The University of Queensland will present a free public lecture to raise awareness of water issues as part of Unigreen Awareness Day on Wednesday, June 4.
Our Water – Our Future, featuring internationally recognised environmental figures will take place between 6:30 and 7:30pm at the UQ Centre, Union Road at UQ’s St Lucia campus.
UQ Environmental Management Centre Director Professor Tor Hundloe AM, Institute for Sustainable Futures Director Professor Stuart White and ABC journalist and environmental author Ticky Fullerton will present the lecture.
Professor Hundloe said the lecture would go to the heart of current water debates involving consumers, irrigators and the fish downstream.
“We are so fascinated with water that we import it from France, Canada and Fiji and pay more for it than petrol yet we neglect leaking taps that can add hundreds of dollars to our yearly water bill,” Professor Hundloe said.
During the lecture Professor Hundloe will suggest how people can save both water and dollars by being more environmentally conscious.
“I’ll explore our fascination with water from the beginning of time to present day water issues,” he said.
“Scientists believe humans evolved from a soupy sea while ancient religious myths from around the world contain stories where water is the fundamental element.”
Ms Fullerton will discuss why the drought should be seen as a wake up call from nature. Her book Watershed is the first comprehensive book to discuss the future water challenges facing Australia and the tensions between the many stakeholders in water.
UQ’s Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield who chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Moreton Waterways Partnership will chair the lecture. The partnership consists of 18 local councils, state government, industry, community groups and research institutes in southeast Queensland, responsible for the health of all the rivers and estuaries from Noosa to the New South Wales border including Moreton Bay.
The lecture will act as the finale to UQ’s inaugural Unigreen Awareness Day, which will include a variety of activities such as competitions, displays and a free sausage and veggie burger sizzle.
UQ’s Unigreen Convenor Gary Portley said the lecture would round off a day dedicated to the environmental themes of water and waste.
“With 2003 being the Year of Freshwater the lecture will aim to raise awareness of water issues and explain how the environmental decisions we make today will affect us in 2020,” Mr Portley said.
Media: For photos, telephone Diana Lilley on 07 3365 2753, email: d.lilley@uq.edu.au . For more information, contact Professor Tor Hundloe (telephone 07 3365 6086, mobile 0412485691, email tor@uq.edu.au), Kay Ollett (telephone 07 3365 2076, email k.ollett@pf.uq.edu.au) or Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email c.saxby@uq.edu.au).
