The recently released report (formally known as the AR4 Synthesis Report) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has a clear message, and "cool it" is not it. (This is the same IPCC that just shared this year's Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore.) In his book Cool It, Lomborg repeatedly emphasizes his reliance on the IPCC. But if he wants to continue to cite the IPCC, he will have to make some serious changes in his conclusions after reading the final report, which was released in Valencia, Spain on November 17th.
At a press conference on November 17th, IPCC panel chair Dr. R.K.Pachauri did not mince words. Here are a few quotes:
“Climate change is a serious threat to development everywhere”
"Today, the time for doubt has passed. The IPCC has unequivocally affirmed the warming of our climate system, and linked it directly to human activity”
"Slowing or even reversing the existing trends of global warming is the defining challenge of our age”[my italics]
Just look at the contrast between the IPCC's "defining challenge of our age" and Lomborg's repeated suggestions of other issues that we should be paying attention to instead of global warming.
You can get the Summary for Policymakers as a pdf file, as well as the three Working Group reports on which the Synthesis is based.
Comments
Post new comment