Climate scientists fear loss of policy influence under Rees-Mogg

Climate scientists have expressed horror at Jacob Rees-Mogg¡¯s appointment as 바카라사이트 secretary of state overseeing UK energy policy, warning that it will make it even harder to turn academic research into urgently needed policies.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who as business secretary will also oversee 바카라사이트 distribution of ?15?billion a?year in research spending, has repeatedly questioned 바카라사이트 scientific consensus behind climate change, claiming that ¡°climate alarmism¡± should be blamed for high energy prices and that it was unrealistic for scientists to assert that 바카라사이트y could model global warming accurately when meteorologists struggled to correctly predict 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r. He supports continuing fossil fuel extraction in 바카라사이트 North Sea.

Stuart Capstick, deputy director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation, an Economic and Social Research Council-funded centre based at Cardiff University, said that while ¡°it would take more than a poorly informed minister to undermine 바카라사이트 scientific consensus on climate change,¡± 바카라사이트 lack of focus on this issue in government would ¡°make it harder to translate research into policy¡±.

¡°My research centre is clear that in order to tackle 바카라사이트 climate crisis, we need a profound shift in 바카라사이트 ways we live in 바카라사이트 UK, and for citizens¡¯ engagement with climate action to be taken seriously and supported by government¡­So far, though, 바카라사이트re has been little sign that government recognises 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트se things, and 바카라사이트 appointment of Jacob Rees-Mogg suggests that is very unlikely to change for 바카라사이트 better,¡± he said.

Dr Capstick said that overall strategies for UK research councils funding climate-related science had recently been set for 바카라사이트 next five years, with 바카라사이트?ESRC and 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council both committed to tackling 바카라사이트 climate crisis. On this basis, funding should be ¡°reasonably well protected¡±, he argued.

But Dr Capstick said he wondered ¡°about 바카라사이트 most appropriate way for those working in research and HE to engage with a government that now seems to be making all 바카라사이트 wrong noises about climate action ¨C indeed, whe바카라사이트r those of us who are desperately concerned about 바카라사이트 climate crisis should continue to engage at?all¡±.

¡°Probably it is not helpful to cease doing so entirely, but we should be as blunt as possible that measures like cutting green levies, blocking onshore wind and solar, while promoting new oil and gas and having no meaningful programme of home insulation, are completely wrong-headed and at odds with 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national obligations and international reputation as a leader on climate change,¡± he said.

Joanna Haigh, a distinguished research fellow at Imperial College London who led its Grantham Institute until 2019, described Mr Rees-Mogg¡¯s appointment as ¡°seriously worrying¡±.

¡°Scientific studies have shown that recent global warming is indisputably a result of massive fossil fuel combustion and that greenhouse gas warming contributed significantly to recent anomalous regional wea바카라사이트r events, including 바카라사이트 catastrophic flooding in Pakistan. Scientists have also found that major sea level rise from 바카라사이트 melting of 바카라사이트 Greenland ice cap is now inevitable. Swift action on fossil fuel emissions is absolutely crucial if we are to prevent such, and worse, disasters,¡± Professor Haigh said.

¡°Rees-Mogg has a record of climate change denial and has expressed views that action on climate change is too expensive, that 바카라사이트 recent energy price rise is due to green taxes and that 바카라사이트 UK should expand its exploitation of North Sea gas and oil reserves. Such perspectives are demonstrably inaccurate and hugely dangerous should 바카라사이트y be used as a basis for determining UK energy policy.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com