Climate change threats no match for Sir David's optimism

C

Professor Sir David King talk about the
challenges of the 21st Century.

limate change and is inherent threats seem to wilt in the face of Professor Sir David King’s optimism.

Britain’s permanent Special Representative for Climate Change since late 2013 shared his optimism with more than 100 people at the Carlton Connect Initiative yesterday (September 8).

Professor King did not hold back with the bad news, but balanced it with stories of success from around the world, particularly Britain, and naturally the European Union.

The professor articulated the cavalcade of challenges facing the world this century, but was quick to point out that climate change is interlinked and impact on all of them.

He did not use the term “wicked problem”, but as the professor explained how that in addressing one difficulty we would worsen another, hence the thought that climate change is a wicked problem.

Professor King brought a plethora of climate change knowledge, both scientific and practical, to the Carlton centre and spent more than an hour talking about “New thinking on assessing risks and responses”.

Oddly, although Professor King has a deep understanding of risk, he was, in the name of combatting climate change, a supporter of nuclear energy, a carbon neutral energy source.

Professor King spends much of his time encouraging discussion between governments and is now bound for Port Moresby to share his skills and knowledge with the pacific island nations and Australia and New Zealand.