Dick Smith’s Population Puzzle from 2010 outlined the impact of climate change from the aspect of food and water security. The documentary depicts a fruit grower from the Riverland, burning hiscitrus trees.

Dick spoke about the reasons behind the grower’s decision to clear the property of viable horticultural land and return it to the bare land his father found it as following World War Two. The grower discussed the choices put in front of them; water security, varying rainfall, and scales of economy increasing in the industry. He discussed the water licence buy-back with the River Murray,to ensure water security for the State. That grower was my father.

I grew up on land that changed in the 20 years that I lived on it; from a diverse fruit block, to a bare land– as are many other properties around the area. Seeing the use of irrigation and the impact on the land and the water source ignited a passion from a young age to see the environmental impact we have on the land, how our actions impact the natural cycle – and wanting to do something about it.

Taryn will talk about climate change from the perspective of a young scientist, as a horticulturalist, from an agricultural point of view, and as a person who interacts with the next generation from all walks of like on a daily basis – and what their point of view is on climate change.

Taryn will discuss how climate change impacts at the varying angles of her life; from life on the land,to an office in the city, and back to the people in her life. She’ll discuss the next generation of people coming through, how they can be involved in the climate change movement, the increasing importance of social science, and how you the scientist can help bring top-level science to the grass-roots level for change to happen.