Adrian has been campaigning on environmental issues since 1989. His early campaigning included working on both the the East Gippsland and Central Highlands Forest Campaigns. In the mid 90s he co-founded and was instrumental in running the successful Greater Otway National Parks Campaign through OREN and more recently he ran the successful Naas Valley Dam campaign through CCSERAC in Canberra. He has also helped to support a number of other campaigns including Victorian Marine Parks Campaign and the Stone Haven Power Plant Campaign.
Adrian began campaigning on climate change in 2003. Working with Matthew Wright, he founded and was the full time campaign coordinator and director of Futureenergy.org then later Beyond Zero Emissions and Zero Emission Network.
Adrian has worked in a variety of jobs that range from a professional environmental campaigner, to bouncer at a variety of Melbourne's cubs and pubs to fund his climate changing work. He also spent 8 years serving in the Australian Army Reserve as an Infantry private and then Lieutenant.
Adrian has also run a number of times for Government promoting social justice and environmental issues.
Adrian is now dividing his time between his climate campaigning with Target 300Climate and Vote Climate, working as a policy office on sustainable housing in Government, developing a permaculture property in the Otways and his new family.
Adrian has a BSc from Melbourne University, majoring in Botany, and a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Deakin. He is currently undertaking a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability at Deakin with Frank Fisher and has recently completed a Permaculture Design Course with Geoff Lawton and Bill Mollison
Adrian Whitehead's Bio Highlights
- Jul 09 - Began to develop the Target 300 campaign into an international focus
- Jun 09 - Opening speaker, World Environment Day, Climate Emergency Rally, Perth.
- Feb 09 - Succeeded in having the Target 300 core goal adoption by a meeting of national grassroot climate campaign groups in Canberra.
- Nov 08 - Succeeded in having the Target 300 core goal adoption by a meeting of Victoria grassroot climate campaign groups in Melbourne.
- Nov 08 - Panel Member at Melbourne University Debating Society's 2008 Annual Public Debate.
- Jul 08 - Established and developed the Target 300 climate campaign.
- May 08 - Panel Member at the 2008 Green Left Weekly Comedy Debate.
- Dec 07 - Represented Zero Emission Now Campaign and Network at the UNFCCC Climate Conference Bali.
- Jun 07 - Organised and ran the Zero Emission Network Conference.
- Oct 06 - Established Beyond Zero Emissions. Developed the group until March 2007.
- Nov 06 - Established the Vote Climate Campaign.
- Jan 05-Aug 06 - Full time campaigner for Conservation Council of the South East Region and Canberra. Was focused on the Naas Valley and Light Rail Campaigns.
- Jul 04 - Spoke at National Wind Industry Conference Tasmania.
- Jul 04 - Ran a climate change theme at the Students of Sustainability Conference.
- March 04 - Organised the first Climate Change rally on steps of Victoria's Parliment House.
- Nov 03 - Organised pro-windpower rally on steps of Victoria's Parliment House.
- 03-04 - Established and ran the futureenergy.org campaign.
- Late 03 - Participated in the Solidarity Global Meeting in West Papua in New Zealand and was involved in the international campaign for the freedom of West Papua.
- Apr 02 - Blockaded in East Gippsland as part of the Goolengook Campaign.
- 01-02 - Networked for the Marine Coast Community Network, Victorian Marine Parks Campaign, through South West Victoria.
- 01-02 - Co-led campaign on marine issues locally in Otways during the late 90s.
- 01 - Co-led Otways Forest Campaign representing the Greens.
- 01 - Advised and participated in the community campaign against the Stonehaven Power Station.
- 98-99 - Produced and presented ÒEnvironment TodayÓ, a weekly environment show on Colac Public Radio (now Otways FM).
- 97-98 - Served on the Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee promoting environmental issues.
- 97-02 - Founded and directed Last Chance Tours.
- 96-98 - Helped plan, develop and run the Otway Kleenex campaign.
- 95-99 - Founder, campaigner, public speaker, administrator, media spokes person and tour organiser for Otway Ranges Environment Network.
- 95 - Land Environmental Action Program Trainer for Greening Australia Victoria.
- 94-95 - Public speaker for Environment Victoria on forest issues.
- 93-95 - Casual Waste Auditor for "Waste Audit & Consultancy Services - Waste Minimisation".
- 93-95 - Active in Camberwell Bicycle Users Group.
- 93 - Campaigner for The Wilderness Society Central Highlands campaign.
- 91-92 - Active Conservationists at Melbourne University.
- 89-90 - Brown Mountain forest campaign in East Gippsland.
- 89-90 - Organiser of Ecology Action Group at Melbourne University.
- 87-90 - Volunteered for East Gippsland Coalition and Conservation Council of Victoria.
Campaigns
The Vote Climate campaign is part of a group of campaigns run or initiated by Adrian Whitehead, in an effort to build an effective response to climate change.
His other current campaigns include:
Target 300 - a campaign for an safe climate stabilisation target which also explores solutions.
Zero Emissions Now - a simple message to frame what we should be striving for if we want to actually save the future.
For a sample of Adrians earlier work see his 2003-2004 work on the Futureenergy.org Campaign or his work 2007-2008 work with the Zero Emission Network.
On the front line
On December the first, 1998, was assaulted while attempting to conduct a botanical survey of a logging coupe behind Lorne in Otway Forest of Victoria.
He was struck twice by a logger wielding an axe handle, the second blow landing on the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. The logger had previously assaulted another environmentalist that day in a separate incident.
After Adrian was released from hospital the incident was reported to local police. The logger involved, after initially claiming self defence, then claimed Adrian hit his head on his axe handle after Adrian tripped over the logger's dog.
Despite Adrian and a second witness, stating the he had been attacked, the police chose not to press charges.
Later that night the logger, with several others, destroyed the local environmentalist base camp, and threatened to kill the two young female activists present, crushing a tent with a car while they hid within it, and threaten them with a rifle.
The logger was charged in relation to the latter incident but was not found guilty. The logger has since died.
Contact
To contact Adrian Whitehead either email him (address on our contacts page) or for urgent or media inquiries please ring 0403 735 188.
Your Vote will determine the future you live in.
Authorised by Adrian Whitehead 7/9 Kemp St Thornbury