As I’ve mentioned before, I’m running against 4 other blogs to take out the 2011 Bloggie for Best Science Weblog. Realistically, I should have no chance. I’m a single blogger, while all the other blogs are collaborative efforts (WUWT arguably). I’m the youngest blogger. I’ve got the lowest starting profile – some of my competitors get a thousand times more hits than I do. But I think I can win, and to do that, I need your help.

Instructions on how to vote are below. If you want to hear why I think I should win, read on!

I love science. I read science, I write science, I talk science, I do science. I’m a scientist. Curiosity and a thirst for knowledge and new experience drives my life and has brought me halfway around the world, from the sun-drenched Gold Coast to the Science Communication department of Imperial College in London.

I have a vision for the future. I see a world where where education is well funded and delivered worldwide; evidence-based policy guides decision-making to create positive social outcomes; technology and good management drive our economies without causing unnecessary environmental and social harm. I believe that a scientific approach can underpin all of these outcomes and help to build a sustainable future for the world.

However, I don’t see the world going in that direction. The more I looked at education, politics and the environment, the more uneasy I felt about both my future and that of my generation.

I couldn’t sit by and watch the world pass by, complaining that people don’t value science enough. So, I’ve done scientific research, authoring or co-authoring 6 journal articles to date; I’ve communicated science face-to-face, via teaching and outreach, at universities, schools and community groups, with people aged ten to sixty; I’ve facilitated sustainability training courses; I’ve run and participated in Australian Youth Climate Coalition events; and currently, I’m spending $50,000 of my own money – everything I’ve ever saved – to learn how to better communicate science at one of the best places to do so in the world. Plus, I’m 23 – I’m only just getting started.

More than all that, though, science is a source of wonder and joy for me. From looking down a microscope and seeing a tiny cellular drama playing out, to gazing at the billions of stars in a clear night sky, our world rewards discovery and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. That’s why I love science, and that’s why I write this blog.

Compared to the other nominees for Best Science Blog, I believe that I best represent the playful spirit at the heart of science. Like so many of my friends from the Sci Comm course, I am young, passionate and motivated, living in the moment but still looking to the future. I’m not a polished science news machine; I’m not a negatively focused skeptic; I’m a real young scientist doing the best I can to make sense of the world, and share the best of what I find with anyone I can connect with.

That’s why I think I should win the 2011 Bloggie. But, I can’t do it on my own. I need your help, voting and sharing this story. Can the underdog take the title? Voting closes on the 20th of February; after that, we’ll find out!

————- How to vote: it takes 60 seconds! ————

1. Go to the 2011 Weblog awards site.

2. Click on the grey dot next to the blog you want to vote for, to get a check box.

3. Scroll down the page to the bottom (be careful, I’ve heard that using arrow keys/scroll wheels can move your voting choice, so it’s best to use the side scroll bar for this)

4. Enter the ‘captcha’ words in the top line and your email address in the bottom line, then “Submit your nominations”. If you can’t read the Captcha, refresh it on the right hand side.

5. Check your email (and spam folder!) for the confirmation (if you don’t do this, it won’t count!).

6. Share this post however you feel you can! Voting is open until 20th February; we need a tidal wave of grassroots support to win this!

Thanks in advance for voting or any help you can give me by spreading the word on this; it’ll be much appreciated. There are buttons to share on facebook, twitter, reddit, stumbleupon and the like at the bottom on the post. You can follow my progress by subscribing, using the button in the sidebar. Let’s make this happen!