Global warming: a man made problem

Jan 5 2010 Surrey Herald

I FIND it truly depressing to read letters like that from Cllr Pinkerton which suggests that global warming is not overwhelmingly man made 'A debate that's short on facts' - letters 30 December.

He claims that we don't yet have the 'facts.' I would encourage everyone to read the available information and to then draw your own conclusions. You will find that Cllr Pinkerton is in a tiny minority and that the scientific consensus is almost unanimously against him.

The United Nations intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) reported in 2007 that 'warming of the climate system is unequivocal' and that it was 'very likely' (greater than 90% certainty) that this was man made. The report was produced by over 600 scientists from 40 countries and then reviewed by a further 620 experts from 133 countries.

If the IPCC is not good enough for Cllr Pinkerton perhaps he might like to consult the Royal Society. Their website contains the following clear statement 'Our scientific understanding of climate change is sufficiently sound to make us highly confident that greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming'.

What 'facts' is Cllr Pinkerton waiting for? Global climate change occurs over decades and it is only

after the event that the 'facts' will

be beyond even his disputing.

Our children and their children cannot afford for us to wait until all the 'facts' are available - by then it will be far too late. The time to act is now.

CLLR LAWRENCE NICHOLS French Street Sunbury-on-Thames