Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we’re told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they’re given. This week he speaks to Tim Flannery. The scientist, explorer, author and conservationist, 69, was Australia’s first climate commissioner and, in 2007, was named Australian of the Year. His book, The Weather Makers, has been translated into more than 20 languages.

MONEY

At the height of your career, did you ever daydream about a Plan B? Well, I was going to stand in the election against Tony Abbott in 2018. I moved up to Sydney from Melbourne and organised a team, including a campaign manager. But I was feeling really uncomfortable about the idea of spending three years in Parliament House. Thank heavens Zali Steggall put her hand up and took over four days before I was supposed to declare.

To think that, in a parallel universe, you’re on Manly beach as the local member in your Speedos. And probably not doing a very good job of it.

Once you have the essentials taken care of, what do you like spending money on? Well, we’re just about to buy a home battery, so that’s a bit of a splurge. And I like living somewhere nice and lush in the Illawarra bush, which costs money. I’d also like to have an electric car.

POLITICS

You’ve mentioned your intention to run against Tony Abbott when he was PM. What was at stake? The Abbott government was holding back progress on dealing with climate change and so much was hanging on that – Australia’s future industries and our viable future. I wanted to do something about that.

At the same time, you’d already copped a lot of backlash as Australian of the Year. Did you take that into consideration, too? I don’t think about it that way. It’s a game; the far right plays by different rules. If you’re playing the game of rugby, you get possession of the ball and your job is just to get it over the line but your opposition’s doing dodgy things. What they’re hoping for is that you’ll get distracted and attack one of them. But that’s not the game we have to play if we’re going to win this. You’ve got to ignore those people and get on and win the game.

Did you talk with Zali Steggall before she ran? She only made herself known to me four days before I was supposed to declare. The campaign manager was convinced I could still win, but it [was] better to have a woman with a really good local profile. When Zali introduced herself to us, her understanding of climate change wasn’t where it needed to be, but she caught up quickly. Forty-eight hours after meeting her, I was happy to step aside. She was good and she was going to win. And she’d worked in the Family Court. She was used to dealing with dickhead men.

Are we now past the worst of the culture wars over climate in Australia, or is that being too optimistic? If [Climate Change Minister] Chris Bowen could bed down the energy transition and honour the targets he set for himself by the next election, probably 70 per cent of the electricity grid in Australia would be from clean energy. At that point, there’s not much left to argue about: it’s game over. I do think the last election was the last climate election, if for no other reason than that.

In the past, you’ve floated the possibility of nuclear energy being part of Australia’s clean-power future. At this past election, Dutton also put that on the table – and lost. How do you reflect on that? When I was talking about nuclear in 2004 or 2005, clean energy – wind and solar – was extremely expensive. It was very hard to see them coming online, at volume, in time to make the difference. So I thought, maybe nuclear can be part of the mix. Soon after that, the cost curve for wind and solar really set in. You can see the year-on-year drop continuing. At that point, nuclear looks massively expensive and inefficient. So my views changed, probably around 2009: the playing field was tilting towards renewables, and we could do the entire job with them. That remains my view today.

SEX

You and your partner – the author Kate Holden – originally met in 2006. What keeps you together now? Well, sex is part of it, since we’re talking about it. Also, life with Kate is an unfolding adventure. She rarely says no to a proposition to do something, even if it sounds slightly crazy. I learn something new from her every day; I think she learns something from me, too. We’ve got a great son. What more can I say?

What’s the sexiest thing about Kate? Oh, my goodness. It’s probably unprintable.

What assets do you bring to a relationship? A sense of adventure. A bit of stability; I’ve thought about life a lot. And some experience, since I’ve had kids in other relationships.

Sex in your 60s. Discuss. What have I got to look forward to? When you’re in your 20s, everything is quick and crazy; often, people are not quite as understanding of others as they should be. In my 40s, I was just so stressed trying to do what I wanted to do in the world. Now, I’ve got the luxury of time and enough resources to do what I want. This is the best time of my life in terms of sex. It probably will be for you as well. Just stay fit.

How do you make conversations about the environment sexy? Let other people do the talking. Hear what they’ve got to say and reflect on it a bit. Establish some basis of reciprocity and respect. You can never change someone’s mind unless you’re willing to have your own mind changed.

Tim Flannery is appearing at Melbourne’s Now or Never festival, which runs until August 31.

diceytopics@goodweekend.com.au

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