Exaggerating climate change?

Some people believe that climate change is not happening. Others believe that if it is happening its impact will be tolerable. Others believe that not only is climate change happening, it is also avoidable and caused by humanity.

Amongst this last group there is a zealous group who believe that the world will literally end if we allow climate change to happen. This is what Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat 'Shadow' Environment Food and Rural Affairs Secretary said to me today.

He said "if we don't stop climate change... there won't be effective civilisations [left] to tackle poverty".

This is the most serious and gross exaggeration of the facts I have ever had said to me directly. There is absolutely no way — none at all — that climate change would have such a massive impact on humanity that civilisations won't exist. Given that climate change (global warming), if it is a significant effect at all, is not entirely caused by humanity, the impact any reduction in warming would have would be less still.

Climate change is the most successful attempt to reimpose pre-Thatcher/Blair socialism on the UK. We mustn't let exaggeration get in the way of science-fact and we must not allow the debate to move away from trying to solve something and into an argument over who 'cares' more.

As I said to Mr Huhne, there are much greater ways of spending our wealth and effort than in 'solving' climate change (something that happened and will continue to happen without human intervention). While some climate change counter-measures are only naturally prudent (energy saving lightbulbs, turning off electrical items on standby etc) others are expensive wastes of resources that could be better spent on pensions and aid to non-corrupt regimes.