Climate change controversy warning
Updated on 31 January 2010
The controversy over the science of global warming should not undermine decades of climate research, the Environment Secretary Ed Miliband has warned. Carl Dinnen reports.
He said it would be "devastating" for future generations if the world didn't continue efforts to cut carbon emissions and curb any rises in temperature.
It follows last month's disclosure that the United Nations intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) had exaggerated claims about the melting of Himalayan glaciers.
That row followed the disclosure that the climate research unit at the university of East Anglia, already at the centre of a controversy over hacked emails, broke freedom of information rules in refusing to release research data.
Mr Miliband conceded the claims had been damaging and the IPCC had to reform some of its procedures in collecting data but they did not undermine the decades of climate research and the "overwhelming" majority of scientists agreed.
Mr Miliband said: "It is important that not just politicians but scientists come out and put this in context.
"Yes it was bad a mistake that was made, yes the IPCC needs to reform its procedures so these kind of mistakes don't happen again.
"But the truth is it doesn't undermine decades of climate research and the overwhelming majority of scientists say that.
"I think science is improved when criticised and improved when opened up. What I think is it is profoundly irresponsible is to suggest that one fact that was wrong about a glacier undermines the overall picture on climate change.
"There are people who want to say: 'Look this is all a load of nonsense, let's just stick our head in the sand, let's take the easy way out.'
"It would be much easier if climate change wasn't happening, it would be much easier for governments, and it would be much easier for the population at large but it would be a disastrous way to go because it would be devastating for future generations."
