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Interview:
Lin Sutherland, Producer, Journalist and Environmentalist
- 14th November 2006
Media
Man Australia interviews one of Australia's great
environmentalist's and producers. This is just the
start of our interviews with the people who are helping
bring awareness to global warming.
What's
your background?
Diving Instructor / Journalist
How did you get your break?
I was spotted across the room in the grandest of ballrooms
by a Hollywood director - Just kidding, Actually I
was working as a journalist for the scuba diving industry
doing underwater photography and video when I was
asked to photograph & film whales internationally
with a number of film crews. That gave me the desire
to work with nature & into a wonderful world of
our natural environment. Then from there it has been
a lot of hard work and time in edit suites but it
has taken me to many out of the way places. I am still
waiting for "My big break" - it has been
a long but wonderful road which has gradually built
and is still building.
Where did you get your love
of nature from?
Opening my eyes to the wonderful animals in the world
around us. When I was young my mother worked for WIRES
- a wildlife rescue foundation and we were always
looking after birds, possums, bats and all sorts of
other little critters who needed our help. Our house
also backed onto a natural reserve in Sydney and we
had bushland at our doorstep.
What part of Australia and the
world has your work taken you?
Most of Australia Great Barrier right up to the tip
near New Guinea, Tasmania, all along WA right up through
the Kimberley, NSW, South Oz, except i haven't been
to Ayers Rock yet. Overseas - through the US (inc
Hawaii), Portugal, South Africa, Bahamas, South America
- Gallapogas, Seychelles, New Guinea all through the
South Pacific - Vanuatu, Solomon's, Palua, Fiji, Tonga,
Dominican Republique, Mozambique but there are still
heaps of places I haven't been.
Why is the environment the most
important resource we have?
Because it is so perfectly natural - It all seems
to work in a wonderful natural balanced cycle. When
you walk in a wilderness there is so much energy and
so much diversity. It supports so many species we
do not even know how many it supports. But when you
look at heavily cleared areas and cities it supports
man really well but does not nearly support the diversity
of species in a natural wilderness. Our climate is
so suited for us because of our environment we would
be silly to think that our climate won't change if
we change our environment.
How real is global warming?
Well Global Warming is a real thing. If you keep knocking
down and changing natural environments weather changes
are going to occur. To what extent we are contributing
to actual Global Warming well that is the million
dollar question? Obviously our management of resources
is absolutely atrocious and scientists are monitoring
a gradual increase in the temperature of about .45%
- now that does not sound like much but it does not
always take too many degrees change in weather temperatures
to make a real difference to our planet and environments
to become unsuitable for some species. One of the
most venerable species to temperatures is mammals
- and as far as I remember we humans are mammals.
So I think we should look very closely at any temperature
changes and the effects that can have.
Would you consider joining Al
Gore's "army", if asked?
Absolutely - what a wonderfully inspirational man
- I feel the world would be a better place with someone
like him in charge - he has a compassion far beyond
just instant rewards he really has a genuine care
for natural balance - I think we all can take a page
of knowledge out of his book. What my heart and eyes
tells me is wrong (abuse of natural resources) he
backs up with science.
How successful and popular was
your 'Roar Of The Wild', as seen on Network Nine Australia?
I have had a wonderful response - It has started airing
on channel 9 we ran four weeks and will run for another
nine weeks starting again on the 9th of December breaking
for one week then back to back for the last 8 episodes
over summer. Everyone keeps asking me when is it coming
back on so that's a good sign. It also started airing
on Oct 3rd in Europe and it is rating extremely well
on the travel channel. I get emails from people all
around the world saying they really enjoy it and love
the fact it is real not all glossy, pretty pictures.
I should start a travel business!
What numbers did the show attract?
Good question I think about 400,000 plus in Australia
and I have not had figures from o/s but they are already
asking for series 2 so it can't be too bad.
Why is your programming ideally
suited to airline and hotel sponsors?
Well despite the fact it is a show about all the wonderful
natural things on our planet - these wonderful natural
things can be found all around the world. So it does
inspire the people who watch to get out and get amongst,
take the plunge and go and check out this big wonderful
world we live in. Also I think the whole world needs
to get behind the environment we all live in it and
most of us love the fact there are many wonderful
national parks with a vast array of wildlife out there
so why would corporations in power not want to protect
that. How many people come to Australia to see the
Great Barrier? People who love nature are also their
clients.
Who are your mentors?
People with passion for the natural world most of
them are not famous - But the one's people would know
are the leaders who are actually standing up for the
environment. Al Gore's the biggie but also people
like Richard Branson he seems to have a big heart.
I don't know but I hope people like Bill Gates with
his influence might see the importance of making a
statement - he could sure reach a lot of people.
Also
I think Steve Irwin had his heart in the right place
unfortunately he died before his time, but he touched
a lot of people.
But
it is the quiet achievers who dedicate their lives
to the cause that are my real heroes. People who start
up Orangatang orphanages, care for injured wildlife
and organisations like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife
Fund who have seen the world changing for years and
have the guts to say something and say it loud.
What's the biggest obstacles
and challenges you have overcome?
Getting a TV series done with next to no budget!
Representing
my true values in most of my films and not compromising
when you feel you want to convey a message.
Helping
people understand that our world that is so wonderful
can disappear and really showing them how fast this
is really happening. The biggest obstacle is time
- can we make time stand still why we try and correct
our ways.
Around
all the elements, how do you keep looking so good?
Well thanks for that I did not realize I was looking
good I am just looking real. I work from the heart
with compassion, I rarely put on make-up and I have
no wardrobe assistant - but hiking, surfing, diving,
swimming and enjoying the great outdoors keeps me
feeling young so maybe it flows right through.
What's
next for you?
Series 2 Roar of the Wild which will take a good look
at how species are surviving in a changing world,
I have another documentary on the slate for channel
9 and Animal Planet, one for a UK channel and time
out with my little boy to watch him grow.
Where can we find you?
Visit my website www.roarofthewild.com
Editors
note: We will be hearing a lot more about the wonderful
work of Lin Sutherland.
Website
Roar
Of The Wild
Profiles
Lin
Sutherland
Roar
Of The Wild
Network
Nine Australia
Nature
Environmentalists
and the environment
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