NEWSMEDIANEWS

______________________________Direct Input News Archive______________________________


Climate change a 'planetary emergency' - Professor John Sweeney       printable version
17 Jul 2015: posted by the editor - Environment, Ireland

By An Taisce
A recent article (note 1) by meteorologist Professor Ray Bates, and prominently featured in an Irish national newspaper, claimed that “increased uncertainty” in recent IPCC reports on the likely course of future climate change means that Ireland need not take steps to urgently or aggressively reduce its greenhouse gas emissions; rather, Prof. Bates argued, we should prioritise protection of our own, Irish, economic interests.

The supposed scientific basis for these arguments, has now been roundly criticised by Ireland’s leading climatologist, Professor John Sweeney (Professor Emeritus at Maynooth University, former Director of the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Unit, and a full IPCC contributing author). Because these comments by Prof. Sweeney have not (as yet) been afforded a comparable platform by the original media outlet, An Taisce is pleased that Prof. Sweeney has given permission for their open publication and dissemination via the An Taisce web site (note 2).

In his critique, Prof. Sweeney states that the original article by Prof. Bates contained numerous “scientific inaccuracies” and he goes on to detail how the article appears to engage in clear “cherry picking” and systematic misrepresention of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report “to suit (Prof. Bates’ own) arguments”. Prof. Sweeney affirms the unambiguous scientific consensus that far from slowing or stopping, the overall warming of the Earth is continuing, and indeed accelerating, and this is unequivocally associated with human activities. Prof. Sweeney is unambiguous in judging that it is now “absolutely valid to describe the problem of climate change as a ‘planetary emergency’”. He concludes by highlighting the need to view climate action in a context of global climate justice, and he firmly rejects narrow ‘national interest’ as a message Ireland should wish to send the world on this issue.

Commenting on this publication of Prof. Sweeney’s remarks, Barry McMullin, Chair of the An Taisce Climate Committee, said: “Honest and open discussion about the implications of climate change for Ireland, and the need for urgent and radical policy response, is long overdue. An Taisce welcomes all engagement by Irish media in that honest policy debate. However, it is essential that this discussion be grounded in the best available scientific insights, and not distorted or derailed by fringe or contrarian views. Accordingly, An Taisce is delighted today to release these important comments by Ireland's leading climate scientist, Professor John Sweeney. We believe they are a significant contribution to informing and clarifying public understanding on what is probably the most profound, and most urgent, political, economic, and ethical challenge facing Irish society in the 21st century.”

  1. http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/climate-action-preoccupation-with-level-of-farm-emissions-is-misguided-1.2268409#.VaJnltrnndY.twitter
  2. http://www.antaisce.org/articles/contrarian-climate-views-professor-john-sweeney-speaks-out 

>Local comment

Name: Remember me
E-mail: (optional)
Captcha

Return to full index


news resources
Afghanistan | Africa | Albania | Algeria | Andorra | Angola | Anguilla | Antigua
| Argentina | Armenia | Aruba | Asia | Australia | Austria | Azerbaijan | Bahamas | Bahrain | Balkans | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belarus | Belgium | Belize | Benin | Bermuda | Bhutan | Bosnia | Bolivia | Botswana | Brazil | Brunei | Bulgaria | Burkina | Burma | Burundi | Cambodia | Cameroon | Canada | Cape Verde | Caribbean | Cayman Islands | Cen African Rep | Chad | Chile | China | Christmas Island | Columbia | Comoros | Congo | Cook Island | Costa Rica | Croatia | Cuba | Cyprus | Czech/Slovakia | Denmark | Djibouti | Dominican Republic | Dubai | East Timor | Ecuador | Egypt | El Salvador | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Estonia | Ethiopia | Europe | Faroe Islands | Fiji | Finland | France | Gabon | Gambia | Georgia | Germany | Ghana | Greece | Greenland | Grenada | Guadeloupe | Guam | Guatemala | Guinea | Guyana | Haiti | Holland | Honduras | Hong Kong | Hungary | Iceland | India | Indonesia | Iran | Iraq | Ireland | Israel | Italy | Ivory Coast | Jamaica | Japan | Jordan | Kazakhstan | Kenya | Kiribati | Korea | Kuwait | Kyrgyzstan | Laos | Latvia | Lebanon | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Lietchtenstein | Lithuania | London | Luxembourg | Macau | Macedonia | Madagascar | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives | Mali | Malta | Marshall Islands | Martinique | Mauritania | Mauritius | Mexico | Micronesia | Moldova | Monaco | Mongolia | Montenegro | Montserrat | Morocco | Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru | New Zealand | Nicaragua | Niue | Niger | Nigeria | Northern Ireland | Norway | Oman | Pakistan | Palau | Palestine | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Pitcairn Islands | Poland | Portugal | Qatar | Romania | Russia | Rwanda | Samoa | San Marino | Sao Tomé | Saudi Arabia | Scandinavia | Senegal | Serbia | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Singapore | Slovakia | Slovenia | Solomon Islands | Somalia | South Africa | South Americas | Spain | Sri Lanka | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Pierre | St Vincent | Sudan | Suriname | Swaziliand | Sweden | Switzerland | Syria | Taiwan | Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Tibet | Togo | Tonga | Trinidad | Tunisia | Turkey | Turkmenistan | Turks & Caicos | Tuvalu | Uganda | Ukraine | United Kingdom | United States | Uruguay | Uzbekistan | Vanuatu | Venezuela | Vietnam | Virgin Islands | Walli & Futuna | Yemen | Zambia | Zimbabwe | World
Human Rights | Science | Journalism | Music | Showbiz | Sport | Technology
Clickable News Globe


Top | Privacy | Forum | Comment XML news feed directory MP3 Sounds | Links | Publicity | Contact
On-line Editing | Publish news | Guestbook | Site Status | Site Map
publish an item from this page to Newsvive.com Seed Newsvine
© Newsmedianews

Web newsmedianews

See traffic details for this site