Justin Field

I am a public commentator on mining, energy, democracy and environmental issues and an active member of the Greens in NSW. For the last four years I have been actively involved in the social movement against inappropriate mining and opposed to the quarry mentality that seems to be driving energy, economic and social policy in Australia today. I spent the three years previous as a policy advisor to Greens MPs in the NSW Parliament, most recently for Jeremy Buckingham with a focus on the mining portfolio. My background includes seven years in the Australian Army between 2000 and 2007. Following Officer Training at Duntroon in Canberra I had the rare privilege to be posted to The Pilbara Regiment in north Western Australia. Based first at Exmouth, then later at Karratha, I was able to see the impacts of large scale mining, processing and exporting on the environment and cultural heritage of the Pilbara. I grew up in Gladstone Queensland, and for some time on a small pawpaw and mango farm just outside of town. That farm was compulsorily acquired by the Queensland Government to make way for the shale oil industry that was proposed for the region. Farming in the district all but disappeared as a result of the buy-up. What has come to Gladstone is the a massive expansion of coal exports and more recently the construction of three liquified gas export plants on Curtis Island, much of which was previously pristine, located at the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Today I live and work part-time in Sydney and part-time on the NSW South Coast. Is is one of the few areas of NSW not covered mining exploration licences (however Leichhardt Resources announced plans in early 2013 to drill for coal seam gas in the Shoalhaven). I am currently working as the Senior Strategist for The Sunrise Project, working with coal and gas impacted communities to help drive the transition of Australia’s energy systems to being renewable and sustainable. My blog enables me to test my ideas and air my opinions. All opinions are my own and do not represent The Sunrise Project or the Greens. I am happy to receive any questions or feedback at justinfield1@gmail.com You can follow me @justinrfield on Twitter, 'Justin Field' on facebook or view my professional experience at LinkedIn.