Climate change denial tackled by Sir Peter Gluckman

Professor Sir Peter Gluckman will tackle the controversial issue of climate change denial as part of a seminar series focusing on key policy challenges facing New Zealand.

Sir Peter - Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister - will address the issue in the first of seven seminars presented by the School of Government and the Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday evening.

Sir Peter says many people have become sceptical about climate change, despite its acceptance by most scientists.

"While there is a very high level of consensus amongst climate scientists as to the nature of climate change and its human-caused underpinnings, there is a high level of denial and scepticism in the broader community. While scepticism is inherent in a robust self-correcting scientific process, denialism is different."

He relates climate change denial to other examples such as the arguments over tobacco and cancer, evolution and creation and the HIV-denial movement.

"As has been the case in other issues of this nature, there are a variety of motives underlying these different positions and thus responses arising."

He says the presentation will look at the multiple reasons for this discord as they relate to climate change, and also address the importance of policies tackling the issue.

"In the case of climate change, despite this uncertainty, policy judgements need to be made so as to mitigate against and adapt to predicted scenarios."

He says the consequences of denialism "present a challenge both to the science system and to how science and society will continue to interact".

"Contemporary science has become dominated by the study of complex systems, but such science often is associated with levels of uncertainty and is based on concepts of probability."

What: Integrity in Science: Implications for the Climate Change Debate
When: 5pm – 6pm Wednesday 9 June 2010
Where: Lecture Theatre One, Government Buildings, Pipitea Campus, Wellington

Admission is free and all are welcome – No RSVP required.

This seminar is one of a series presented by the School of Government in association with the Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington. See their websites http://ips.ac.nz/ or http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sog for information about upcoming events.

For more information about Sir Peter Gluckman visit www.pmcsa.org.nz.