Climate change, science, the media, and public opinion

"Unknown unknowns: The things we don't know, we don't know"

The extent of the contribution to climate change of greenhouse gases arising from human sources e.g. the burning of fossil fuels and natural sources e.g. water vapour, is yet to be critically defined?

Scientific knowledge on changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration over the long-term is extensive, but reliable data on atmospheric water vapour is limited to about the previous 10-15 years. Their interaction may influence the reliability of mathematical models? Depending on how water vapour fluctuates in the atmosphere – up or down - the impact may be to intensify or lessen the extent of global warming as carbon dioxide increases?

Depending on the timeframe, it is possible that if no global action is taken to limit carbon dioxide emissions, the impacts of climate change may become irreversible.

As renewable energy projects proliferate over time, the potential for conflict and litigation to arise over the development of the proposed sites and adverse impacts on the ecologically critical habitat of threatened species is real.

Ultimately, it will be for the electorate to decide what action Australia must take to respond to climate change in the national interest. But the trigger for the electorate making the best informed decision rests with science and the news media to shape, and to not follow, public opinion on action for climate change.