A Melbourne climate scientist will be dispelling myths about climate change at Bendigo’s La Trobe University this afternoon.
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Professor of atmospheric science David Karoly, hailing from the University of Melbourne, will untangle the “signal and noise, evidence and misinformation” plaguing the climate change debate played out in the media and public.
Professor Karoly labeled himself a “climate skeptic” and said every scientist was trained in skepticism.
He said despite overwhelming scientific consensus that human impact had been the major factor in observed global warming over the past 50 years, the science is still hotly debated by Australian media personalities and politicians.
“If you go to media commentators, many would suggest it is a hoax or a fraud, they want to – in some sense – confuse the science, or confuse the public about the scientific conclusions,” Professor Karoly said.
He said one of many reasons people chose to decry climate change as false was because responding to it would mean changing our energy sources, jeopardising some industries that have been important in Australia in the past century.
He said too often people, politicians and even scientists cherry-picked the data to support their preconceived worldview.
“I want to disentangle the misinformation from the information to try to explain how it is that people – who are quite rational and sensible people – can misinterpret the data,” he said.
Professor David Karoly will hold the free public lecture today, Wednesday September 23, from 4.30pm at La Trobe Bendigo’s Circular Lecture Theatre.