Are the glaciers melting?
Updated on 10 May 2005
Global warming: looming on the horizon - or already a fact of life.
David Bellamy disputes the global warming is caused by carbon emissions.
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Channel 4 news reported the Inuit people in Northern Canada claim America's massive consumption of fossil fuels is already increasing the temperature - and destroying their Arctic habitat.
But now two key environmentalists are disputing the evidence about global warming. One claims the glaciers are actually growing. The other says he's just trying to deny climate change exists.
More evidence today claim those worried about climate change as an alpine glacier gets the kid glove treatment alarmed by the retreat of its icecap, a Swiss resort is swathing it in a fleece like material to reflect the sun's rays and prevent it melting.
But two high profile environmentalists are locking horns over whether or not glaciers are retreating anyway.
Writing in the new scientists David Bellamy wrote: "It should be pointed out that glaciers in many parts of the world are not shrinking but are in fact growing. In fact if you take all the evidence mentioned by the Kyotoists into consideration 55 of all the 625 glaciers under observation have been growing since 1980."
Read Bellamy's article
here(requires subscription.)
However the environmental campaigner George Monbiot wrote in the Guardian: "I telephoned the World Glacier Monitoring Service and read out Bellamy's letter. They said:'This is complete bullshit', the latest studies show that most of the world's glaciers are retreating."
Read Monbiot's article here.
Mr Monbiot fears that David Bellamy's high profile may mean that organisations unwilling to accept greenhouse gases as a cause of global warming will use his position to defend their practices.
David Bellamy disputes the global warming is caused by carbon emissions.
David Bellamy: "I have just read George's article in the Guardian I would like to go and check it because if you actually read what the monitoring say some glaciers have been growing and they castigated me for not knowing why and wherefore.
Jon Snow: But do you believe the icecaps are thickening and the glaciers are in fact getting stronger?
Bellamy: "I think there is good evidence around the world that this is happening.
Mombiot: "It's just staggering. The latest figures by the world monitoring service show that of the 88 glaciers they are monitoring, 82 are in retreat, the other ones are in stasis. There are one or two which are growing and it's caused by local effects of global warming caused by higher rainfall. But worldwide it's a picture of massive retreatand all the scientific evidence shows this.
"When I tried to find out where David obtained this he pointed me to a website run by a convicted fraudster. I then followed these figures until I found one which they came from a paper published in science 16 years ago.
"I checked that up, there is no such paper there are no such figures. These are fraudulent figures and I'm afraid David you have found yourself committing scientific fraud.
Bellamy: "Really well tell me. I believe in climate change and it is a completely natural process. You believe in carbon for climate change. Tell me where the evidence is?
Mombiot: "Well there is a staggering amount of evidence literally tens of thousands scientific papers. Your attempt to produce some counter evidence actually relied on false data on what appears to be fraudulent data. If you are dismissing the great majority and I'm talking over 99.9 per cent of the world's climate scientists you have to some pretty strong data to dismiss that. But what you have dismissed that data with is data which has no source and is false.
Bellamy: You have been having a go at me for a long time. Tell me where the evidence is for carbon caused global warming. It is a series of models you can't prove anything with the models.
David Bellamy disputes the global warming is caused by carbon emissions.
I wonder as to what the point is in giving an obvious heretic 15 minutes of airtime? The discussion regarding global warming was a farce, although in terms of discrediting the mumbling pseudo-scientist, Mr Monbiot has, as always, done an excellent job. (Verena Jabs)
How infinitely depressing to see a man revered by millions of people for years fall apart on live tv. Was he drunk? Whatever, it was a very sad occasion. He completely lost it, and was apparently unable to stop digging, although he must have known he was in a deep deep hole. Jon Snow seemed almost banjaxed by it, understandably. (Sean Maffett)
What? George Monbiot? This is the man who equates the size of one's car with the size of a man's genitals !! Get real please, Channel 4 - if you are going to interview an ecologist please select a respected one. (Nick Vernon)
This was an excellent subject to cover but a less fair contest. If Bellamy is losing his faculties as exposed by Monbiot in his article and in the live one to one, can it be presented in a different format (perhaps pre-recorded) that doesn't embarrass both the participants and the audience? Bellamy was always a hero of mine and it is sad to see him decline.(Graham Pinfield)
Personally I've been shocked at how Bellamy's opinions have been given weight just because of who he is. Well done for exposing them to the harsh light of reality.(Ric Parkin)
