Despite the scepticism, climate change must remain a priority

In a time of economic turmoil and natural disaster, it seems like the issues of global warming and climate change have taken something of a backseat in terms of international concern and interest, as if it were no longer of any major concern.

This is most certainly not the case and I firmly believe that climate change is still a force to be reckoned with. The rate of global warming is increasing at an alarming pace. The last two decades of the 20th century were the hottest in 400 years. The UN International Panel on climate Change reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the warmest dozen since 1850.

These cold hard facts clearly illustrate that if we humans do not radically change our carbon emitting ways, there will be serious repercussions in years to come.

The “inconvenient truth” is that humans are the key factor in this mess, and continue to play this role. This is not a myth, it’s a bleak reality.

As for the naysayers and sceptics, well they took their opposition a step further back in November of last year, and caused quite a stir.

“Climategate,” as it has since been dubbed, saw a high security server at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit hacked, and thousands of incriminating emails and documents emerging.

These documents alluded to the disposal of data that the scientists did not want the public eye to fall upon. While there was no substantial evidence to prove any sinister intention, the cynics were provided with plenty of canon fodder to blast the hapless climatologists.

Intended as a prelude to the then imminent Copenhagen Conference of Parties on Climate Change, the stunt served its purpose, and cast a negative shadow on some of the world’s leading climatologists.

Despite the leak, and despite the ultimate failure of the conference and its flimsy, three-page, non-binding “accord,” which not even all of the attending countries signed, the verdict still stands. Climate change is happening and world leaders need to stand up and take full responsibility for the effect their countries are having on our beloved planet.

If they do not, the earth will continue to get hotter. Ice will keep melting, causing sea levels to rise. Desertification will take place and entire species will be wiped out.Eventually, even the human race. The stark truth is climate change is still a danger.