Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) has welcomed Professor Anne Poelina, a renowned First Australian academic who is very active on social equality issues, as the new patron. Prof Poelina joins respected names, including Dr Katharine Betts, and Professors Tim Flannery, the Hon Bob Carr, and Ian Lowe, as a patron of SPA.
Professor Poelina joins a long tradition of eminent Australians who have served as SPA patrons. Past patrons include the poet Judith Wright, the environmental scientist Prof Frank Fenner and the paleobotanist Dr Mary White, as well as former senator Dr John Coulter who passed away in September. SPA National President, Peter Strachan, is delighted that Prof Poelina has accepted the invitation to become the sixth patron of the organisation.
“Prof Poelina is an active community leader, an advocate for human and Earth rights, film maker and respected academic researcher. In her role as Indigenous leader and multi-disciplinary scientist, she is a regular contributor to national and global think tanks,” says Mr Strachan.
“A Nyikina Warrwa woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, Prof Poelina champions both human and Earth-centred rights. As chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, she actively promotes a bioregional approach in bringing together diverse groups to ensure social licence for development, whilst promoting sustainable lifestyles and new economies for Northern Australia.”
Prof Anne Poelina said of her appointment: “From deep-time, Indigenous Australian stories have explained the philosophy and practice of living sustainably. Earth-focused values provide an ethics of care for keeping everything in balance, peace and harmony.
“We now live in a time of great uncertainty for humanity and planetary survival,” she says. “World citizens share unprecedented risks that are pushing the planetary boundaries towards ultimate collapse. Human-imposed attempts to control the natural world through technology have put fundamental living earth systems at risk.
“There is overwhelming evidence that transformative changes are needed to overcome the human social, economic and legal challenges – as well as biodiversity and biosecurity threats – associated with ever expanding populations.”
Mr Strachan says population sustainability is a concern shared by many First Australian communities.
“I am confident the appointment of Prof Anne Poelina will invigorate Australia’s population debate with a perspective on Earth stewardship that is inclusive of multispecies justice.
“Prof Poelina’s advocacy for planetary health and wellbeing resonates with SPA’s core aims and objectives. Our organisation recognises that Australia’s largely dry, fragile landscape has limited carrying capacity, which is further comprised every time we add another million people.”
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