Tertiary Education Union Calls to Extend the Boundaries of Climate Change Mitigation. (April 27, 2011)

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is convening in Melbourne on April 28-29 its Climate Change Conference, "Pushing the Boundaries", on the ways for Australians to think, talk and act on climate change and environmental sustainability.

Jeannie Rea, president of the NTEU said: "We have called the conference "Pushing the Boundaries" because we believe that as a union of academics, researchers, university professionals and administrators we have a particular role to play in addressing this critical problem of our time. It is expected that people in universities will come up with the ways to tackle the causes and consequences of global warming, and this work is going on every day in Australian universities. University staff and students are pushing the boundaries of science, engineering, philosophy, politics, economics, psychology and education, and are working together across traditional disciplinary and professional areas."

Ms Rea is forceful in proclaiming for the NTEU: "We assert the need to push the boundaries because the frame of the Australian debate is far too narrow and unambitious considering the immensity of the realities facing us."

In the view of the NTEU "Educating for environmental sustainability is a key theme for educators, government and industry, charged with changing education and training to meet the challenges of the new thinking and the new jobs needed for a low pollution economy."

Contributors to the conference include ACTU President Ged Kearney and CFMEU President Tony Maher, as well as ACF President Professor Ian Lowe, ANU Climate Change Institute Director Professor Will Steffen, Boonerwrung Elder Carolyn Briggs, FASTS CEO Anna-Maria Arabia, CSIRO Staff Association President Dr Michael Borgas, and La Trobe University Pro Vice Chancellor (Sustainability) Professor Carol Adams.

For a copy of the Agenda and conference details click here.