USQ Lecturer helps to address climate change. Just ask!

Dr Harrison, Climate Change mentor, tutored by Al Gore

A seemingly innocuous comment from USQ Communications lecturer Dr Karey Harrison’s 17 year-old son has provided the lecturer the motivation to make a difference.

After ‘dragging’ her family along to see Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, a film that addresses climate change, the passionate environmentalist decided to get involved.

'After I had seen the movie with my family, my son asked me, ‘why aren’t there more people here?’,' Dr Harrison said.'It made me think about his future and how if nothing was done now about climate change then he would face the consequences.

'Even though I have been working on environmental issues for a long time I felt that I could do more then what I was doing.'

Soon after watching the movie Dr Harrison received an email asking for people to apply for a workshop to learn more about climate change and help spread Mr Gore’s message. '1700 people applied Australia-wide and I was one of 85 chosen to be trained by Al Gore,' she said.

'Mr Gore’s presentation dealt with the misinformation that is currently out there about climate change and about each person’s responsibility for climate change.

Although climate change is a global issue, Dr Harrison said that her presentation was specifically tailored to those in the Darling Downs region. 'It is not just a matter of giving Al Gore’s presentation when you talk to people on the Darling Downs,' she said. 'I focus on agriculture and the economic issues that come with climate change.'

Dr Harrison has given 35 public talks to date, including a breakfast organised jointly by the Toowoomba Chamber of commerce, Australian Institute of Management and Commerce Queensland. She has also given talks to Rotary, Landcare, school and church groups.

'I am happy to give a climate talk oriented to the specific concerns of any group which is interested', said Dr Harrison.

Anyone wishing to find out anymore information about Dr Harrison’s presentation are urged to contact her via email; harrison@usq.edu.au, or by phone; 0413 496 829