Tauranga man Dr Ian McLean has been announced at the Green Party's candidate in the 2014 general election.
Dr McLean stood for the Greens in 2011, and also stood for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in the 2013 local body elections.
Born in Tauranga and trained as a biologist, Dr McLean completed undergraduate and Masters degrees at the University of Auckland before heading to Canada for his PhD. He subsequently worked at several Canadian universities before returning to teach at the University of Canterbury for 10 years. He has also studied law and philosophy.
Dr McLean said: "I am appalled at our acceptance of the pollutants and toxins that we pour into our environment in the name of economic development. As an environmental scientist, I understand that natural ecosystems provide essential services that we literally cannot do without, and which are under stress. Our current economic trajectory is not sustainable on either a local or global scale. I support the Green Party because it offers solutions for environmental protection, a sustainable economy and better energy management".
Dr McLean's teaching and research work centred on conservation and environmental science, with a particular focus on birds and mammals. He has worked with many of New Zealand's iconic species, such as black robins, takahe, black stilts, penguins, Hector's dolphins and sperm whales.
