Bellamy Joins NZ Climate Science Coalition

New Zealand Climate Science Coalition

17 October 2006

Famous Environmentalist Professor David Bellamy Joins New Zealand Climate Science Coalition

People around the world are being bombarded with reports of potentially disastrous effects of man-made global warming, said internationally famous botanist and environmental campaigner, Professor David Bellamy, in announcing in England that he has joined the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition to help set public fears at rest. To help public understanding, Professor Bellamy said that, as a start, he and the coalition have set down what they term, "Seven Pillars of Climate Wisdom".

"New Zealanders know that their home has a very special, wonderful and challenging environment. They also have first hand knowledge of living with the problems of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the natural changes and cycles of climate caused by, for instance, the last El Nino in 1998. They also battle with the many problems caused by the introduction of feral plants and animals that upset the balance of soils, water and other natural environmental cycles. My famous adverts for ‘Woolmark’ and "Old Man’s Beard”, and my book and TVNZ series ‘Moa’s Ark’ bear witness to my knowledge and concern about your country.

"New Zealand is also the first country in the world that I know of where a group of its independent scientists have banded together in a voluntary, self-funded group dedicated solely to setting the climate record straight. The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition has made a lot of headway since its formation in May this year. I'm not the first of their members from the UK, and I know that scientists from Australia and USA have applied to join also. I look forward to working with the New Zealanders to create an international coalition to serve as a united voice for the many scientists around the world who believe that climate science is not settled, that the world is not on the brink of a man-made global warming catastrophe, and that we have much more to learn about this planet of ours that has been through and survived many natural upheavals and climatic cycles. In the words of Tom Lehrer's famous song "Don’t be scared, be prepared,’" said Professor Bellamy.

Following are the coalition’s SEVEN PILLARS OF CLIMATE WISDOM:

1. Over the last few thousand years, the climate in many parts of the world has been warmer and cooler than it is now. Civilizations and cultures flourished in the warmer periods.

2. A major driver of climate change is variability in solar effects, such as sunspot cycles, the Sun's magnetic field and solar particles. These may account in great part for climate change during the last century. Evidence to date suggests warming involving increased carbon dioxide exerts only a minor influence.

3. Since 1998, global temperature has not increased. Projection of solar cycles suggests that cooling could set in and continue to about 2030.

4. Most recent climate and weather events are not unusual; they occur regularly. For example, in the 1930s the Arctic region experienced higher temperatures and had less ice than it has now.

5. Stories of impending climate disaster are based almost entirely on global climate models. Not one of these models has shown that it can reliably predict future climate.

6. The Kyoto Protocol, if fully implemented, would make no measurable difference to world temperatures. The trillions of dollars that it will cost would be far better spent on solving known problems such as the provision of clean water, reducing air pollution and fighting malaria and AIDS.

7. Climate is constantly changing and the future will include coolings, warmings, floods, droughts and storms. The best climate policy is to make sure that we have in place disaster response plans that 1) can deal with weather extremes and 2) can react adaptively to longer term climate cooling and warming trends.

ENDS

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