SCOTTISH scientists have rallied together to counter climate change.
A letter written to the Scottish Government appealing for action was signed by 144 members from various faculties and research departments across the country.
Written by Dr Sarah Greenwood from the University of Edinburgh and Dr Emma Bush of the University of Stirling, the letter outlined the need for Scotland to justify climate protests and take action against the increase in global average temperature.
It cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published in October last year which warned that any temperature rise above 1.5C would be devastating to the world.
The pair wrote: “As scientists, we see the impacts of climate change in our own work, but the risks taken by climate protesters were a wake up call and brought the reality and urgency of the crisis home.
“We knew the climate protesters were justified in calling an emergency and demanding immediate action.
“We felt the urgency of the protests, and the responsibility to speak out in support.
“So we wrote a letter to the Scottish Government to emphasise that climate protests are justified and backed by scientists.
“Within days, the letter was shared widely and signed by 144 scientists.”
The Scottish Government has since declared a climate emergency, upgrading Scotland’s emissions target to net zero by 2045.
While this falls short of the demands of campaigners, it is a huge advance on Scotland’s previous target of a 90% reduction by 2050, described only the year before by the Government as being “at the limits of feasibility”.
Dr Ellie Devenish-Nelson of the University of Edinburgh voiced her support for governmental action.
She said: “I signed the letter since climate change is one of the biggest societal challenges of our times and we all share a responsibility to act to ensure the future of our planet.”
Professor David Burslem of the University of Aberdeen said the letter “captures the urgency of the climate crisis we face, which I see consistently reflected in the results of my research”.
He added: “Our research has demonstrated how changing rainfall regimes and higher incidence of extreme climatic events is limiting the resilience of forests and their capacity to deliver the ecosystem services on which we all depend.”
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