Heading into the world of 'unknown unknowns'

Climate change is presenting the world with more “unknown unknowns”.

The former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, talked about “known unknowns and unknown unknowns” and although he was not talking about the implications climate change, but could have been.

An example of the dilemma highlighted by Rumsfeld is happening in Siberia where in the middle of last summer suddenly large craters appeared that as first seemed inexplicable.

It is now understood, however, that they are a product of climate change that has thawed the permafrost and allowed methane to escape.

A Melbourne Age story headed: “Scientists know there are more giant craters in Siberia, but arenervous to even study them” discusses the craters and points out that officials don’t want to scare people, but need to further examine explore the causes of the craters.

The goal seems to be "nasty, brutish and short"

Science, in all its wonders and subtleties, has lifted humanity from a life that was “nasty, brutish and short”.

Environment Minister,
Mr Greg Hunt.

Interestingly, the present Australian Government appears patently opposed to embracing our grasp of scientific knowledge and just today the ABC has reported the our Environment Minister, Greg Hunt, has shown little concern for, or interest in, advice from the UN’s panel on climate change.

The government’s intent seems to be one of taking us back to an era of “nasty, brutish and short”.

In what appears to be an inexplicable contradiction between words and action, Mr Hunt says the government shares the panel’s goal to limit emissions growth and so restrict the increase in global temperatures to two degrees above pre-industrial levels.

Action to date by the Coalition Government that they actually mean what they say and have any grasp at all of the science of climate change.

A story headed: “Environment Minister Greg Hunt resists IPCC pressure for deep cuts to carbon emissions” reports that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has called for global emission cuts of up to 70 per cent by the middle of the decade.