Your correspondent Mike Burston (‘Assertions not supported’, The Border Mail, October 17) appeared to be implying that there is some kind of balance in the scientific literature in relation to climate change. His letter starts by declaring that, “two climate change reports have recently been published”, these being the IPCC fifth report and an e-book from a Dr John McLean of James Cook University.
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Mr Burston is concerned that the ABC or mainstream media do not mention Dr McLean’s e-book, despite the fact that it “shreds the basic temperature data on which the IPCC relies”.
I suggest that this is an entirely false presumption of equivalence and we are not looking at two different but equal studies. For a start the IPCC report isn’t a scientific study, it’s a summary of thousands of peer reviewed studies from dozens of different disciplines from researchers all over the planet. It would be very hard to “shred the basic temperature data” because the data comes from a wide variety of studies conducted on every continent over a broad time scale.
The overwhelming conclusion from this report is that there is no room left for doubt; the climate is certainly getting warmer despite what Dr McLean’s e-book might say.
Mr Burston then makes the extraordinary comment that “If the long-term trend is presently a little on the warming side, why is this not a good thing?”
We’ve already experienced one degree of warming since the mid 20th century and the result is bushfires in winter, ice caps melting, record low flows of rivers, and what may be the longest and hardest drought since white settlement. All of this will be worse at 1.5 degrees despite Mr Burston’s blithe confidence that it’s not really a problem.
Graham Parton, Beechworth
Disgusted at vandals
Our club was formed 30 years ago to promote safe and responsible four-wheel-driving in a family environment. Club members adhere to a strict code of ethics which includes obeying the laws and regulations for recreational vehicles that apply to public lands and respecting the culture, heritage and environment values of public and private land by obeying restrictions that may apply.
We can only hope that the offenders who destroyed this beautiful area will be apprehended very soon and receive severe penalties.
Jan Doyle, Albury-Wodonga 4WD Club Inc.
Did she miss the levy?
If this is the case Cr Speedie, then why is it that for 10 years you let the Council overcharge us ratepayers with the waste levy? Are you admitting you went through the overcharge with a fine-toothed comb and rubber stamped that too?
