A CLIMATE change-denying Tory has come under fire after he told school pupils he was “sceptical” about the science.
Edinburgh councillor Cameron Rose was responding to youth climate strikers as they sought support for their demonstration, planned for September 20.
Despite overwhelming evidence and near-unanimous consensus among environmental scientists – evidence which is recognised by the United Nations – Rose said that he was doubtful that the globe faces a climate emergency.
The demonstrators were seeking support from The City of Edinburgh Council after councillors recently decided to limit permitted action days for school pupils to one per year.
The school pupils responded to Rose by telling him to look up the facts for himself on the internet.
This isn’t the first time Rose has expressed his scepticism. In May this year, the councillor was booed by his colleagues as he said: “I recognise there are climate risks but I am none of the people along with many well qualified scientist that the doomsday predictions are not borne out by the science.”
The bizarre comments prompted a response from Scottish Greens councillor Steve Burgess: “As a long-standing councillor, I’m sadly used to Councillor Rose’s well-known climate scepticism.
“However, to the young people who were giving a presentation on the urgency of climate action it may have come as a surprise, so well done to them for putting him firmly in his place.”
He continued: “There is no doubt that the climate breakdown is real and already having an impact. There is no debate about the science. The only debate is about how best and how quickly to head off the worst effects. Any other claim is a distraction.”
The Scottish Greens’ education spokesperson Ross Greer added: “We are in a climate emergency, have experienced the hottest summer on record and both the Amazon and Siberia are on fire, yet Conservatives are telling school pupils they don’t believe this crisis is happening.
“No wonder young people are taking to the streets, striking and taking part in direct action protests. Every young person alive today will have their adult lives defined by a crisis not of their own making.
“They deserve better than being lectured to by conspiracy theorists like Cameron Rose. These school students and all others taking part in the Global Strike for Climate on September 20th have the Greens’ absolute support.”
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