Queenslander To Head Greenpeace: Calls On Pm To Be A True Leader On Climate Change 1

MEDIA RELEASE

Queenslander to head Greenpeace:
Calls on PM to be a true leader on Climate Change


Sydney, Monday 23 November 2009 - The new Chief Executive Officer of Greenpeace Australia
Pacific, former Queensland health professional, Dr Linda Selvey, calls on Kevin Rudd to be a true
leader when he heads to Copenhagen for crucial climate talks next month.

"The best thing Kevin Rudd could do for Queensland and for Australia is to stop playing politics with
climate change and commit to real action at home and in international negotiations," said Dr Linda
Selvey.

Dr Selvey took on the top job at Greenpeace because she wanted to be more active in tackling the
world's most urgent problem - the looming climate change crisis. She held senior management
positions in Queensland Health for the last 12 years, including Executive Director, Population Health
Queensland.

"It's heart-wrenching when you walk through tropical rainforest with tinder dry leaves, or visit towns
that have been severely affected by drought, and then suffered floods," said Dr Selvey.

"With record August temperatures this year and catastrophic fire warnings already this summer, we
are facing the grim reality of a warming planet. Towns are losing their water supply, whilst millions of
coastal homes are at risk from rising sea levels."

"Coal is the number one driver of climate change so it seems quite reckless for the State and
Federal Governments to preside over a doubling of Queensland's coal exports -when we know that
the loss of the Great Barrier Reef alone will cost the state $37billion and end 60,000 jobs," said Dr
Selvey.

Instead of locking us into coal exports and coal power for decades, Anna Bligh and Kevin Rudd
have an opportunity to shift us to a green, low carbon economy and create hundreds of thousands
of new jobs."

Dr Selvey says that it's up to us all to make sure that Kevin Rudd delivers on his election promises:

"Kevin Rudd needs to hear from all of us that he must take the strongest possible position to
Copenhagen."



Dr Selvey's bio, Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/resources/reports/general/new-ceo-dr-linda-selvey-bio
Profile story in The Age, 21/11/09
http://www.theage.com.au/national/healthy-perspective-20091120-iqyx.html


Contacts:
Greenpeace Communications Manager, Carolin Wenzel ph: 0417 668 957
Greenpeace Media Officer, Zoe Porter ph: 0409 048 260