Aussie Scientists Strike Back Against Skeptics

Worldwide, environmentalists are facing serious challenges in the fight against climate change skepticism. In response, Australian scientists struck back today with a report (pdf) that states simply, "Climate change is real."

The 6-page document, put out by the nonpartisan Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization and Bureau of Meteorology, includes easy-to-read facts and statistics gathered from the country's leading scientists. The proposed aim is to cut through the "denialist smoke screen" and offer accessible information to the public. CSIRO chief executive Dr. Megan Clark put it this way:

"We are seeing a real thirst for knowledge from many Australians and we are responding to that huge public demand. There is a lot of noise out there and a lot of reference to other countries and people want to know what's happening in this country."

Whether or not there is a "thirst for knowledge" in the United States, such a report could do some good here as well, where belief in global warming is at its lowest point since 1997. The confusion is understandable — economic turmoil has diverted public attention, and a few isolated incidents that challenge global warming have dominated news coverage. As Stephen Stromberg from The Washington Post recently wrote:

"Americans are having trouble telling the difference between relatively small criticisms of the science or scientists — minor mistakes in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2007 report or the release of overheated private exchanges among a few climate scientists, for example — and the solid case for the bottom-line on global warming: that it’s extremely likely it’s happening, it’s extremely likely that it’s at least partially our fault, and, if unabated, it’s extremely likely to have some rather unpleasant consequences."

This is why Australia's report should serve as an important example to the US. It is straightforward and accessible, takes on climate change denialists head-on, and represents the views of several scientists from different respected organizations. Most importantly, its release is pegged to the public's growing confusion over global warming.

All the most respected U.S. scientific organizations still and wholeheartedly support the existence of man-made climate change, including the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, the US Geological Survey, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Imagine if these groups banded together to state simply and with the support of their research, "Climate change is real." It could help Americans, too, see the smoke screen.