We can win, says climate-change expert

Published on Friday 28 March 2008 21:24

A UK expert on climate change says he believes humanity has the technological power to tackle global warming.

But Professor Chris Rapley CBE, director of London's Science Museum and former director of the British Antarctic Survey, said governments had to "go up a gear" to meet the challenge. He raised the issue as he prepared to receive the Edinburgh Medal at the Edinburgh Science Festival for his climate-change work.

Writing in the The Scotsman, today, he said: "Behaviour in all of society has to change. At this stage, nobody knows which technology is going to win, which means the financiers will have to spread their investments. They must cope with the kind of uncertainty they have not confronted since the 19th century, before fossil fuels..."

He added: "However, in principle, we are the masters of our own destiny and ought to be able to solve it."

The medal is awarded to scientists making a significant contribution to "the understanding and well-being of humanity".