But are we still supposed to ignore all climate realists who are not climate scientists?

Climate must stay on agenda | The Australian

FORTY scientists from fields as diverse as physics and genetics have signed a statement warning that efforts to tackle climate change must not be scuttled by the global economic crisis.

Further, the scientists argue that efforts to stem the financial meltdown could be boosted through investment in infrastructure projects - such as improved public transport - that were designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The co-author of the statement, Barrie Pittock, former head of the CSIRO's Climate Impact Group and a lead author on last year's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change report, said: "We could kill two birds with one stone."

The joint statement came after research by Deutsche Bank showed the global financial crisis could help to cut back global emissions as factories closed and car fleets stalled.

While Dr Pittock is a climate scientist, his co-author is geologist Andrew Glikson of the Australian National University and formerly with the Australian Geological Survey Organisation.

Signatories include Flinders University nanotechnologist Gunther Andersson, ANU marsupial geneticist Jenny Graves and a host of biologists, biochemists, paleontologists and others. A handful of climate scientists also signed.

According to Dr Pittock, he and Dr Glikson sought support primarily from non-climate scientists to refute the misconception that the only researchers concerned about global warming were climate scientists.