Science Educator award, Sydney talk, BNC 2 years old

On Friday night, 13th August, I was awarded the 2010 Community Science Educator of the Year. On September 8, 2010, I will be speaking on nuclear and solar energy at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. The BraveNewClimate.com blog is 2 years old! Details below…

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I got back from China at midday on Saturday and spent the next 24 hours in bed recovering from a stomach bug. It often happens after a long haul of travelling, and, after 3 weeks abroad, it’s great to finally be home. I’m now on the road to recovery — enough to enjoy reading the blog comments and to see what an impact the BNC readers made in Tassie, Vic and NSW in this year’s Walk Against Warming. Great work guys! I still have 300+ emails to wade through and reply to, however. Anyway…

A little over 2 years ago, on 7 August 2008, the Brave New Climate blog, later to be shorthanded to BNC, was born. Little did I foresee the evolution it would take over the next 290 posts and 20,000 comments (although John Morgan turned out to be quite prescient). It’s been a real learning experience for me, and has been thoroughly enjoyable (albeit exhausting and exasperating at times, in about equal measure). I’ve been helped greatly along the way by talented guest posters, including regulars Peter Lang, Geoff Russell, Tom Blees and many others. My sincere thanks — and here’s to another year of trials and tribulations, as we, together, think critically about sustainable energy and climate change.

In part recognition of the blog’s influence in educating the general community, I was very proud to be awarded the title of ‘Community Science Educator of the Year‘ for 2010, at the SA Science Excellence awards:

Community

Sponsored by The Royal Institution of Australia

The Community Science Educator of the Year Award is open to individuals, groups or organisations for an outstanding and innovative program of science awareness and engagement delivered within the past five years.

The Award recognises the enhancement of the community’s appreciation of the contribution of science and its impact on society and the environment.

My thanks to the judging panel for their wisdom (!), and all those at the University of Adelaide, RiAus and beyond, who have helped me to organise my public speaking events, write a popular book and many newspaper Op Eds, spar on radio, and just get out there and talk to people on issues about which I’m passionate. Public communication of science, and the teaching of critical, evidence-based thinking — especially on such important applied matters as sustainable energy and climate change — is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job and life. It is heartening for my efforts to be recognised in this way. As I was in China on the night, Corey Bradshaw accepted the award on my behalf and apparently gave an excellent acceptance speech. Somewhat worryingly, he still has the trophy at his place…

And finally, 2 years of hard slog and a shiny award later, I’m not about to stop! So, on Wednesday 8 September (6 to 8 pm, CLB6, UNSW Kensington Campus), I’ll be in Sydney to engage in a discussion at the University of New South Wales in a ‘BrainFood’ session called ‘Nuclear — Solar Energies: Facts and Fiction Demystified‘. The other speaker will be Dr Mark Diesendorf, and the facilitator will be Prof Vassilios Agelidis. As the promo flyer says:

Join our experts as they:

• demystify fact from fiction for both solar and nuclear energy technologies

• highlight the merits and limitations of these energy sources

• debate their role to Australia’s energy mix of the future

• share your contributions and address your questions and concerns.

I’ve thought a fair bit about the type of presentation I’ll be giving, considering my previous ‘run in’ with MD at the Adelaide nuclear power ‘debate’. For those who are in Sydney and can make it, I hope you’ll enjoy my new take on the presentation of matters nuclear, solar, and ‘expertise’.

Okay, that’s me signing off for a while. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, in all four quarters of life.