Expert throws light on global warming

By Tania Martin
CLIMATE change needs action now: that’s the message that hills people heard loud and clear at a recent forum in Upwey.
Climatologist and author David Spratt spoke at the forum on 3 September with the clear message that people must take action.
More than 100 concerned hills people attended the forum.
Menzies Creek environmentalist Peter Cook said the message was clear and people needed to heed this warning about the growing risks of global warming.
“The science is very clear that climate change is accelerating and we need to take strong action to address it before it gets beyond human control,” he said.
Mr Spratt spoke about the science behind the issue, which is also explained in his book, Climate Code Red.
Mr Cook said a lot of hills people left the forum with a better understanding of the science behind the global warming debate.
He said one of the challenges people faced was understanding the science.
“This book really helps and it’s empowering,” Mr Cook said. “It goes a long way towards demystifying the issue … there are a lot of people who are sitting on the fence undecided about climate change.”
But Mr Cook said the book and forum were keys to helping people understand the issue and make informed decisions.
“People left the forum with a better understanding of the issues, similar to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth,” he said.
Shire of Yarra Ranges councillor Samantha Dunn said the forum had been a terrific way to help make people understand the challenges facing the environment.
Cr Dunn said the most important message was that action was needed now.
She said it was important for local communities to come together to put pressure on all levels of government to take serious action to combat climate change.
Cr Dunn said the forum was just the beginning of starting a major awareness program.
“There are a lot of people in our community raising awareness …now we will start to see that build and build,” she said.