NZ Herald: Climate change – A ‘bigger threat than terrorism’

A series of piece’s from the Weekend Herald’s climate change special written by Chris Barton and Geoff Cumming.

An excerpt: Read here in full. Further coverage here and here. And also here.

“Sir David King speaks with gravitas.

“Let me emphasise the magnitude of the transition we’re talking about. Today we’re emitting globally 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide,” says the former chief scientific adviser to the British Government.

“In order to manage this problem the scientific community is speaking with a single voice – by mid-century that needs to get down to 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide per annum.” Halved, in other words.

“King may be overstating the “single voice” – some scientists say a lower target is needed. But he is correct about what needs to happen over the next 40 years to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change – a progressive “de-carbonising” of world economies.”