Scientists attack "Hollywoodisation" of climate change
The scientists fear the dramatic predictions will fuel the arguments of climate change-deniers
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Saturday, 17, Mar 2007 11:48
Two leading British scientists have criticised their peers' dramatic predictions of the effect of climate change.
Chris Collier and Paul Hardaker, members of the Royal Meteorological Society, will present their argument to a conference in Oxford. They assert that the "Hollywoodisation" of climate change is fueling the fire of scientists who claim that the environmental phenomenon does not exist.
Guilty of such crimes is one of the leading science organisations in the US, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), according to the pair.
"As expected, intensification of droughts, heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and severe storms is occurring, with a mounting toll on vulnerable ecosystems and societies," a statement cited from AAAS read in February.
The report stated: "These events are early warning signs of even more devastating damage to come, some of which will be irreversible."
Yet Professor Collier and Professor Hardaker argue that research on climate change is at such a stage that "blanket" predictions cannot be made.
"Organisations have been guilty of overplaying the message," commented Professor Hardaker to BBC News.
"There's no evidence to show we're all due for very short-term devastating impacts as a result of global warming so I think these statements can be dangerous where you mix in the science with unscientific assumptions," he added.