There is consensus on climate change - 'do nothing'

M

ichael Brown argues in today’s Melbourne Age that two climate contrarians making headlines have the same goal in mind: do nothing.

The Associate Professor, an astronomer at Monash University's School of Physics and Astronomy, says, “Two climate contrarians have made headlines, and they bring two very different styles to the climate debate.

Michael Brown: there is
 consensus- "do nothing".

“The Prime Minister's business adviser, Maurice Newman, is an old-school climate crank. While scientists from many nations have measured warming across the globe, and found it is caused by carbon dioxide, Newman sincerely believes "weather bureaus appear to have homogenised data to suit narratives." Newman rejects the work of hundreds of scientists, and instead embraces conspiracy theories.

“Danish professor Bjorn Lomborg​ was to head an "Australian Consensus Centre" at the University of Western Australia, kickstarted with $4 million of federal government funding. However, UWA has withdrawn its offer to host the centre, as it has been incredibly divisive and controversial within UWA and beyond,” Brown writes.

Read the story here - “Climate inaction, the one point of consensus”.

Reconciling differences can be doubly difficult when climate change is the subject

Reconciling differences in views about anything is often difficult in the extreme, but such a task becomes doubly so when the conversation shifts to climate change.

Exploring this challenge on The Conversation are a Lecturer in Behavioural Studies and Politics at Monash University, Ana-Maria Bliuc, and a Professor at University of Western Sydney, Craig McGarty.

Their story: “Overcoming the social barriers to climate consensus” argues that simply telling people that they are stupid is unlikely to convince them of the merit of your own view.

They say it is tempting to think that people who disagree with you are mad, bad or simply stupid, but point out that not only are such judgements usually wrong, but do little to advance your argument.

“Despite there being a near consensus in the scientific community that the primary driver of climate change is anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, and that we need to cut those emissions if we’re to keep global warming to a minimum, the public remains divided on the issue,” they write.