Photo exhibition illustrates climate change challenge

30/3/07
A unique photo exhibition featuring images of climate change taken by everyday Western Australians and some of the world's leading photographers was opened today at the WA Museum.

Pictures of a Changing Climate features international, national and local photographs, all designed to motivate Western Australians to reduce their carbon emissions.
Minister for the Environment and Climate Change David Templeman said Pictures of a Changing Climate included a range of spectacular photographs by some of the world's leading photographers, as well as prize-winning photographs by local Western Australians, including school children.
"There are also written contributions by prominent identities such as former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Environmentalist David Suzuki and British Prime Minister Tony Blair," Mr Templeman said.
"Like people all over the world, Western Australians are fast realising that climate change is one of the biggest issues of our time.
"This exhibition is something of a call to arms - it shows the impact of global warming and some of the solutions that can help reduce our contribution to global emissions.
"It is important that people are shown the small but significant changes they can make to their everyday lives to move towards a carbon-neutral lifestyle."
The exhibition comprises five components, moving from an international to a local perspective. The local perspective is supplied by the winners of the Western Australian Climate Change Photographic Competition.
The five components are:

• NorthSouthEastWest - an international exhibition touring the world depicting a 360 view of climate change developed by the Climate Group;
• Natural Australian Icons, captured by Simon O'Dwyer of Melbourne's The Age, which features images of some of Australia's best-known environments and landscapes, including Kakadu, the Murray-Darling and the Great Barrier Reef;
• The WA Climate Change Photo Competition, which gives a local perspective to climate change. Winning entries from this competition were announced today and entrants shared in more than $2,000 today;
• Making a Change for our Climate showcases five State Government initiatives which are already reducing our carbon emissions; and
• The Green Zone is an interactive area showing 10 simple measures people can take to reduce their greenhouse emissions.

"Pictures of a Changing Climate includes a section dedicated to new technologies in transport and solar powered schools, and these initiatives prove that we are already paving the way for a low-carbon future," the Minister said.
"The exhibition also includes an interactive area that shows how much energy we use in our day-to-day lives and 10 ways to reduce our individual emissions.
"The sooner individuals are empowered to take the first steps, the better prepared the community will be in adjusting to a low-carbon future.
"The Carpenter Government is leading the way in preparing WA to face up to the challenges of climate change.
"Just yesterday, the Premier announced $8.6million in funding over the next five years to research climate change and its link to extreme weather events across the State."
The overall winner of the WA Climate Change Photo Competition was Annette Kent, from Spearwood.
Ms Kent won $1,000 for her entry named Cracked Earth, which shows a single everlasting flower in the middle of an expanse of sun-baked red earth. The photograph was taken in Mullewa in the Mid-West.

Minister's office - 9220 5050