Dr Mark Diesendorf
Dr Mark Diesendorf teaches, researches and consults in the interdisciplinary fields of sustainable energy, sustainable urban transport, theory of sustainability, ecological economics, and practical processes by which government, business and other organisations can achieve ecologically sustainable and socially just development. Prior to joining the Institute of Environmental Studies in June 2004, he was senior lecturer in Human Ecology at the Australian National University (1994-1996), then Professor of Environmental Science and Founding Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney (1996-2001), and then Director of the private consultancy Sustainability Centre Pty Ltd (2001-present). He has collaborated with and consulted for a wide range of organisations, including AusAID, Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Hydrocool Pty Ltd, Minister for Minerals & Energy (Western Australia), StateRail (NSW), Sustainable Energy Development Authority of New South Wales, Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria, WWF Australia, and various municipal and local governments in Australia and China.
Based on his belief that science, technology and economics should serve the community at large, he has been at various times secretary of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science (Canberra), co-founder and vice-president of the Sustainable Energy Industries Council of Australia, co-founder and president of the Australasian Wind Energy Association, vice-president of the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) and vice-president of Appropriate Technology for Community and Environment (APACE).
He is co-editor of the interdisciplinary book Human Ecology, Human Economy: Ideas for an Ecologically Sustainable Future (1997) and author of Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy (May 2007). For more details, see also Mark's private website www.sustainabilitycentre.com.au .Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy (Sept 2007) PDF
Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy (Oct 2007), version presented at ANZSES Solar 2007 conference PDF
Some popular articles by Mark Diesendorf
NEW : "Renewable energy sources left to rot", Courier Mail , Brisbane, 23/7/2007. PDF
NEW : "The Base-Load Fallacy", published April 2007 on www.energyscience.org.au PDF
NEW : "Nuclear greenwash" Courier-Mail , Brisbane 14/11/2006 PDF
NEW : Submission to Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review Secretariat, 2006. PDF
"In defence of renewable energy and its variability", D!ssent No. 21, Spring 2006, pp. 5–8. PDF
"A clean energy future for Australia: response to Trainer critique", CSIRO Sustainability Network, Update 56, 2006, www.bml.csiro.au/susnetnl/ netwl56E.pdf
"Muzzling the Greenhouse Debate", Canberra Times , opinion piece, 15 February 2006. PDF
"A sustainable energy future for Australia". CSIRO Sustainability Network, Update 54, www.bml.csiro.au/susnetnl/netwl54E.pdf. This is a more detailed summary than "How to reduce CO2 emissions by 50%", listed below. PDF
"Can nuclear energy reduce CO2 emissions?". A brief report was published under the title, "Green credentials are not a given", in the Canberra Times, 8 June 2005, p.19, and then a more detailed account (slightly edited) in Australasian Science , July 2005, pp.29-30. The complete version is given here. PDF
The subsequent debate with a representative of the Australian Uranium Information Centre, published in the August 2005 issue of Australasian Science , is available here ."How to reduce CO2 emissions by 50%", Australasian Science vol.26, No. 4, 34-6, May 2005. PDF
"Opponents of wind power are blowing a lot of hot air", Canberra Times, opinion piece, 20/1/2005. PDF
"An alternative pathway to clean energy", Canberra Times 25/3/2004, p.17.
"A Clean Energy Future for Australia -- Summary", by Hugh Saddler, Mark Diesendorf & Richard Denniss. Clean Energy Future Group, March 2004.
PDF (2.4 MB)"Why Australia needs wind power", Dissent no. 3, pp.43-48, Summer 2003/04. PDF
"A kick in the teeth for scientific debate", Australasian Science vol. 24, no. 8, pp.35-37, September 2003. This is a slightly edited version of the following review paper with references [ PDF ], which is available here on our Website by kind permission of Australasian Science, www.control.com.au
"Australia's polluting power: Coal-fired electricity and its impact on global warming", Sydney: WWF-Australia, April 2003.
"Backing a loser", published in slightly edited form as "Propping up the old smokestack industries", Canberra Times , 22 April 2003, page 11. This article is based on part of the above report to WWF.
"Sustainable development in China", China Connections , January-March 2003, pp.18-19. This is a shortened version of a manuscript on the following PDF .
'Quarry or advanced economy -- Where do ecologically sustainable jobs come from?', in Now We The People , Papers of the National Conference, Sydney: Now We The People, July 2002, pp.88-89. PDF
'Pathways to a sustainable future', Dissent No. 5, Autumn/Winter 2001, pp.40-44. PDF
'Counting the cost of government subsidies', Canberra Times, 8 November 2001, p.9.
'Clean, green economic growth', Canberra Times , 12 July 2001, p.11. PDF
'Urban Transportation in the 21st Century', Environmental Science & Policy , invited editorial. Vol. 3, pp.11-13, 2000 PDF
'Smokestack industries are the big winners', Canberra Times 4 December 2000.
'Role of business in sustainable development', Executive Excellence , December 2000, p.19.
'Debate over tidal power in Western Australia' -- published on several e-mail lists, 2000. PDF
'Credibility at stake on greenhouse cuts', Canberra Times , 6 October 2000, p.9.
'Lessons for Sydney from Olympic Transport' – published in Sydney Morning Herald , 4 October 2000 under the title ‘Public transport a winner, and should remain so'. PDF
'Do new roads reduce traffic?' -- published in Sydney Morning Herald , 30 November 1999 under the title 'All choked up over our love affair with the car'. PDF