EDS might join High Court action

15 August 2010

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Environmental Defence Society might join High Court action

The Environmental Defence Society says it might apply to the High Court for permission to join proceedings being brought by climate sceptics against the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).

EDS was responding to an announcement by the Climate Science Coalition (reported in the Herald on-line) that it has filed an action in the High Court seeking to invalidate some aspects of NIWA’s science advice to government on climate change.

“We have not yet seen the statement of claim allegedly filed by the Coalition but we will be following this up tomorrow (Monday) morning and evaluating whether there is merit in joining the proceedings,” said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor.

“On the face of it, it’s hard to see how the issue can properly be brought before the Court.

“We have no doubts that the science behind global warming predictions is robust and reliable and would wish to support the institute in any way that we can.

“The facts support the conclusion that the climate is warming and that humans are contributing to it.

“We need to limit global average temperature rises to no more than 2 degrees Celsius to avert serious climate change from occurring. We are already seeing more extreme weather events and sea level rises and the human impacts of all that are very serious.

“It is one thing to have a robust debate about the science and quite another to attempt to belittle and undermine the need for action as the Coalition has been doing now for years,” Mr Taylor concluded.

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