Leader: Some heart-warming news about climate change

Published on Thursday 24 November 2011 00:00

CHEER up – global warming will be good for Scotland. Forget those doom-laden predictions of “green” campaigners. Climate change will lead to fewer winter deaths and lower heating bills for households. So says Lord John Kreb – chairman of the “adaptation sub-committee” no less – of the Committee on Climate Change.

Who are we to argue? Throw some more smokey coal on the fire and turn up those electrical appliances. Extreme change in weather patterns, he declares, will also hand “good opportunities” and a boost to Scottish businesses, due to the melting of ice across the Arctic and the opening-up of new shipping routes for firms. However – and isn’t there always a “however” with those climate change boffins? – his report also warns of “damaging impacts” in Scotland, and vulnerability to a greater risk of flooding and storms.

But as these have long been features of the Scottish climate, it may be difficult to distinguish between what is normal and what is not. But the prospect of lower heating bills and a boost to tourism should warm Scottish hearts. Have we not waited long enough for this? It may not yet be banana trees and mangoes in the streets of Aberfeldy. But we can never be sure what lies round the corner with the weather – even with those adaptation experts.

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Mark Dowe, Dumfries & Galloway

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 09:53 AM

'...it may be difficult to distinguish between what is normal and what is not.' Especially when we consider that the moving cyclical averages for climatic temperatures, even in micro-climates, are variable. If that is so how certain can we be of the predictions cast by environmentalists on global warming?

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samcoldstream

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 09:23 AM

In Scotland, why are winter mortality rates for the elderly much higher than most other European countries, especially in comparison to the Nordic nations? Why are life expectancy rates for both men and women much lower than most other European countries? (Source: WHO)

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unimpressedone

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 09:08 AM

#1 Well your comment is up so the answer to your question is, 'no'. Fool.

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tested

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 08:29 AM

I thought the "settled scientific opinion" was that there has been no further GW over the last 13 years.

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Proud Doonhamer

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 12:42 AM

What utter stupidity! A degree of two warmer in some locales but more flooding in the Central Belt. Excuse me, where do most of the people live? Is this newspaper actually trying to find a good reason for global warming? Is there no limit to the tripe that you are willing to print?

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