NASA expert: Prosecute climate change liars

Prosecute climate change liars - NASA expert
By staff writers and wires of Reuters
June 24, 2008

The heads of major fossil fuel companies who spread disinformation about global warming should be "tried for high crimes against humanity and nature," according to a leading climate scientist.

Dr James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, sounded the alarm about global warming in testimony before a US Senate subcommittee exactly 20 years ago, Fox News reported.

He returned to the US capital yesterday to speak to US lawmakers about what he believes is a global warming "emergency" .

"Special interests have blocked the transition to our renewable energy future," Dr Hansen wrote in an opinion piece posted on the WorldWatch Institute website to coincide with his visit to Washington.

"Instead of moving heavily into renewable energies, fossil fuel companies choose to spread doubt about global warming, just as tobacco companies discredited the link between smoking and cancer. Methods are sophisticated, including funding to help shape school textbook discussions of global warming."

Dr Hansen said fossil energy companies were aware of the negative, long-term consequences of their business.

"In my opinion, these CEOs should be tried for high crimes against humanity and nature," he wrote.

Dr Hansen said urgent action was needed to cut carbon dioxide emissions that are warming the globe and are already causing arctic ice to melt.

He said world leaders had only one or two years to act before the Earth reaches a "tipping point" with major consequences to the global climate and species survival.

"We have reached an emergency situation," Dr Hansen said.

He said the US Government should not keep the proceeds from any carbon tax they may levy, but refund the money to taxpayers to help them pay for more fuel efficient technology.

The CSIRO yesterday released a report saying Australia's proposed carbon tax was nothing to fear as incomes would rise more quickly than energy prices.