is an Australian scientist, explorer, and conservationist who served as Australia’s Climate Commissioner from 2001 to 2013. He has published numerous books, including, Europe: A Natural History, in which he tells a remarkable story of Europe, which began as a tropical archipelago a hundred million years ago and continued to evolve as a dynamic, ever-changing continent at the crossroads of the world.
Flannery was named Australian Humanist of the Year in 2005, and Australian of the Year in 2007 in recognition of his role as an effective communicator in explaining environmental issues and in bringing them to the attention of the Australian public.
Europe has never been a place for racial or environmental purity. Situated at a crossroads of the world, it has always been characterized by change and hybridisation. Palaeontologist Tim Flannery calls for reinventing the commons and bringing elephants back to Europe.