Alan Lauder
Alan comes from a family of early innovators. His grandfather was the first in his district to have both a wireless and telephone. His father was an early aviator who flew a Tiger Moth with the legendary Nancy Bird.
He has dedicated his most recent years to uncovering the unknowns of the carbon cycle within agricultural and specifically, the grazing industry. He occupies a unique position in the carbon debate, after 30 years of operating a successful rural operation and ongoing interaction with the scientific community. This practical experience has proved invaluable when united with the understanding of the country's leading scientists.
His point of difference as seen by those in the scientific community, is focusing more on carbon flows, while the current debate is preoccupied with carbon stocks. With carbon, once you understand the flows, you see the dynamics of the whole landscape and how it functions.
The more he investigates how the landscape functions, the more he appreciates that the path always leads back to the processes that occur while plants are growing.
He has a systems approach that brings together many scientific disciplines very hard for a scientist to do, but a grazier must do it to be successful. This approach is critical in the broader context, if Australia is to develop a coordinated response to the mix of issues confronting us. A good example is Alan's understanding of the link between managing soil carbon and reducing methane emissions by ruminant animals.
The skill Alan brings to the current debate, is the ability to take complex and abstract ideas and reduce them down to simple concepts, that the average person can understand. His ability to shift people's focus is achieved by distilling debates down to the raw basics and highlighting the issues that need to be considered.
It is unusual for leading scientists to acknowledge a rural producer as developing a "principle". Carbon Grazing is a principle that explains how to maximise the flow of carbon from the atmosphere to the landscape. This is why it is called the "missing link". The term "Carbon Grazing" was coined in 2001.
The purpose of writing the book was to unite People, Knowledge and Processes. The book succeeds in promoting information to bridge the gap between science and application.
Alan has appeared on the ABC 7-30 Report and ABC Landline, as well as being invited to speak at the 1999 International Rangeland Congress and a research institution in South Africa. However, since the release of his book, he has been in increased demand to speak at forums across the country. Including, guest speaker at the future directions symposium held by the collective of all Community NRM organisations in Queensland.
In 1996 he was approached to conduct a $272,000 Drought Regional Initiative project (funded by the Commonwealth and Qld State Government). This project was conducted on an operational sheep and cattle property. It focused on practical methods of resting pastures following rain, to allow them to regenerate. More recently, he was provided with a $90,000 National Landcare Program grant, to finalise low cost bare rooted seedling technology. This grant included finalising a one pass tree and shrub planting machine, with an underground water injection system.
Personal achievements include being nominated for the "1995 McKell Medal" (National Landcare Award) by Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority. Achieving the highest cattle price per kg in Queensland over a 12 month period. Gaining 2 firsts, 2 seconds and a third over 6 years in the Western Division of the Queensland Flock Ewe competition. Reaching the last 30 out of 200, in the selection process for a 2009 Churchill Fellowship, to investigate carbon flows in grazing systems. Invited by Tim Flannery to join the panel of the 2010 Deakin Lecture series - "Innovation and Climate Change".