Tim Flannery

Tim Flannery is a mammalogist, paleontologist, explorer, and climate advocate whose career has included research in the jungles of New Guinea, academic work at Harvard, and involvement in global climate policy. As a researcher, Flannery contributed to the paleontology of Australia and New Guinea, reviewing the evolution and fossil records of key marsupial families. While serving as mammal curator at the Australian Museum, he conducted a survey of the mammals of Melanesia, identifying 17 previously undescribed species. Flannery has published more than 140 peer-reviewed papers and named 25 living and 50 fossil mammal species, conducting research for more than two decades in New Guinea and surrounding countries.

Flannery's literary work includes "The Future Eaters: An Ecological History of Australasian Lands and People," which examines the use of ecological resources in Australasia and was adapted into a documentary series for ABC Television. In "Throwim Way Leg," he recounts his fieldwork and the search for new species in New Guinea. With the international bestseller "The Weather Makers: The History & Future Impact of Climate Change," Flannery became a leading voice among Australian scientists advocating for measures to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. The book has been published in 32 countries and has played a significant role in international climate change discussions. His subsequent books, including "Atmosphere of Hope," "The Climate Cure," and the co-authored "Big Meg," continue to make complex climate science accessible to a broad audience.

During fieldwork in New Guinea, Flannery observed changes in the elevational range of trees, which he identified as likely impacts of climate change. This realization shifted his career toward climate advocacy. He served as Chief Commissioner of the Climate Commission, a federal body providing information on climate change to the Australian public, until its dissolution. Flannery and other former commissioners then established the independent Climate Council, which continues to communicate climate science to the public. He has served on the board of WWF International, as an advisor to the National Geographic Society, and as chair of the Ocean Forests Foundation. Flannery has also played a key role in shaping the RMIT Pacific Initiative and leads an intensive course on leadership and climate change at RMIT University.

Flannery's work has been recognized with several honors, including being named Australian of the Year for his contributions to environmental communication. He received the Australian Museum Research Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Geddes Environment Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for his work on climate change, and the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue for fostering global consensus on climate action. Flannery is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and The Times Literary Supplement, and also contributes to NPR and BBC, maintaining a prominent presence in environmental science communication.