Penguins protest CSIRO's frozen research

The Canberra Times

Wednesday, 25 October 2006

By Rosslyn Beeby

Arriving at CSIRO's Black Mountain laboratories today, federal Science Minister Julie Bishop will be greeted by a flock of seven angry penguins, protesting against cuts to renewable energy research.

Tethered to the nature strip, the inflatable penguins head a protest procession of 15 signs spaced along Clunies Ross Drive, urging the public to take action to "Save Our CSIRO".

The signs spell out the ecological dangers of climate change, warning that a temperature rise of one degree will kill 82 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef, and warn the public to "beware executive spin denying CSIRO decline".

The protest penguins and signs were installed - "out of core work hours" - by scientist David Grice as "a private citizen deeply concerned about the future of CSIRO".

A notice taped to the tummy of one of the penguins flags the formation of "an underground group" of rebel scientists, who will offer "alternative views to executive spin" through leaflets distributed to the public and to CSIRO staff.

"I am deeply concerned about the CSIRO executive decision to focus research on coal and decrease research on renewable energy, combined with the gagging of climate scientists, " the notice says.

"Serving the public without fear or favour has turned into fear of funding cuts and favour of the Government's ideology... Scientists roll over and submit and seal their lips for fear of offending the Government and suffering further cuts to funding.

"Despite their silence, research funding has not even kept pace with inflation, making the purpose of their silence meaningless. And then to reinforce the decline of our CSIRO, executive mouthpieces tell the public everything is brilliant and how exciting the future will be, with the zeal of deluded over-optimists."

Mr Grice, who has worked on major research projects at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems for 25 years, distributed leaflets yesterday at the CSIRO Discovery Centre.

"Why Penguins?," the leaflet begins.

"I originally thought of polar bears but emperor penguins are much more relevant to Australia (and I could buy them!) with the extreme possibility of Antarctica melting.

"A less extreme possibility is disruption to their food supplies as suggested is already happening for fairy penguins. Anyway the idea of emperor penguins marching on CSIRO asking why they are funding coal research but at same time reducing renewable research seemed like a reasonable idea."

CSIRO sources at Black Mountain said CSIRO corporate staff removed the leaflets, describing Mr Grice as "a troublemaker" and "out of touch" with changes to CSIRO's research priorities.

CSIRO group executive Dr Steve Morton said Mr Grice "has a right to voice his views as a public citizen" and was unlikely to be disciplined or formally cautioned for his penguin protest.

"Naturally, I have different views to those expressed in the leaflets," he said.

Dr Morton said CSIRO was planning to build its capacity for solar research and had only closed down one small program as a result of its recent overhaul of research priorities.

"We intend to focus on solar energy and organic photovoltaics, leaving the development of silicon photovoltaics to other research institutions," he said.

Dr Morton denied there had been substantial funding cuts to environmental research programs at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems but said some staff were unhappy that "we've stopped some smaller areas of research".