Tanya Ha - extended biography
Tanya Ha was originally born in Melbourne, Victoria, and spent her teen years in Adelaide, South Australia. In her secondary school years she won numerous student awards in maths, science and art competitions. Outside school she was an avid figure skater (ice). Her mother was a keen, environmentally aware citizen who recycled through drop-off collection points long before kerbside collections were established.
After eighteen months studying at the University of South Australia she decided that Physiotherapy wasn’t her cup of tea and transferred to the University of Melbourne where she earned a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry), followed by a Graduate Certificate in Scientific and Technical Writing at Deakin University, also taking PR and Marketing units at night school.
The birth of her daughter Jasmin (during the swot vac period of her final exams) renewed Tanya’s concern for the environment.
Tanya worked as a fashion and television model and voice over artist while studying and after the birth of her child. She has featured in many fashion parades; magazines; television commercials for Just Jeans, Ansett, Style Aid and Mazda; and appeared on Sale of the Century and other TV shows.
Tanya began taking freelance science-related public relations jobs while continuing modelling. In 1997 she took on her first project with Planet Ark:- coordinating the production of a television community service announcement featuring John McEnroe, Pat Cash and Mark Philippoussis.
With Planet Ark Tanya found a job where she could combine her scientific knowledge, her passion for the environment and her interest in the media. She went on to work full time for Planet Ark; establishing a Melbourne office, developing public education projects, managing Planet Ark’s internet sites and coordinating Planet Ark’s campaigns in Victoria and South Australia.
At Planet Ark, Tanya developed on-going and new environmental campaigns; wrote much of Planet Ark’s campaign literature, on-line content and media materials; co-wrote, edited and project managed the Planet Ark Recycling Report 2000, an on-line encyclopaedia of recycling information; and represented Planet Ark in the media. She also makes guest appearances on television shows such as The Glass House, Sunrise, Mornings with Kerri-Anne, Good Morning Australia, Denise, Totally Wild, The Big Arvo and AM Adelaide to talk about the environment and the many ways in which ordinary people can help save the planet.
As a spokesperson for Planet Ark, Tanya became the organisation’s ‘feminine voice’. Her warm and friendly approach, her sharp sense of humour, her sense of practicality and her own experiences as a working mother have struck a chord with women in particular. She has been described as the ‘Lucy Liu meets Doris Day’ of the environment movement.
In 2003, Tanya launched her first book Greeniology. Greeniology has been described as the ‘environment bible’ and is fast becoming Australia’s leading reference for green living. Sunday magazine’s exclusive profile of Tanya for the book’s launch described Tanya as the Nigella Lawson for the green cause. Tanya has written a Canadian edition of Greeniology, which was published by Penguin Group (Canada) in 2005. The French language edition was published in November 2006. Greeniology is also being translated into Chinese .
Melbourne University Publishing published the expanded and updated second edition in September 2006. The first print run sold out within three months. A larger second print run was released in May 2007 to coincide with Tanya's TV debut on SBS's landmark series Eco House Challenge, which again sold out within 6 months. Greeniology is now in its fourth printing and several chapters have been published as the Greeniology Series of pocket guides.
In 2009 Tanya returned to prime time television across Tasmania in the new green lifestyle show Warm TV, a coproduction of Aurora Energy, Red Jelly and WIN Tasmania. As the host and main presenter, Tanya brings her fun and informative style to the task of showing Tasmanians what climate change and future environmental challenges might mean to them, and what they can do about it. Having achieved solid ratings and rave reviews, the show and its accompanying website recently won their first awards (two Tasmanian AMI Awards).
In August 2009, Tanya was an ambassador and Tour Guest for the Australian Government's National Science Week initiative. This saw Tanya tour Australia giving talks to school groups and public lectures to promote science, scientific literacy and the importance of science as an underpinning for sustainability.
Tanya is now concentrating on writing, consulting, delivering speeches and developing environmental media projects. Her second major book The Australian Green Consumer Guide, was published by UNSW Press to great acclaim. Her third major book Green Stuff for Kids - an eco-encyclopaedia for tween and younger teenaged readers - was published by Melbourne University Press in August 2009, in time for National Science Week.
Tanya also writes freelance feature articles. She has written stories for newspapers and magazines, including sunday magazine, Australian House & Garden, Fresh, Cosmopolitan and Yen. She also has regular columns in G magazine and Handyman magazine. She is also a founding supporter of the communication initiative Cool Change, which aims to promote the independent environmental certification of goods and services. Tanya remains in touch with her old pals at Planet Ark and also serves on the Board of the Victorian Government environmental authority Sustainability Victoria.
