Leading expert says Australia needs a price on carbon

One of the world's most celebrated environmental scientists, Professor Pamela Matson says the rest of the world should follow Australia's plan to put a price on carbon. Delivering the lecture tonight 'Transitions to Sustainability in Agriculture' at the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Land and Environment annual Miegunyah Lecture, Professor Pamela Matson says sustainability is the key challenge of our future. 'The challenge for our generation is to figure out how to meet the needs of people ' for food, energy, water and other critical needs - but do so in a way that sustains our climate, atmosphere, and ecosystems for the benefit of our children and grandchildren? she said. Dean of the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University, Professor Matson and husband, Peter Vitousek who was voted America's best ecologist in 2001 and won the prestigious award for contributions to science and technology, the Japan Prize in 2010, are world leaders in working towards sustainable management systems. She also says researchers need to be working alongside decision makers and farmers, to provide useful and useable information that leads to sustainable agricultural practices. Some of her suggestions include more efficient use of fertilizers, development of efficient water use, efforts to reduce current greenhouse gas emissions, as well as investments in low carbon energy innovations. Professor Matson's work has helped shape sustainable management approaches to reduce environmental impacts, while maintaining livelihoods and wellbeing in Mexican agricultural regions.