“Pseudo scientists” who deny the existence of manmade global warming are setting back by 20 years worldwide efforts to tackle climate change, an earth scientist says.
Andrew Glikson, from the Australian National University’s Climate Change Institute, has taken aim at so-called experts from fields unrelated to climate.
The geologist with 45 years experience said “pseudo scientists” were continuing to undermine the efforts of national governments to arrest the effects of rising temperatures.
“There are obviously economic, political and ideological interests who don’t wish to do anything with reducing emissions,” Dr Glikson told AAP on Tuesday.
“The fossil fuel industry is the biggest industry after the military.”
Dr Glikson declined to name who he believed to be the most prominent scientist denialists, or who he suspected were possibly funding them.
But he directed some blame at the media for publishing their views.
“They dominate the conservative newspapers and, of course, people don’t want to believe in these dangerous developments.”
In a public lecture delivered in Canberra on Tuesday, he accused those with “denial syndrome” of resorting to conspiracy theories.
“Despite its pseudo-scientific nature, climate change denial syndrome has succeeded in delaying required climate change mitigation by over 20 years,” he said.
United Nations talks in Cancun, Mexico concluded on Saturday, with a non-binding agreement on the world’s major polluters to embark on deep emission cuts.
