Scientists not being listened to on climate change is a worrying sign - Yorkshire Post Letters

When scientists are calling on the public to become activists, you have to question what's going on. You would think such highly academic people would be more interested in writing impactful papers in high quality journals or publishing UN reports and laying down evidence of what’s happening to the climate.

However, ‘apparently that’s not working’, says a member of Scientist Rebellion which includes almost 2,000 scientists amongst its membership, including many highly respected IPCC contributors.

They wrote an open letter pre Cop28 which began "First, we were concerned. Then, we were alarmed. Now, we are terrified... No country is acting in line with a 1.5C pathway. It is still possible to turn the tide – but we need you."

It then continued, "Wherever you are, become a climate advocate or activist. Join or start groups pushing for policies that help secure a better future. Contact groups that are active where you are... and attend their meetings. If we are to create a liveable future, climate action must move from being something that others do to something that we all do."

At a time when Cop28 has agreed only on "accelerating efforts towards the phasedown of coal power" and "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems," whilst still recognising that "transitional fuels [i.e. gas] can play a role in facilitating the energy transition," you can see their point.

Our own government has become an embarrassment - a one-time ‘world leader on climate’ now reduced to a puddle of contradictions - professing to be fully committed to Net Zero while at the same time allowing new oil and gas licences and refusing to create a credible plan to insulate UK housing stock.

We need scientists and they need us. Fossil fuel phaseout - nothing less. We need it now.