Mike Joy (freshwater ecologist)
| Dr Mike Joy | |
|---|---|
| Born |
12 September 1959 New Zealand |
| Other names | Michael Kevin Joy |
| Residence | New Zealand |
| Fields |
|
| Alma mater | Massey University |
| Thesis | The development of predictive models to enhance biological assessment of riverine systems in New Zealand (2003) |
| Doctoral advisor | Russell Death |
| Notable awards |
|
Mike Joy (born 12 September 1959) is a New Zealand freshwater ecologist and science communicator. He is a Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Science in Massey University's Ecology Group, at the Palmerston North campus.
Dr Joy is publicly outspoken about the decline in freshwater quality and ecosystems, especially the impact of nutrient pollution from intensive dairying on New Zealand's "100% Pure", clean, green image. This has led to awards from scientific organisations, as well as criticism from the dairy industry and Prime Minister John Key.
Joy was described by school teachers as 'most likely to fail' and left school at 17. He worked various jobs including dairying, labouring, truck and taxi driving, building and sheep farming, before enrolling at Massey University in 1993 at the age of 33.
His Master's thesis, entitled Freshwater fish community structure in Taranaki: dams, diadromy or habitat quality? was completed in 1999 and received first class honours. This led to his PhD thesis, The development of predictive models to enhance biological assessment of riverine systems in New Zealand, submitted in 2003 and supervised by freshwater ecologist Russell Death.
He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Science at Massey University in Palmerston North. He regularly gives talks around the country to environmental, farming, community and school groups.
On 16 November 2012, on the eve of the release of the movie The Hobbit, The New York Times published an article contrasting the image of New Zealand portrayed by Tourism New Zealand with the less appealing views put forward by others, including the Ministry for the Environment, the Green Party, and Federated Farmers. Dr Joy was quoted as saying “There are almost two worlds in New Zealand. There is the picture-postcard world, and then there is the reality,” and that for a country purporting to be so pure, New Zealand seemed to be failing many international environmental standards.
Following this, Dr Joy was accused of economic sabotage, treachery, ego-tripping and overstatement. Mark Unsworth, from government relations consultancy Saunders Unsworth, accused Joy in a leaked email of selfish egotism, and stated that "You guys are the foot and mouth disease of the tourism industry. Most ordinary people in NZ would happily have you lot locked up". Controversial political blogger Cameron Slater initially wrote in support of The New York Times article, stating that it was a "serious problem" that over half of New Zealand's rivers were unsafe for swimming, and that dairy farmers should not be subsidised for polluting. However, Slater later came out in support of Unsworth's leaked email. Slater is also widely quoted as saying that "Joy should be taken out and shot at dawn for economic sabotage" and calling him a traitor, but these words appear to be commentary from other authors published on his blog. Prime Minister John Key dismissed the criticism of the 100% Pure New Zealand brand, saying that the slogan was not inaccurate but needed "to be taken with a pinch of salt."
...
Wikipedia