Re: Preparing for dangerous weather [Ryan Price, Times, March 10].
After dismissing manmade global warming, Ryan Price has moved on to arguing with himself about the consequence: climate change and the need to act. Because nobody has ever disputed the need for resilience and adaptation.
Oil companies knew in the 1960s about the problems of CO2 from burning fossil fuels – their own scientists told them.
Politicians were certainly aware by 1988, when the World Meteorological Organisation initiated the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The present crisis is entirely due to politicians – predominantly ideologically conservative/neoliberal – not giving councils a lead and the power to act.
So now we are up the creek without a paddle. Billions will be needed to simply undo the damage, and we are still left with the root cause – global warming.
Yes, we can adapt to the 1.1C since industrialisation. But emissions at the present rate could mean 4C with 5m of sea level rise – nobody knows because permafrost melt and ice sheet disintegration are not completely understood or modelled.
Perhaps Mr Ryan could give the children born today some advice on how they might deal with that.
Dennis Horne
Howick
