Deanne Smart believes climate catastrophes will not threaten our existence (Times, August 17) and takes Greta Thunberg to task for warning as such.
Accepting that there has been a drop in deaths from disasters since 1920 does not mean that trend will continue though.
Between 1995 and 2017 the incidence of cyclones has increased 50 per cent and of floods, 100 per cent. The incidence of fires (due to drier conditions) has increased and we have witnessed massive damage to habitat in Australia, the Amazon, Indonesia, the US, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe in recent years.
Climate change will bring more floods, sea level rise, more fires, more drought and therefore more starvation.
Sir David Attenborough told COP24 (the informal name for the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), “We are facing the greatest threat to the planet for thousands of years. If we do not act now, the collapse of our civilisation and the extinction of the natural world is on the horizon.”
Let’s not denounce Greta for speaking the truth. Why are prophets always ridiculed? Let’s rather devote our energy to solving climate change.
Steve Lincoln
Botany Downs
Don’t denounce Greta
