If you have ever had a conversation with NACC CEO Richard McLellan, there’s a good chance he will start talking about the weather or climate.
“My dad used to keep a diary on the farm where he would record rainfall numbers, notes about when he would start seeding or when the mushrooms would first appear in the paddocks and how many we’d get each year, so he had me interested in weather and climate right from the start,” NACC CEO Richard McLellan explains.
Now, years on, Richard is still passionate about talking about climate and especially the changing climate – so much so – that thanks to his efforts on social media, he has been listed as an international top 10 influencer on the climate change conversation on Twitter.
A detailed chart on Carbon Brief – Mapped: The climate change conversation on Twitter was recently released showcasing the most active climate change Twitter users from across the globe, who are leading and engaging in the debate, in which Richard was ranked #6.
“In my working career I had a chance to work on climate at WWF, mostly in the context of its influence on sustainable development, and how climate change is a factor in future sustainability and how it can help make us sustainable through productive agriculture and other ways,” Richard said.
“While at WWF I was involved in the writing of The Energy Report, which presented a scenario for 100% renewable energy by 2050 that would address emissions and help prevent catastrophic climate change in the future.
“This just added to my growing interest in the climate change debate, and through using Twitter as a tool to learn more, I have been able to connect with some amazing people from all over the world, which without Twitter, I wouldn’t have ordinarily been able to access or connect with, such as climate scientists, key organisations such as NASA and other people who are just as interested in the topic as I am.”
He said he did not expect to be ranked so highly, but was chuffed with the achievement.
Richard said he hoped that by sharing more information on the topic, more local residents would be more informed by the subject matter and engaged in the climate change discussion.
“Through connecting via Twitter with farmers, local residents and those interested in knowing more about climate change in the Northern Agricultural Region, collectively we can start to think more about a changing climate and how to become more sustainable within our region.”