Timothy Fridtjof Flannery (born 28 January 1956) is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist, conservationist, explorer, and public scientist. He has discovered more than 30 mammal species (including new species of tree kangaroos). He served as the Chief Commissioner of the Climate Commission, a Federal Government body providing information on climate change to the Australian public before the Commission was abolished by the Abbott Government as its first act of government. On 23 September 2013, Flannery announced that he would join other sacked commissioners to form the independent Climate Council, that would be funded entirely by the community, and continue to provide independent climate science to the Australian public.