MORE than 140 scientists from 14 universities and research institutes across the nation are urging the Scottish Government to take immediate action on climate change.
The academics have signed a letter calling for ambitious action in order to avert climate and ecological breakdown.
It comes as environmental movements in the UK – including the Scottish Youth Climate Strike and Extinction Rebellion Scotland – call on the Government to declare a climate emergency, halt biodiversity loss, reduce net emissions to zero well before 2050, and explore a Green New Deal to restructure the economy.
“Across the world we have seen an unprecedented surge in non-violent protest movements highlighting the global climate and ecological emergency,” said Dr Emma Bush, an environment sciences PhD researcher of the University Stirling and one of the letter’s signatories.
Speaking ahead of Friday’s Youth Strike For Climate, when the letter will be delivered to Holyrood, she added: “As scientists who work daily to understand climate change and its impacts on our natural life support systems, we are speaking to say these concerns are not only justified but require urgent action.”
In response to the recent uprising of environmental activists, the academics wrote to the Government reminding them of the dangers of inaction.
It read: “If unchecked, the likely consequences of climate change are far reaching, including sea-level rise and the loss of low lying islands, species extinctions, drought and water shortages, ocean acidification, increased spread of pathogens and disease, crop failures and reductions in food security.
“All of these ecological impacts will have tangible consequences for all of human society.”
“If we are to mitigate the existential threat posed by climate change we must act, quickly and decisively. ”
While the letter acknowledges the Scottish Government’s commitment to net 90% elimination of greenhouse gases by 2050, the signatories say “we do not believe that this adequately reflects the level of urgency which this issue merits, or the level of societal engagement which the necessary changes will require.”
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