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Climate Code Red by David
Spratt and Philip Sutton. |
The idea that climate
change could end the human race is provocative, an extremity some endorse and for
others a concept that defies scientific realities, extinguishes hope and not
helpful in building any mitigation processes.
The article: “Dahr Jamail | Are Humans Going Extinct?”
published on truthout refers to and quotes a professor emeritus of natural
resources, and ecology and evolutionary biology, with the University of
Arizona, who has been studying anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD) for
nearly 30 years, Guy McPherson.
The Victorian Climate Action Network group has been alive
with thoughts about McPherson’s views when Alastair Leith asked whether or not
this “Pretty heavy reading” should be posted to Facebook?
“Will it just encourage the uninitiated to disengage even
more on climate change?” he asked.
Trent Hawkins ponder similar questions.
Among those who responded was the fellow behind Safe Climate
Science, Philip Sutton, who said: “I personally think it doesn't do any good at
all to spread this sort of material. For
two reasons: first, because I think it's very unlikely to be correct; and two,
because it is massively disempowering.
“I think that the chance that humans (as a species) will be
driven extinct by climate change (no matter how bad the climate change is) is
just about zero. “Lots of humans could
die (billions) but the rich/powerful/technically savvy will find ways to live
in the Polar Regions and along the coastal fringes of the continents and
perhaps on the oceans themselves - even in the worst case scenarios.
“But what this sort of material does also is that it chooses
to put a zero probability of success on the actions of people who are trying to
prevent climate change from causing fully blown catastrophe. That is not a scientifically valid approach
in my view. It's more like a projection
of personal depressive feelings.
“And
spreading one's personal depression to others is not likely to be helpful for
effective action,” Philip said.
Fellow co-author of Climate Code Red, David Spratt, said, “This
article has serious scientific mistakes, such as: average global temperatures
could rise by 6 degrees Celsius by 2050, leading to devastating climate change;
and at this level is simply not credible, so why waste time on it?”
David said there is plenty of credible, startling material
around for this sort of conversation, such as that by Kevin Anderson, which
would be a better focus for conversation.
