Protecting Nature During the Roll-out of Renewable Energy

More than ever before our global community is feeling and seeing the impacts of climate change. As natural disasters become more frequent and severe the pressure to quickly decarbonise and limit climate damaging emissions increases.  

Australia and Queensland have come late to the transition and the speed at which we need to phase out climate damaging fossil fuel energy and switch to renewables is real. Unfortunately, this comes in a setting of poor planning laws, failing environmental protection laws and inadequate community consultation. Across Queensland large scale development that has unacceptable impacts on nature and people have been approved time and time again under these failing laws. Large scale renewable energy is no exception to that rule. So the question is, how can we use the transition as an opportunity to reform these laws, and create an industry that actually increases biodiversity through the roll out.

Ms Lucy Graham is the Director of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre and Board Member of the Queensland Conservation Council. Most recently, Lucy has facilitated strategic collaborations in Queensland, bringing together Energy Corporations and Conservation leaders in Queensland to understand how the industry and community can collaborate and lead the development of a biodiversity positive renewable energy industry. Additionally, she has been working with the government to progress planning that conserves biodiversity in the energy transition in QLD. Lucy is skilled in community engagement and understanding social licence in regional communities.

Lucy will further extend discussion of the topic with Mr Manoj Prajwal Bhattaram, a former researcher who studied the gene networks involved in ageing for his post grad. Later on he worked for CSIRO on crop plant genetics. Praj has worked at UQ for about a decade and a half now and has helped teach, manage, design and run undergraduate courses in ecology, molecular biology and entomology He is absolutely fascinated by systems biology and the ‘big picture’ of ecosystems and feedback loops when it comes to studying ecology and the environment. Praj is currently working on a Masters to be a secondary school science teacher. 

When: 14 May 2024

Time: 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM AEST

Location: Zoom Only

Please note: The ZOOM link for this event is included in the confirmation email which you will receive once you have registered. You will find it at the bottom of the notice Please keep this in a place where you can find it when needed. A reminder email will be sent with the link on the day of the event close to Close of Business hours.

This event may be recorded. If you have any questions, please email us at info@rgsq.org.au.