Conference - Speakers Biodata

"Politics and Climate Change in Australia"
Senator Christine Milne

Senator Christine Milne, Australian Greens spokesperson on climate change, was elected to represent Tasmania in the federal parliament at the 2004 election after a distinguished career in the Tasmanian state parliament where she served as Leader of the Greens from 1993-1998. Christine is a leader in the environment movement in Australia and overseas. She was appointed to the United Nations Environment Programme's Global 500 Roll of Honour in 1990 and was elected at the World Conservation Congress in Amman, Jordan, to the Global Council of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and is currently one of four global vice presidents. She has represented IUCN at Framework Convention on Climate Change conferences of the parties including in Montreal, Canada, in 2005 and Nairobi, Kenya in 2006. Christine initiated the Senate Inquiry into Australia's future oil supply and alternative transport fuels.

'Leading by Example - the Role of North American Governments in Promoting Green Building.'
The Hon Tom Roper
Board Member The Climate Institute ( USA )

The Hon. Tom Roper currently lives in New York and has been involved in environmental policy at all levels - local to international.

Since his retirement, after 21 years in the Victorian Parliament he has been a Board Member of the Washington DC based Climate institute, Global Urban Development and Greenfleet (Australia) and an advisor to government, business and ngo's on sustainability issues. He provides briefings on climate change developments and green building issues for the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Building Commission. He was a presenter at the 2006 US Green Building Council Conference and a reviewer and author for Worldwatch "State of the World - 2007".

He is the Project Director of the Global Sustainable Energy Islands Initiative which provides assistance to Small Island States seeking to introduce renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

During his ten years as a senior government minister his portfolios included Treasury, Planning and Environment, Health, Transport, Aboriginal Affairs and Employment and Higher Education.

"The Renewable City"
Peter Droege
World Council for Renewable Energy
Author: The Renewable City

Professor Peter Droege has twenty-five years of experience in the practice, teaching and research of urban planning and design, working with government, industry and universities. He is also an author and public speaker on urban design, sustainable development and urban environment policies. He has inaugurated and chairs the Urban Design Chapters of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) at both the national and New South Wales state levels. Over the past two decades, he has developed a special focus on the urban design and planning aspects of major infrastructure changes, in energy and information technology.

"Sydney - From Vortex City to Sustainable City"
Dr. Phil McManus
Author of Vortex Cities to Sustainable Cities

Dr. Phil McManus is a senior lecturer in the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. Phil is a qualified urban planner, and has higher degrees in environmental studies from York University (Toronto) and in geography from the University of Bristol (UK). In Australia he has previously held lecturing positions at Curtin University and the University of Newcastle. Phil's research interests include sustainable cities, ecological restoration, and concepts of nature. His book Vortex Cities to Sustainable Cities: Australia's Urban Challenge (UNSW Press, 2005) explores the emergence of cities that are considered unsustainable, and makes recommendations across a range of environmental issues to move towards sustainability. Phil's work explores nature/culture relationships with a view towards enhancing ecological sustainability.


"Ecopolis Now! - Architecture and Cities for a Changing Climate"
Paul Downton
Principal Architect, Ecopolis Architects


Eco-architect. Slightly famous for Ecopolis concept. Portfolio encompasses houses, community, commercial buildings, multi-unit dwellings, urban design and town plans. Architect of award-winning 5 Star ecotourism Rawnsley Park EcoVillas in Flinders Ranges and of Christie Walk EcoCity Project, an inner-city model for sustainable development featured in many Australian and overseas publications and winner of major international environmental award. Awards include a 1992 Environmental Journalism Award shared with Gar Smith, editor of Earth Island Journal, and a first prize for accessible environmental housing in 2005. Graduate from Welsh School of Architecture with a PhD from University of Adelaide in Environmental Studies for thesis on 'Ecopolis'. Speaker on 5 continents with 25 years experience teaching architecture, two of them in Jordan. Founder of first Australian community organisation focussed on climate change (1989). Professional writer on architecture, ecocities, environment and the arts and current editor of AGO's best-selling Your Home Technical Manual.


"Green Urbanism : Towards a Sustainable City Centre"
Professor Steffen Lehmann
sLab Laboratory for Architectural Research and Design, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle

Since June 2006, Professor Steffen Lehmann has held the Chair of Architectural Design at The University of Newcastle, School of Architecture and Built Environment. Prior to this, he was Professor of Architecture at QUT in Brisbane (2003-2006). Steffen is an award-winning German architect and urban designer. From 1993 to 2002 he ran his own ideas-driven practice in Berlin where he was intensively involved in the city's urban renewal and the creation of good public space. He holds a PhD from the TU-Berlin. Steffen's research interests: Sustainable urban design, urban regeneration strategies, compact cities, energy-efficient buildings, and renewable energies. Steffen is Co-Editor of the 'Journal of Green Building', a refereed US publication. He has been writing and lecturing about those topics since the mid 1990s. For further information, see the web site of the sLab Space Laboratory for architectural Research and Design: www.slab.com.au


"Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy"
Dr Mark Diesendorf
UNSW Institute of Environmental Studies


Dr Mark Diesendorf is Director of Sustainability Centre Pty Ltd www.sustainabilitycentre.com.au   and senior lecturer at the Institute of Environmental Studies, University of New South Wales  www.ies.unsw.edu.au . He is coeditor of the interdisciplinary book Human Ecology, Human Economy: Ideas for an ecologically sustainable future (Allen & Unwin, 1997), coauthor of the national scenario study A Clean Energy Future for Australia (2004) and author of the new book Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy (UNSW Press, 2007).

"Implications of climate change for Local Government and Developers"
Donovan Burton
Senior Associate, Climate Risk Pty Ltd

Donovan Burton, B Env Plan (Hons) M.P.I.A PhD cand, will present on the
implications of climate change for Local Government and Developers at this
years GREX.

Donovan, Senior Associate, Climate Risk Pty Ltd, is a specialist advisor
to government and business on climate change risk and opportunities. With
experience as a planner in local government, he is currently a PhD
candidate at Griffith's Urban Research Project. Donovan is a recipient of
the 2007 Wentworth Scholarship and short listed for the Queensland
Planning Ministers 2007 Prize. He has published a number of papers on
local government, property and climate change.

"It's getting hot in here: ensuring we get real climate change solutions in a Federal election year"
Make Wakeham
Greenpeace Clean Energy Campaigner

Mark Wakeham works as an Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. His major role with Greenpeace is to help build a movement of Australians demanding action on climate change and cleaner energy to drive legislative and policy change. Previously he worked as Coordinator of the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory for 5 years where he worked on the successful campaign to stop the Jabiluka uranium mine, and he worked on the Bushlight project which is improving energy services in northern Australian remote Aboriginal communities. He has degrees in economics, Australian history and adult education, and now has a large student debt.


"Inherently Economical Solar Power - the Liquid Solar Array"
Phil Connor
Sunengy Pty Ltd

Phil Connor is a scientist and engineer based in Sydney, Australia who conducts innovative research and development in a variety of fields including solar energy.

Background

·    Electrical Engineering degree, Sydney University, 1973.
·    Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of New South Wales, 1982.
·    Seven years at Macquarie University conducting research into speech and music using Fourier analysis and development of a fast digital signal processor.
·    Fifteen years with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) developing electro-optical instruments for the remote sensing and classification of minerals for the mining industry using spectroscopy.
·    Twenty-five years research and experimentation in solar energy techniques, including development of a low-cost solar thermal water pump and a variety of novel photovoltaic and thermal solar electricity -generation techniques.

Philip's recent work in solar energy has led to the development of the Liquid Solar Array method covered by Australian patent number 2004243336 (PCT). This patent covers a class of solar collectors that are partly immersed in water to allow considerably better economy than other contemporary methods.

STRAW BALE BUILDING - ALIVE AND WELL IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Bohdan Dorniak
Ausbale


Bohdan Dorniak is the president of AUSBALE, a non profit making organisation for the promotion of straw bale building with membership in Australia and New Zealand.

Bohdan is an architect and town planner and a director of Bohdan Dorniak and Co Pty Ltd; a firm of architects, based in South Australia designing energy efficient buildings in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Bohdan has designed over 50 buildings using straw bale construction.

Bohdan is a member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the Master Builders Association and Archicentre.

"Solar Energy Research at the ANU / Sliver Cells"
Ray Prowse
ANU Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems

Currently Centre Manager at the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems at the ANU. Formerly Manager, Standards, Training and Accreditation with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, in which role Ray set up a national accreditation scheme to effectively award licenses to tradespeople to design and install solar energy systems. Ray spent several years teaching the Certificate IV in Renewable Energy Technology (including Energy Efficient Building Design) at TAFE level in Victoria, and nine years as a registered builder in Victoria, putting solar energy theory and energy efficient building theory into practice. Ray started his working career as a teacher of maths and physics at Echuca Technical School.


"Renewable Energy Education and Research at UNSW"
Richard Corkish
Head of School, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering University of New South Wales

Richard Corkish graduated with distinction as a Communications Engineer from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1986 then worked with the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics for four years on satellite earth-station antenna design and testing. He then studied for the PhD degree under the supervision of Professor Martin Green at the University of New South Wales' Centre for Photovoltaic Devices and Systems. The degree was awarded in 1994 for a thesis entitled, "Limits the Efficiency of Silicon Solar Cells". That work included study of band-edge absorption in silicon, tandem solar cells and quantum well solar cells. After a brief period working with the Rainbow Power Company in Nimbin he has worked on solar cell theory and applications at UNSW. He is currently the Head of School at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW.



"Greywater and Urban Salinity"
Dr Rob Patterson
Lanfax Laboratories

Robert is a professional soil scientist and environmental engineer. When he gained his PhD in management of domestic wastewater, the issue was not big news as it is today. Water conservation only rears its head when water is short and greywater reuse is current the trend to keep gardens alive. Robert's issues are longer term and relate to soil and landscape health by better managing resources. Having worked with septic tanks and domestic wastewater since 1982 and consulted in projects for water reuse from five star resorts to single domestic households, the challenge is to have practical solutions through better education.


"Climate Change and a better designed future"
Caroline Pidcock
Principal Architect Caroline Pidcock Architects            
President Australian Built Environment Council

Caroline Pidcock is an architect with genuine interest and experience in sustainable built environments. This has been developed and enhanced through her involvement in a wide range of professional commitments, which currently includes being sole director of her own architectural practice, President of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Industry Representative on the Australian Building Codes Board, Member of the NSW Architects Registration Board and Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of the Built Environment at UNSW. Her previous role (for 3 years) as President of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in NSW exposed her to many government, business and community arenas.


"Sustainable Renovations"
Dick Clarke
Principal Architect, Envirotecture

Dick Clarke is principal of Envirotecture, is an Accredited Building Designer with nearly 30 years experience, focusing exclusively on ecologically sustainable and culturally appropriate buildings, and has received several Design Awards. He holds a Master's Degree by Research (Institute of Sustainable Futures, UTS), having pursued the topic of the effect of state and local planning instruments on the sustainability of the built environment. He holds Building Designer Accreditation (No. 6029) under the Building Designer Accreditation (NSW) scheme.


" Better Eco Ways of Building"
Gareth Cole
ESD Architect
Website: http://www.ecologie.com.au

Today, architect Gareth Cole is considered one of Australia's leading Pioneers of Ecologically Sustainable Architecture, Building, Planning & Development..As a young man, Gareth aspired to becoming a builder like his Welsh grandfather. His love of construction and interest in the building process inspired Gareth to start his career as an architectural draftsperson..As a student finishing his drafting course at night and working during the day for construction companies such as AV Jennings and McDonald Constructions, Gareth developed his skill as a draftsman and a manager of building projects by the age of 22.His love of buildings and construction and love of design and drawing won him a scholarship to enter the Institute of Technology to enroll in the architecture degree now known as UTS (University of Technology, Sydney Campus).

Architecture awakened his passion - his passion to strive to be an ecological architect. While in his second year of his degree, he met a lecturer, Jack Greenland, who encouraged Gareth to develop and explore Energy Efficient Design Principals and Systems..By his third year Gareth's love of architecture and his commitment to the course won him the student medal as the highest aggregate student of 1973 which led to Gareth completing his course with honours..A year later he sat for the Royal Australian Institute of Architect's Board Exam and qualified as a registered architect in 1974, enabling him to start his own architecture practice..With the architecture degree completed, he enrolled in Sydney University to do his Masters on Energy Efficient Design. While completing his thesis he applied to the Royal Institute of Architects (RAIA) for the Byera Hadley Traveling Scholarship.He won the Byera Hadley scholarship in 1979, to travel around Australia to document and photograph solar houses that were being built around Australia at that time. The work would later be compiled in a published book called "Australian Solar Houses"..The book co-written with Matthew Parnell called "Australian Solar Houses" was released in 1983, in addition to a film called "The Solar Dawn" released in 1980.

Gareth started his own architecture firm in 1978 - specializing in the design, documentation and construction of energy efficient buildings.

His business has developed from those early days to his current firm, that specialise in a range of Ecological Sustainable practices, known as The Ecologie Group in 2005, based in Sydney, Australia.

Radical new designs for sustainability"
Tone Wheeler
Director Environa Studio

Tone Wheeler is an architect, author, educator and consultant with an abiding interest in environmental architecture and sustainable design. Tone founded the architectural practice Environa Studio 20 years ago and has designed individual and multiple housing projects, commercial buildings and urban design schemes, all with a strong emphasis on social and environmental concerns. He has won numerous awards and competitions, is chair of the RAIA National Environment Committee, has been on faculty of 3 universities, is Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture at Unitec in Auckland NZ, is a frequent speaker at architectural conferences and seminars, has been one of the judges on "the New Inventors" program on ABC Television, and is on the Board of ABSA (Association of Building Sustainability Assessors) and Object Forum.



"The 'Greenhouse Diet' & the Role of Low Carb Materials in Buildings"
David Baggs
Natural Integrated Living; ecospecifier


David Baggs CA FRAIA B.Arch (Hons) ABSA, is an multi-award winning architect and sustainability consultant with over 25 years experience. In recent years he has designed and consulted to projects worth nearly A$2.0 billion including a number of international benchmark eco-projects including Sydney's new Green Square town centre, 10 Sydney 2000 Olympic projects including the Olympic Village and SuperDome and over 6000 eco-dwellings. He specialises in sustainable building design as well as building and materials sustainability assessment, passive solar and energy efficient design as well as integration of eco-technologies for both residential and commercial sectors.

He has been responsible for the design of over 500 passive solar, earth wall, earth covered healthy homes, apartments and other buildings and is responsible for the design and technical aspects of NIL and its divisions. David is co-principal technical assessor of sustainable materials for Ecospecifier.


"Minimising Waste through Design"
Kirsty Máté
UNSW Facility of the Built Environment

Kirsty has a Bachelor of Architecture and Masters in Design, her design background covering architecture, interior design and exhibition design.

Kirsty was responsible for the inaugural design and environment exhibition in Sydney with the Society for Responsible Design (SRD) MADE Accountable 1995 and was the Convenor for almost 4 years.

Kirsty is currently Head of the Interior Architecture Program at the UNSW. She has been actively involved in the research and promotion of sustainability and design since early 1992. She has been invited to speak at national and international seminars and conferences on issues relating to sustainability and the interior design industry, to judge finalist entrants for eco design awards including Banksia and (IDEA) and currently is a co-author for the regular sustainability section of InDesign magazine.

She has directed her company Eco Balance since 1997, consulting to designers and organisations on issues relating to design and sustainability, her most recent project, the new corporate fitout for Investa has been awarded a 5 Green Star Rating from the Green Building Council.


"Affordable, Sustainable Living"
Mick Duggan
SALA Homes

Mike Duggan is a former environmental educator and school teacher with a passion for sustainability. Mike Duggan manages the sales of SALA Homes throughout Australia whilst consulting and speaking in the areas of affordable, sustainable housing and Education for Sustainability. He is particularly interested in sustainability in the housing industry and ethical investing markets.'


"10 ways to reduce your carbon footprint"
Caitlin McGee
Research Principal
Institute of Sustainable Futures

Caitlin joined the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) in July 2000 to help research and write Your Home , an award-winning publication for designers, householders and builders on sustainable residential design. She comes from a background in architecture, and one of her key research interests is examining what it takes to make sustainability a mainstream practice in the development and building industry.

Caitlin works with a range of industry and government organisations to assist them to integrate the principles of sustainability into their building projects, and organises short courses for industry and government practitioners along this theme. She is a contributor to an environment show on Eastside Community Radio, recently edited the Housing Industry Association's GreenSmart magazine, and is currently helping to produce a documentary on sustainable housing. Caitlin has also worked on research projects examining the key barriers to 'mainstreaming' sustainable development in Australia, and the state of ESD-related training available to building industry practitioners.


"The Gaia Engineering Tececology - Solving Waste Water and CO2 problems Economically"
John Harrison
AASMIC Chairman

John Harrison has degrees in science and economics and is a member of many organisations. Apart from running a large accountancy/consulting practice he has had experience as a geologist (exploration and minerals separation) and in engineering and has been responsible for a number of innovations including the tech tendon method of pre stressing. John is managing director and chairman of TecEco Pty. Ltd. and best known for the invention of Tec, Eco and Enviro-Cements which have attracted significant global interest because of their influence on sustainability and potential to provide significant sequestration. John is an authority on earth systems science and sustainable materials for the built environment and was the founder of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainable Materials in Construction and is their current chair. He has been the keynote speaker at many conferences and is committed to finding ways of profitably reversing global moleconomic flows. In recent times he has concentrated on the research and development of Gaia engineering tececologies including TecEco Cement and kiln technologies.


"Bunbury ecoHOME Results"
Sandii Rogers
Bunbury ecoHOME

Sandii Rogers is the Coordinator of the Bunbury ecoHOME Project for TAFEWA South West Regional and a dedicated education consultant in Education for Sustainable Development. Sandii is passionate about developing training in the vocational education and training sector so
that sustainability, energy and water efficiency is delivered as a core module of each subject.

Ms Rogers is an accredited HIA GreenSmart Professional, a member of the Australian Association for Environmental Education and experienced conference speaker. She also delivers modules of the Housing Industry Associations GreenSmart training and has written climate sensitive design seminars for the Sustainable Energy Development Office.

Her work in managing Education for Sustainable Development projects such
as TAFEWA South West Regional's Bunbury ecoHOME has been recognised by
several State and National awards including; Winner 2006 HIA GreenSmart
Energy Efficiency Award, Finalist 2006 HIA GreenSmart National Energy Efficiency Award, Winner 2005 Western Australian Environment Award for Waste Management, Special Commendation 2005 Western Australian Environment Award for Eco Building, Finalist 2005 Premiers Award for Excellence in Education and Skills Development, Finalist 2007 United Nations Australia World Environment Day Award for Green Building (winners to be announced 01 June 2007).

"Climate Change, Natural Selection and the Market Economy"
Charlie Hargroves
Executive Director of The Natural Edge Project

Charlie, a graduate in Civil Engineering from the University of Adelaide, is a co-founder and the Executive Director of The Natural Edge Project, a non-profit partnership on innovation for sustainable prosperity. The Projects flagship collaborative publication ~The Natural Advantage of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovation and Governance in the 21st CenturyT (Earthscan 2005) was awarded the Banksia Award for Environmental Leadership, Education and Training in 2005 and the team is now working on an update of ~Factor 4T with Ernst von Weizsacker, and a response to the Brundtland CommissionTs ~Our Common FutureT including a foreword from Gro Brundtland.

Charlie and the team from TNEP have developed a range of projects focused on education, training and strategy for sustainable development, including working with international partners such as the European Climate Exchange, Chicago Manufacturing Centre, World Technopolis Association, UNESCO and Rocky Mountain Institute, along with Australian partners including Santos, KBR, VicUrban, Griffith University, QUT, RMIT, CSR Limited, Hatch, and the Queensland EPA Sustainable Industries Division.

A highlight in 2004 was Charlie's acceptance as a visiting scholar at the University of Colorado, Boulder for 12 months, where as part of his research he undertook a work experience placement with Natural Capitalism Inc as the Chief Executive Officer, supervised by Hunter Lovins. In 2005, TNEP was announced the winner of the prestigious Banksia Award for Environmental Leadership, Education and Training for The Natural Advantage of Nations, and the training program, Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program. Charlie is focusing on developing the TNEP initiatives on sustainable policy development, and in 2006, began his PhD titled ~Adaptive Governance and Knowledge Strategies for Operationalising Sustainable Development', at Murdoch University, Australia with Professor Peter Newman.

"Towards Sustainable Housing"
Chris Reardon

After completing undergraduate studies in environmental design and ecology, Chris spent 25 years as a design practitioner and builder specialising in energy efficient, sustainable building solutions though his multi award winning practice, Suntech Design. His PhD uses innovation diffusion theory to examine the creation of sustainable change within the Australian Housing industry. He is the principal author of the Banksia Award winning “Your Home” sustainable design guide and currently specialises in ESD advocacy and sustainable design/construction consultancy to industry.

John Ridley
Executive Director ONC

John has academic qualifications in biological sciences and environmental resource management. For the last 20 years he has worked in environmental consultancy positions around the world, advising on the impacts of ajor projects on the natural environment. He is responsible

for the commercialisation of ocean nourishment technology and ensuring that this technology is adopted appropriately with minimal impacts on the environment.




"An Inconvenient Truth about Australia"
Randall Pearce
ACF Representative and Al Gore's Climate Messenger

Randall Pearce has spent the past twenty years shaping, managing and monitoring public opinion in Canada and Australia.

He is the managing director of THINK: Insight & Advice, a strategy consultancy that helps organizations investigate issues, involve stakeholders and inspire managers.

Prior to starting THINK, Randall founded the public affairs division of the international research, Ipsos, in Australia where he worked and trained alongside Australian research pioneer, Hugh Mackay, and served as the primary author of the Ipsos Mackay Report - Australia's longest-running programme of social research. He was also political pollster to Network Ten's Meet the Press, canvassing Australian attitudes on a variety of public issues.