11 000 scientists warned of climate emergency

IAN Flint’s argument that “climate change panic” is unnecessary belies the actual experience of millions of people in the present time.

To cite just two examples, CNN reported that Oregon City “looks as though a bomb went off”. At the same time, the small city of Detroit in Oregon has been devastated.

Significantly, the authorities there are blaming climate change for the hell on Earth that the fires are creating. East, west, north and south there are situations arising which must make us panic as we have never panicked before.

I wish to ask Ian Flint what standing does he have in the scientific community to gainsay what eminent scientists are saying about climate change?

On November 5, 2019, 11 000 scientists put their signatures to a document which opened with the following statement: “Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to ‘tell it like it is’. On the basis of this obligation… we declare… clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.”

It is our duty to listen to 11 000 scientists and others in framing the correct political response. Not to do so would be a dereliction of duty and a failure of responsible leadership.

On February 16, David WallaceWells wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times which provides a compelling narrative on why humankind should really panic.

He says: “The age of climate panic is here. Last summer, a heatwave baked the entire northern hemisphere, killing dozens from Quebec to Japan… Pacific hurricanes forced 3 million people in China to flee and wiped away almost all of Hawaii’s East Island.” (https://www. nytimes.com/2019/02/16/opinion/ sunday/fear-panic-climate-changewarming.html).

Ian Flint should read that opinion piece.

However, I agree with Ian Flint that there was a mini-ice age from 1300 to 1870. Climate has fluctuated all through the Earth’s existence. That is not in dispute.

We should, very importantly, also not dispute the impact of anthropogenic activities in accelerating the heating up of the planet. The research on this is impeccable and clear.

Ian referred to Belgrade. It is important to note that Belgrade experienced heatwaves in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, and in 2019 when temperatures soared to 39°C.

The pattern is obvious. Belgrade is heating up as is Europe. It is, therefore, no wonder that the European parliament acted on November 28, 2019 to declare a climate emergency.

When is mayor Dan Plato going to take a similar step?

To conclude, I wish to say to Ian that it is way too late not to be nervous, and with much too much evidence accumulating, not to panic regarding climate change.

As for the wretched state of the economy, I can say to Ian that I am indeed in a state of dreadful panic.

For someone who has been an “eternal optimist” for over 70 years of existence, the past five years have sapped that optimism from me.

I am now panicking on both fronts. In fact, we should all be panicking extensively so that we can become assertive in demanding that mayor Dan Plato declares a climate change emergency, and President Ramaphosa declares an emergency in respect of our economy.