Climate crisis is real

Des Morgan demonstrates his loose grasp of climate change issues again (SA, April 20).

He writes about “yet another final warning” that action needs to be taken to stop irrevocable damage to the World and goes on “we have heard these same apocalyptic utterances from the International Panel on Climate change on a number of occasions”, while, says Des, the “world simply trundles on.”

Leaving aside the hyperbolic misdirection about the IPCC’s alleged apocalyptic warnings, the fact is that since the 1970s the scientific warnings about climate change have been consistently accurate.

The actual experience of people of the world, as it trundles on, is one of extreme weather events which destroy life at an accelerating rate.

“We’ve always had hurricanes, droughts and wildfires, flooding and high winds. However, we are currently witnessing a scale of destruction and devastation that is new and terrifying.” (Oxfam).

Far from the world’s progress falsifying the repeated warnings, that progress confirms those warnings.

Over 20 million people are forced from their homes annually, Australia at record temperatures experiences the worst ever bush fire season. These are just two examples of a crisis seen on every continent, as a result of man-made climate change.

Des’ smug letter reminds me of those who argue smoking is safe because they do it and haven’t got cancer yet.

Peter Smith

Woodside Avenue

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