climate science have been thoroughly discredited

Ramsey, Rowan;

Member for the South Australian Division of Grey in the Australian House of Representatives. Mr Ramsey went on record as an opponent of renewable energy in February 2012 when he made a speech in parliament bagging wind power and full of errors. You might think that Mr Ramsey would and should support the wind power that has been a great success in his own state and region.

Rheese, Max;

Formerly Executive Director of the climate science denying and misleadingly named Australian Environment Foundation (a branch of the right wing think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs). In November 2014 it was announced that Mr Rheese was to advise Senator David Leyonhjelm, who apparently wants to close down wind farm development in Australia. Senator Leyonhjelm was elected as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, apparently because the party's name sounded like the Liberal Party.

Ridgway, David;

Member of the South Australian Legislative Council and as of mid 2018 South Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Mr Ridgway made many foolish and/or false statements in opposition to wind power, particularly in regard to a proposed wind farm on the Yorke Peninsula.

Rinehart, Gina;

Having made billions out of mining, including coal mining, Ms Rinehart funds climate science denial and deniers, including Ian Plimer.

Taylor, Angus;

Federal Liberal member of parliament for Hume and Energy Minister in the Morrison government. Mr Taylor is dishonestly opposing wind power development in general and the ACT Government's attempts to achieve 90% renewable energy by 2020 in particular.

Turnbull, Prime Minister Malcolm

PM Turnbull is well aware of the threat that climate change poses, but in spite of this while in office he has done much to dishonestly criticise and disparage renewable energy and to encourage more use of fossil fuels, especially coal.

Warburton, Dick;

Head of PM Abbott's Renewable Energy Target Review Panel and climate science denier, Mr Warburton has falsely claimed that renewables do not provide a viable alternative to coal and gas for electricity generation.

Xenophon, Senator Nick;

Senator Xenophon accepts the need for climate change action, but for reasons best known to himself makes (often foolish and wrong) statements opposing wind power.

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Others opposed to climate change action

Bittner, Naomi;

Writter of the misleading and dishonest Heartland Farmers propaganda opposing the proposed Ceres wind farm of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

George, Kim;

Opposing the proposed King Island Wind Farm. King Island is ideally placed for a big wind farm; it has a wonderful wind resource and is not far from a huge electricity market (Melbourne).

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