Climate change and the IPCC.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)

SIR: Ray Evans ("The Mad Rush to Decarbonise", March 2008) is just as doom-laden as the "climate catastrophists" that he attacks. He seems to be saying that the generally accepted climate science is all wrong, and even if it's not, we won't be able to do anything about it, and any attempt to substantially reduce carbon emissions will lead to economic ruin.

Evans seems to be arguing that Ross Garnaut's final report will have to be given the authority of Holy Writ. In fact, it will go through the normal political process, having to undergo scrutiny from Treasury on the way, and the Rudd government will have to evaluate the social and political consequences of his recommendations. Rudd will presumably be aiming for some degree of bipartisanship, as the process of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will have to go on for at least fifty years.

Climate change sceptics are fond of mentioning the large and rapidly increasing emissions of India and China, but these are not the two key countries. The key countries are America and to a lesser extent Australia, two very rich countries competing for the "honour" of the world's highest emissions per capita. Until Australia and America show the rest of the world that they are getting serious, India and China will lay their own plans. Much is made by some of the small contribution, about 1 per cent, of Australia's emissions compared to the overall world total. If this is advanced as a reason for Australia to do nothing, then what would be our influence in the international ...