Jean Cannon Featured in Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Former Port Moorowie resident Jean Cannon is passionate about the environment, and so much so has recently released her book, “It is easy being green”.
Jean Cannon, author of “It is easy being green”, dedicated the book to her grandchildren – “who have to live in the world we leave them!”
Quite apart from refuting Kermit, Jean has used the frog in her work because they are an indicator species for environmental, and especially water, pollution.
“Frogs are now endangered in many places and like the canary in the mine indicating air quality, we ignore this at our peril,” she says, explaining that the book provides simple steps to help businesses help the world.
Managing Director of Norwood-based companies Enviro Action and Jean Cannon Consulting, Jean’s background credentials are impressive. Winner of the 2007 South Australian Seafood Industry Training Award in recognition of training excellence, she has been not only a consultant and trainer but also marine biologist, teacher, speaker, and auditor, now adding published author to the list!
“Businesses can no longer ignore environmental damage, and legal pressure to ensure they leave as little a mark on the earth as possible. Big or small, there are simple steps available to them to implement environmental management systems in a practical, cost-effective way,” Jean says.
She has dedicated the book to her four grandchildren—Sophia, Angus, Luka and Emily—who, she says, will have to live in the world we leave them!
Looking with horror
Having discovered the natural world at a very young age in England before moving with her family to Australia, Jean says she looks around with joy at this world, but with deep concern at the extent of environmental change that she has witnessed in just one lifetime.
“I look with total horror at what people still do to each other in the name of peace; having been born during a war I recognise the full insanity of it all. But I realise that I have no influence over this so I concentrate instead on what I can influence in some small way—the environment.”
Her catchcry is, “Think global, act local”.
“My passion has always been trying to understand and preserve the environment in which we live. Helping businesses to understand that improving the environment also improves their bottom line, and working with them to achieve this, is the logical outlet for that passion.
“The world as we know it is changing, and all of us, businesses and individuals alike, need to move out of our comfort zones. Whether this is a planned and managed move or a highly stressful one, is our choice,” she says.
And it’s simple steps, that we can all do, that can make a difference: turning off computers/monitors/printers/phone chargers at night to reduce power consumption; turning off lights at night and having a timer set motion detector for passages and storerooms; using low energy light globes; minimising the use of air-conditioners and heaters.
Reminiscing about her connection to the peninsula last week, Jean says she has always loved the region, and has fond memories of time spent here. As a child, she spent every summer holidays from the age of 12 at Sea Acres near The Pines; years later she returned to build a house at Port Moorowie, commuting for about 15 years, as her work took her to the city, and to many areas in South Australia and interstate. Commuting also meant regular trips to Port Lincoln with local pilot Roger Murdoch, as she worked as a consultant to various companies connected with the area’s fishing industry.
Jean is currently working on her second book, “Green your business”—an easy do-it-yourself manual for business, due out later this year.
You can see the article yourself by clicking here.
Journalist: Jenny Oldland
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