Australian Environment Minister rebuked for misrepresenting Global Warming

[a_unique_person]

ENVIRONMENT Minister Ian Campbell has been told to "pull his head out of the sand" over his insistence global warming may never submerge tiny Pacific nations.
The criticism came after he said it was not certain climate change would make several states uninhabitable.
"I've spoken to the head of the Australian Greenhouse Office this morning and he said … in terms of sea level rise and its impacts on Tuvalu, in particular, but the Pacific in general … the jury is really out," he said on Thursday.
"Saying that we're going to evacuate them is very premature — let's hope it never happens."
But Ian Fry, environment adviser to the Government of Tuvalu, accused Senator Campbell of ignorance. Rising sea levels were poisoning the soil, killing taro crops and polluting ground water, he said.
Other Pacific nations were reporting extensive bleaching of coral reefs, which was killing a vital food source, while cyclones and hurricanes hit the region more often, with greater ferocity.
"It's a pretty sad sort of approach," Mr Fry said. "I think he has to pull his head out of the sand and realise climate change is happening right now and Australia has an obligation to do something about it."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...im-in-hot-water/2006/01/06/1136387625760.html


The politicians should be listening to the scientists, I think.

 

[Geckko]

The politicians should be listening to the scientists, I think.

I don't quite understand your point here.

The Minister said he was speaking after taking advice from the head of the Australian Greenhouse Office. On the AGO web site it says this:

Australia is recognised internationally for the quality of its climate change science, and has the most comprehensive programme of southern hemisphere climate research. The Australian Greenhouse Office, within the Department of the Environment and Heritage, supports this effort through the Australian Climate Change Science Programme.

Australian Climate Change Science Programme
The Australian Climate Change Science Programme aims to improve our understanding of the causes, nature, timing and consequences of climate change so that industry, community and government decisions can be better informed. The programme is administered by the Australian Greenhouse Office, within the Department of the Environment and Heritage, and conducted in partnership with leading science agencies, notably the CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Academy of Sciences.

Then when I tried to Google Ian Fry, just about all I could find out was that he was a member of Greenpeace.

In short, I don't understand the criticism you make about not listening to scientists.

 

[CFLarsen]

Facts about Tuvalu:

one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Area: 26 km2 (0.1 times the size of Washington, DC)

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Highest point is 5 m?? They make Denmark look like the Himalayas!

Environmental Issues:

since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

 

[a_unique_person]

I don't quite understand your point here.

The Minister said he was speaking after taking advice from the head of the Australian Greenhouse Office. On the AGO web site it says this:



Then when I tried to Google Ian Fry, just about all I could find out was that he was a member of Greenpeace.

In short, I don't understand the criticism you make about not listening to scientists.

The 'blurb' is just waffle. Australia has shown just about no interest in greehouse concerns at a political level, despite having excellent research at a scientific level. It's boast of meeting it's obligations under Kyoto are BS, it bullied a committment it meets that in fact allows us to increase emission of greenhouse gases, while refusing to ratify Kyoto.

I did not read closely enough to see what Ian Frys actual qualifications were, my error.

The Crown of Thorns starfish has long puzzled scientists, it is now believed to be an opportunistic pest that attacks coral that has been damaged by rising sea temperatures. (See "The Weather Makers").

 

[Diamond]

The Crown of Thorns starfish has long puzzled scientists, it is now believed to be an opportunistic pest that attacks coral that has been damaged by rising sea temperatures.

Any evidence that the Crown Of Thorns starfish needs rising temperatures to first damage coral? Or is it yet another non-fact pulled from your rectum?

Tuvalu is not drowning under rising seas. The problem is overpopulation and sucking out too much groundwater which is sucking in seawater, and environmental damage from that overpopulation. The Pacific basin has shown no long term trend in rising numbers of hurricanes.

Ian Campbell has listerned to the scientific experts. Greenpeace doesn't want to know.

 

[casebro]

Just exactly how high has world wide sea level supposed to have risen? More than, or less than, the population of these seal level islands?

 

[a_unique_person]

Any evidence that the Crown Of Thorns starfish needs rising temperatures to first damage coral? Or is it yet another non-fact pulled from your rectum?

Tuvalu is not drowning under rising seas. The problem is overpopulation and sucking out too much groundwater which is sucking in seawater, and environmental damage from that overpopulation. The Pacific basin has shown no long term trend in rising numbers of hurricanes.

Ian Campbell has listerned to the scientific experts. Greenpeace doesn't want to know.

I thought overpopulation was another greenie myth?

 

[a_unique_person]

Any evidence that the Crown Of Thorns starfish needs rising temperatures to first damage coral? Or is it yet another non-fact pulled from your rectum?

If you want a civil debate, let me know.