Ian Lowe

Ian Lowe AO (born 3 November 1942) is an Australian academic and writer focused on environmental issues. A physics graduate, he is an Emeritus Professor of Science, Technology and Society and former Head of the School of Science at Griffith University. He is also an adjunct professor at Sunshine Coast University and Flinders University.

Lowe has authored or co-authored 10 books, 10 Open University books, more than 50 book chapters and over 500 other publications. Books by Lowe include A Big Fix, Reaction Time, Living in the Hothouse, Why vs Why: Nuclear Power, A Voice of Reason: Reflections on Australia, Bigger or Better? Australia's Population Debate, The Lucky Country? Reinventing Australia and Long Half-life: The Nuclear Industry in Australia.

Career

In 1996, Lowe was chair-person of the advisory council producing the first national report on the state of Australia's environment. He is a patron of Sustainable Population Australia.^[1] One of his principal interests is the way policy decisions influence use of science and technology, especially in the fields of energy and environment.

He wrote for 13 years a regular column for New Scientist and also writes for several other publications, as well as contributing frequently to electronic media programs.^[2]

Lowe was a member of the Australian Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council from 2002 to 2014 and a former member or chair of many other bodies advising all three levels of government in Australia.

He was President of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 2004 to 2014.^[3]

In April 2015 Lowe was appointed to the Expert Advisory Committee for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission in South Australia.

He is currently Emeritus Professor of Science, Technology and Society and former Head of the School of Science at Griffith University. He is also an adjunct professor at Sunshine Coast University and Flinders University.

Energy advocacy

Lowe sees the nuclear power option for electricity generation as being risky and unworkable. He says nuclear power installations peaked last century and in the past 20 years, retirements, cancellations and deferments have outnumbered new reactor construction.^[4] Lowe says nuclear power is too expensive, with insurmountable problems associated with waste disposal and weapons proliferation. It is also not a fast enough response to address climate change. Lowe advocates for renewable energy which he claims is "quicker, less expensive and less dangerous than nuclear".^[4]^[5]

Awards

Lowe was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to science, technology, and the environment. In 2002 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for contributions to environmental science and won the Eureka Prize for promotion of science. His contributions have also been recognised by the Prime Minister's Environment Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the Queensland Premier's Millennium Award for Excellence in Science and the University of NSW Alumni Award for achievement in science. Lowe was named Humanist of the Year in 1988.^[2] He was President of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 2004 to April 2014. In 2009 the International Academy of Sciences, Health and Ecology awarded him the Konrad Lorenz Gold Medal. In 2019, the University of New South Wales recognised his body of published work by the award of a higher doctorate, Doctor of Science [D.Sc.].

Bibliography

Books

Lowe, Ian (2008). A big fix : radical solutions for Australia's environmental crisis. Melbourne: Black, Inc.
Reaction time
Living in the Hothouse
Why vs Why: Nuclear Power
A Voice of Reason: Reflections on Australia
Bigger or Better? Australia's Population Debate
The Lucky Country? Reinventing Australia
Lowe, Ian (2021). Long Half-life: The Nuclear Industry in Australia. Melbourne: Monash University Publishing.

Articles and other contributions

Lowe, Ian (March 2003). "Groundswell". Correspondence. Quarterly Essay. 9: 97–102.

References

^ Sustainable Population Australia - Aims and Objectives Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b He was awarded the Konrad Lorenz Gold Medal by the International Academy of Science in 2009.Professor Ian Lowe Archived 17 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Ian Lowe".
^ ^a ^b Ian Lowe (20 March 2011). "No nukes now, or ever". The Age.
^ Ian Lowe (16 October 2021). "Should nuclear power be part of the energy transition?". ABC Science Show.

External links

[1] Sustainable Population Australia - Aims and Objectives Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine

[Lowe-2] He was awarded the Konrad Lorenz Gold Medal by the International Academy of Science in 2009.Professor Ian Lowe Archived 17 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine

[3] "Ian Lowe".

[lowenuke-4] Ian Lowe (20 March 2011). "No nukes now, or ever". The Age.

[lowenuketrans-5] Ian Lowe (16 October 2021). "Should nuclear power be part of the energy transition?". ABC Science Show.

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v t e Anti-nuclear movement in Australia
Organisations and groups	The Australia Institute Australian Conservation Foundation Australian Greens Australian Labor Party Campaign Against Nuclear Energy Conservation Council of South Australia Friends of the Earth Australia Greenpeace Australia Pacific Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta Medical Association for Prevention of War Mineral Policy Institute Nuclear Disarmament Party Peace Organisation of Australia The Wilderness Society
People	Dorothy Auchterlonie Green David Bradbury Bob Brown Eileen Kampakuta Brown Kevin Buzzacott Helen Caldicott Moss Cass Ian Cohen Michael Denborough Mark Diesendorf Jim Falk Peter Garrett Jim Green Margaret Holmes Jacqui Katona Sandra Kanck Ian Lowe Scott Ludlam Yvonne Margarula Dee Margetts Jean Melzer Kerry Nettle Tilman Ruff Nancy Shelley Jo Vallentine Patrick White Stuart White Eileen Wani Wingfield
Books	Britain, Australia and the Bomb Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy Maralinga: Australia's Nuclear Waste Cover-up Reaction Time: Climate Change and the Nuclear Option
See also	Australia and weapons of mass destruction Australian Uranium Association List of inquiries into uranium mining in Australia Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents Nuclear power in Australia Nuclear weapons tests in Australia Olympic Dam mine Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry Renewable energy commercialization Renewable energy in Australia Say Yes demonstrations Uranium mining in Australia Uranium mining in Kakadu National Park

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