At last, a point upon which climate skeptics and climate scientists can agree: The Conservatives' decision not to fund climate science in Canada insults both groups equally by ignoring the overwhelming consensus that many climate questions still need answers (Budget Deep Freeze Will Lead To Shutting Of Polar Research Lab - March 10).
Stephen Harper has argued Canada has no choice but to take its cues on emission targets from the U.S., but seems perfectly comfortable ignoring Washington's lead when it comes to funding climate research. In his recent budget, Barack Obama allocated $2.6-billion - an increase of 21 per cent - to the U.S. Global Change Research Program with an explicit recognition of the need to better understand the changes and perturbations of the global climate.
Mr. Harper's budget offered nothing for climate science. Understanding Canada's climate and changes here are pivotal to understanding not only the problems faced by many regions in our country, but also climate changes around the planet.
Canada's climate scientists, recognized as among the world's best, are too cash strapped to do much. By ignoring the need for new funds for the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences, Ottawa has ignored Canadians on all sides of the climate debate who look to science to solve the vexing mysteries of climate once and for all.
Author, The Curse of Akkad: Climate Upheavals that Rocked Human History