Climate change evidence is no exaggeration

THE Royal Society, one of the leading academies of science in the world, states on its website: ‘It has become fashionable in some parts of the British media to portray the scientific evidence that has been collected about climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities as an exaggeration.’

Steven King’s opinion piece (Irish Examiner, August 2) is just as erroneous in its claims on global climate change.

One could forgive Mr King’s ignorance, I suppose, as he is not a scientist, and therefore could not understand the significance of the figures he quotes, or the mechanics of climate change.

A brief examination of the fluctuations in global temperature over 150 years would have indicated to him the significant upward trend associated with industrialisation.

Furthermore, he would have noticed that the increase in surface temperature in the northern hemisphere in the 20th century was the greatest in the past 1,000 years. The trend in the first five years of the 21st century supports this finding and is even more alarming. There is little if any doubt in the scientific community that all of these changes are manmade and are of extreme concern.

If such an apparently insignificant increase in average global temperature (up to 0.8C during the 20th century) can cause sea levels to rise by up to 8” (20.32cm); the average arctic winter temperature to increase by 4.4C; the northern polar ice cap to decrease in thickness by 40% and in extent by 6%, and to completely melt within 50 years; coastal and mountain glaciers to retreat, at what scientists consider to be ‘alarming’ rates (never witnessed in the period since the last Ice Age), then what will happen in 10 to 50 years as the upward trend in temperature accelerates, which most scientists operating in this area expect to happen?

It might come as some surprise to Mr King that the World Health Organisation (more pesky scientists) estimates that this small increase in temperature is responsible for an estimated 150,000 deaths annually.

Perhaps those cheap seats on offer by European and US airlines would be put to better use ferrying the unfortunate in weather- and drought-affected areas of the third world to more temperate climates in western Europe and North America, rather than transport pampered Irish journalists to exotic holiday destinations.

Tom Butler

Courtbrack

Blarney

Co Cork