Abstract: Two view points:
1) British conservation and climate change: the habitats matter (Clive Hambler)
2) Climate change – a nature conservation commitment (Jenny Hawley)
Climate models have not predicted recent years’ static temperature trends but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports with 95% confidence that humans are the main cause of current global warming. Meanwhile across blogs and the media debate rages on the evidence for climate change and the implications of related policies and expenditure. Is action in response to climate change a severe environmental impact in itself, creating direct harm to nature and human wellbeing in the name of the precautionary principle, or is mitigation and adaptation to climate change an essential and urgent priority, to aid people and wildlife amidst an all pervading global threat? ECOS sought two contrasting views amongst conservation practitioners in response to the IPCC 5th assessment report (www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5).
Download article as PDF: ECOS 34-3-35 Climate change – a rational debate