Sacked government scientist Tim Flannery forms the private Australian Climate Council
Lanai Scarr September 24, 2013 9:25AM
Climate scientist Tim Flannery said he has been 'blown away' by the number of donations pouring in for the new Australian Climate Council.
Announcing the new body this morning following the abolition of the Climate Commission last week by the new Abbott Government, Mr Flannery said the new body had already raised $35,000.
'The first donor called in at midnight last night, $15 from James in NSW. Since then over a 1000 people have donated,' he said.
The Climate Commission was established in 2011 by the former government to provide information to the public.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt last week rang the members of the commission to sack them, a move that is expected to save tax payers about $5.4 million over the next four years.
Mr Flannery said the privately-funded body would raise money 'Obama-style' through small online donations from members of the public so it could continue to informing the public about the impacts of climate change.
'It's mandate and composition in terms of commissioners, now councillors, remain largely the same as the Climate Commission,' he said.
Mr Flannery, who was being paid $180,000 as chief commissioner, said he and the other councillors would work for free while the Council was set up.
'It will be a fiercely independent and apolitical body focused on providing the facts. We are all going to volunteer our time to get this off the ground.'
'People from right across the political spectrum and from all walks of life have contacted us offering their support.'
Freed from the government bureaucracy, Mr Flannery said he hoped the new council would be even more effective despite facing massive funding uncertainty.
'It's no secret it's expensive to run an organisation like this. We hope that we can fulfil our ambition, We think we can be a bit more effective and a bit leaner than we were in government.''
The first report from the new council is expected to be a short 'companion' to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report which is set to be released on Friday
Despite several green groups, such as the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and The Climate Institute, already providing climate change information, Councillor Gerry Hueston said the new council would not be looking to form partnerships.
'I think the thing that distinguishes us is that we're not in any shape or form an advocacy group, so we don't have any political agenda,' Mr Hueston said.
'It's our independence that we are going to be judged and we are going to guard that pretty fiercely.'
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