Obligation to tackle global warming (letter)

by Brian E. Lloyd, AM

News Weekly, June 7, 2008
Sir,

Once again, Peter Westmore assaults our intelligence with his editorial, "Whom the gods wish to destroy..." (News Weekly, May 24, 2008).

His bottom line is that there is nothing Australia can do about global warming and climate change, and that it would be a serious mistake even to try! What is his motivation in continuing to regale us with such negative views?

It was heartening to read the letter from Tim Wallace in the same issue, quoting Pope Benedict XVI as advocating a reasoned response to the reality of the danger faced by the future Earth.

As a Catholic, a professional engineer and a grandfather of 10, I believe that Australia must take urgent action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and to transfer our related research and technologies to other countries, especially China and India.

My advocacy arises from a social justice viewpoint concerning the responsibilities we owe to the people of the future, and from a practical engineering point of view, following an extensive and intensive study of all of the issues concerning the scientific evidence about the realities of climate analyses and projections.

I would have thought that there is an obligation within News Weekly, with its social justice connections, to take the same view of an obligation to the future, even if there is an inability to show even the slightest glimmer of understanding of the science.

Dr Brian E. Lloyd, AM,
Hampton East, Vic.