Purchase today

Enter your email address here to receive updates from the team.

Jobs

User login

The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

RSS

Challenging climate change denial

Scientists respond to an "unprecedented attack"

By George Eaton Published 11 December 2009 11:23

It's relieving to see UK scientists issue a robust defence of their profession in the wake of the increasingly hysterical assault from climate change deniers.

The statement from 1,700 scientists declares:

We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities. The evidence and the science are deep and extensive. They come from decades of painstaking and meticulous research, by many thousands of scientists across the world who adhere to the highest levels of professional integrity.

There's a fascinating debate to be had about why climate change denial has continued to rise despite the increasingly unambiguous evidence for man-made global warming.

At least one reason is that many on the right instinctively dislike the taxation, regulation and supranational bodies required to prevent climate change. But because it is neither intellectually nor morally tenable to argue that climate change is taking place and that we shouldn't do anything to stop it, they are forced to go back to the start and deny the theory itself.

Conversely, many on the left are more, not less, inclined to accept the science on climate change when offered the possibility of higher taxes and greater regulation.

Tariq Ali, for instance, remarked (not entirely unseriously) this week:

Copenhagen may be the last chance to get communist ideals back on to the global stage.

Meanwhile, Ed Miliband has written exclusively for Left Foot Forward from Copenhagen reflecting on the mood at the summit. Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy are expected to pledge today that Europe "will pay its share of a $10bn fast-track finance fund".

Follow the New Statesman team on Twitter

Tags: Copenhagen Climate Change

More from George Eaton

View the discussion thread.

6 comments

Fri, 2009-12-11 14:03 — No2PC

Its just so typical of left wing fascists to try and associate sceptics with the nazi holocaust. What is most annoying is the left dont really care about the environment otherwise they would acknowledge that mass immigration into Britain is going require thousands of acres of green belt to be annilated. Destroying wildlife habitat and rapidly increasing carbon emmissions. Such hypocrisy. On the other hand climate change is an excellent tool for the left to try to shame and attack the west and to control the minds and behaviours of individuals. Where as reducing catastrohic population explosions would require action among non white peoples. We could not have that now could we lefties. Whites must be blamed for everything.

Im a true conservationist and follower of Attenboroughs optimum population trust , not some Islington/Hampstead elitist T**T.

Sat, 2009-12-12 10:44 — Chris (not verified)

Wow, I hope No2PC in the comment above has taken his/her blood pressure pills after that rant which proved George Eaton's remark about the "increasingly hysterical assault from climate change deniers"!

I do think though that the deniers are just scared that they will lose out - that they'll have to pay more tax, and cut back on consumption etc. So perhaps our political leaders need to explain things more, and take the people along with them. But are they up to that?

Tue, 2009-12-15 08:42 — Mike Laursen (not verified)

One of the lessons to learn from Climategate is that the "deniers" are absolutely correct that pointing to the "overwhelming consensus" of scientists does not constitute scientific proof.

Google a random of the 1700 "scientists" signing the statement above. I just did. Got a veterinarian, a financial planner, a tourism expert.

Sun, 2009-12-13 19:31 — stevenearlsalmony

All the dunderheaded disinformation, deceit, delay, denial and disasterous decisionmaking of the past 8 long dark years are in the past. With a little luck people with feet of play will overcome the arrogance, wanton greed and stupidity perpetrated by the Masters of the Universe among us, the most avaricious and self-righteous ones who widely proclaim their greed-mongering is God's work.

What mental disorder describes those among us who proclaim themselves Masters of the Universe doing the work of God?

Years of hard work by people with feet of clay all come down to this week in Copenhagen. The "now or never" week is at hand for the children, global biodiversity, life as we know it, the integrity of Earth and its environs. This week is the moment that the Masters of the Universe cannot avoid any longer; all of the human family are bound in this long-awaited momentous week. The time for action has come, finally. The opportunity held in this blessed moment must not be missed.

If anyone thinks of something that I can do to assist any of you to reasonably, sensibly, responsibly and humanely realize the goals of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, please send word to me.

Steve Salmony
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Mon, 2009-12-14 09:47 — Chris C (not verified)

The problem with anthropocentric climate change scepticism is like any argument in this field, it takes years of scrutinising and analysing scientific evidence to formulate an idea of the impact, plus more years of communicating this evidence with the public to create support. However, it takes less than 30 secs and one very timely leaked email to spread dissent and make the process of key decisions much more difficult. Frustrating or what?

Mon, 2010-02-01 19:24 — Pete Ridley (not verified)

Chris C, (Chris Colose perchance) you're talking rubbish again. The significant human-made global climate change hypothesis is nothing but an UN-inspired con. trick aimed at:
- redistribution of wealth from developed to underdeveloped economies,
- establishment of a framework for global government,
- enhancement of the finances of a privileged few.

COP15 was the most recent manifestation of the propaganda but ended a fiasco, just like the whole scam will soon.

It is crumbling at the UN's feet as a result of the revelatons of "Climategate", "Pachaurigate", Glaciergate", "Amazongate" and all of the other "gates" yet to come.

Regards, Pete Ridley, human-made global climate change sceptic