Believe it or not, climate debate heats up

THE climate scientist Neville Nichols has long believed his role was research, not advocacy. But when he woke on the morning following the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, turned on his TV and caught his breath after witnessing the shocking aerial footage of what was once Marysville, he instinctively blamed himself.

''My initial thought was 'Is this my fault? Has this happened because I haven't been out there saying that this stuff is going to have catastrophic consequences for us?'''

''It is the first time I have ever been shaken from my belief that I shouldn't be an advocate on climate change.''