Astronaut Tim Peake issues climate warning
Astronaut Major Tim Peake has said it is too early to tell whether this summer’s heatwave is part of a global trend towards warming temperatures or a one-off.
Climate change experiments have been conducted on board the International Space Station and Major Peake said he “should have the opportunity” to return there for a second mission between now and 2024. Asked if he considered the heatwave as cause for concern, he said: “I take my information from the scientific reports that we get back and of course we are aware that the planet is on a trend, a global trend towards warming temperatures. I think the important thing is to understand how we can prevent that from causing catastrophic events.
“As to whether this year’s heatwave is a part of that trend or if that is a one-off is really something I think we’ll have to wait to find out longer, but certainly we are under no illusions that the planet is warming, climate is changing and we need to address that in a very serious manner.”