Climate change science highlights uncertainties | The Australian

The language of uncertainty that is littered throughout the IPCC summary supports this rational approach. And it throws the spotlight onto those who have drawn attention to themselves or their cause through emotional or dogmatic language. Former US vice-president Al Gore has probably been the worst offender with his proselytising about the "terrible catastrophes" that global warming has in store. His documentary An Inconvenient Truth had a significant impact on the international debate, but he has had plenty of willing accomplices. Prominent among them have been Australia's own Greens leader Bob Brown and the man Julia Gillard appointed as Chief Climate Change Commissioner, the palaeontologist Tim Flannery. Professor Flannery has issued a range of hysterical warnings, including about rising sea levels: "Anyone with a coastal view from their bedroom window, or their kitchen window, or wherever, is likely to lose their house as a result of that change, so anywhere, any coastal cities, coastal areas, are in grave danger." When Australia was suffering severe drought a few years ago, he suggested Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide would soon run out of water and that we should "stop worrying about 'the drought' - which is transient - and start talking about the new climate". He said the Arctic ice-cap could be gone by the year after next.