CLIMATE-PACHAURI 2 LAST

Beddington said that the false claim in the IPCC’s 2007
report that the glaciers would disappear by 2035 had exposed a
wider problem with the way that some evidence was presented.

"I don’t think it’s healthy to dismiss proper
scepticism. Science grows and improves in the light of
criticism. There is a fundamental uncertainty about climate
change prediction that can’t be changed," said.
"Certain unqualified statements have been unfortunate.
We have a problem in communicating uncertainty. There’s
definitely an issue there. If there wasn’t, there wouldn’t be
the level of scepticism. All of these predictions have to be
caveated by saying, ‘There’s a level of uncertainty about
that’."
Beddington said that particular caution was needed when
communicating predictions about climate change made with the
help of computer models.
"It’s unchallengeable that Carbon Dioxide traps heat and
warms the Earth and that burning fossil fuels shoves billions
of tonnes of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. But where you
can get challenges is on the speed of change.
"When you get into large-scale climate modelling there
are quite substantial uncertainties. On the rate of change and
the local effects, there are uncertainties both in terms of
empirical evidence and the climate models themselves."
He said that it was wrong for scientists to refuse to
disclose their data to their critics: "I think, wherever
possible, we should try to ensure there is openness and that
source material is available for the whole scientific
community."
He added: "There is a danger that people can manipulate
the data, but the benefits from being open far outweigh that
danger." PTI GSN
RBT



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