ERI participated in the students strike for climate event in Geneva on Friday 27th September.
More than 3000 scientists from over 120 countries (the International Panel on Climate Change or IPCC) spend 7 years analysing the most recent data gathered from peer-reviewed articles published in scientific journals (peer-review involves another group of scientists who are expert in the field examining the accuracy of the data presented and assessing the validity of the research methodology and procedures before giving approval for publication).
The IPCC has now published five full reports and several special reports, each one progressively more certain that climate change is happening now and is a result of human activity. They also warn that inaction will have catastrophic consequences for life on our planet.
The latest report has been endorsed by hundreds of international and national scientific bodies such as the World Meteorological Association, National Academy of Sciences (USA), CSIRO (Aus), Royal Society of the UK, the World Health Organisation to name a few, see http://opr.ca.gov/fac…/list-of-scientific-organizations.html for a fuller list.
The number of such bodies who have rejected the report is zero, zilch!
Some individual scientists have questioned some aspects of the report but they are in a small minority. Some want to quibble over the claim that 97% of scientists support the findings of the IPCC report – but how much does it matter whether the figure is 95%, 99% or 90%.? The fact is the scientists are telling us we face an unprecedented crisis requiring rapid, far- reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.
Yet despite the overwhelming evidence that we can even see with our own eyes, governments are in denial and slow to act, and when a sixteen-year-old girl attracts world-wide attention in calling for action based on the science, she is abused and ridiculed.
Millions mobilised around the world in the past week demanding action but it is unlikely to be enough, more voices are needed.