Mark Diesendorf

Mark Diesendorf at CARECRC forum, Adelaide (2015)
Mark Diesendorf at CARECRC forum, Adelaide (2015)

Mark Diesendorf is an Australian academic and environmentalist, known for his work in sustainable development and renewable energy. He currently teaches environmental studies at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. He was formerly professor of environmental science and founding director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney and before that a principal research scientist with CSIRO, where he was involved in early research on integrating wind power into electricity grids. His most recent book is Sustainable Energy Solutions for Climate Change.

Biography

Diesendorf is the son of the engineer Walter Diesendorf and the poet Margaret Diesendorf. His PhD research was focused on applied mathematics and theoretical physics applied to the solar interior. His early postdoctoral research was diverse, including the analysis of ground and satellite data on VLF emissions, mechanisms of insect smell and vision, and biological catalysts. From 1975 to 1985 he worked in the CSIRO Division of Mathematics, the Australian national research organisation, on topics such as the integration of wind power into electricity grids.[1] For a few years around 1980 he was a Principal Research Scientist and leader of the Applied Mathematics group in CSIRO.[2] He left CSIRO in 1985 after the organisation had terminated all research on renewable energy. From 1996 to 2001 he was professor of environmental science and founding director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS and then director of a company Sustainability Centre Pty Ltd.

Since 2004, Diesendorf has been a senior lecturer and then associate professor and deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of NSW. He teaches, researches and consults in the interdisciplinary fields of sustainable energy, sustainable urban transport, theory of sustainability, ecological economics, and practical processes by which government, business and other organisations can achieve ecologically sustainable and socially just development.[3]

Based on his belief that science, technology and economics should serve the community at large, Dr Diesendorf has been at various times the Secretary of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science (Australian Capital Territory), President of the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics, co-founder and Vice-President of the Sustainable Energy Industries Council of Australia, and co-founder and President of the original Australasian Wind Energy Association.[3]

Much of his current research is on climate mitigation, especially transitioning electricity supply systems to 100% renewable energy. To this end he is involved in scenario development, computer simulation modelling and energy policy. Previously Dr Diesendorf was one of the leading proponents calling for the ethical, scientific debate over public water fluoridation.[4] On this issue Diesendorf has authored several papers, including a major 1986 article entitled "The mystery of declining tooth decay" in the journal Nature, examining the need for a scientific re-evaluation of fluoridation, and has highlighted some of the contrary evidence.[1][5]

Books and recent peer-reviewed publications

Books

Recent journal papers

Other articles

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Diesendorf M. (1996). Fluoridation: breaking the silence barrier. In: Martin B (ed.). Confronting the experts. New York: State University of New York Press, pp.45–75.
  2. ↑ Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy – Free symposium
  3. 1 2 UNSW Institute of Environmental Studies
  4. ↑ Diesendorf, Mark. How science can illuminate ethical debates: A case study on water fluoridation. Fluoride. Vol 28, No. 2 87-104. 1995.
  5. ↑ R. Allen Freeze and Jay H. Lehr. The Fluoride Wars, John Wiley, 2009, p. 184.

External links

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