Climate scientists not trying to fool us

IN his recent letter, John W. Gray claims that “2050 is the new 2030” and is yet another delay to climate change ‘predictions’ therefore we cannot be in “an emergency” (20th June).

2030 is commonly known as the short-term deadline for keeping temperature increases to 1.5 centigrade, while 2050 is a target for net zero emissions.

Frankly, without detail, I have no idea what Mr. Gray is talking about. But neither does he.

Ignoring this lack of clarity, scientists don’t make predictions but make projections of possible future outcomes.

They know it’s a fact that greenhouse gases are warming the planet; that humans drive it; and these processes are putting the future of civilisation at risk. But they cannot control other variables – such as a coronavirus crisis, a war or increased fossil fuel sales – which push these projections in different directions (and presently faster than their most conservative estimates).

When you board a plane, you do so with the scientific knowledge that it WILL fly. News of a crash doesn’t make you believe planes can’t fly!

But this is exactly what climate sceptics do. They ignore the facts (science) and look for exceptions to support their beliefs. They claim it is ‘natural’, or climate scientists are out for financial gain, or it is fearmongering to control the masses. But in doing so the sceptics cannot escape the irrational clutches of conspiracy theory and the ridiculous idea that tens of thousands of scientists across the planet are working together to fool us.

As an old anecdote goes: if three people know a secret how would they keep it? Two would have to be dead.

TONY BENNETT, Ashington