Oriundos de mais de uma dúzia de países, mais de uma centena de proeminentes cientistas – incluindo um laureado com um prémio Nobel – assinaram uma carta dirigida ao Presidente Obama classificando como “simplesmente incorrectas” as posições de Obama acerca das alterações climáticas.
Esta carta – patrocinada pelo
Cato Institute – contesta a seguinte declaração de Obama, proferida em 19 de Novembro de 2008 : “Poucos desafios enfrentados pela América e pelo mundo exigem um combate mais urgente do que as alterações climáticas. As conclusões científicas são inquestionáveis e os factos são claros”.
Sob o título “
Com o devido respeito, Senhor Presidente, isso não é verdade”, os mais de cem cientistas declararam o seguinte :
Os abaixo assinados defendem que os receios em torno das alterações climáticas estão grosseiramente sobrestimados. Ao longo do século passado as variações da temperatura à superfície do planeta foram episódicas e modestas e, além disso, não tem havido qualquer aquecimento global desde há uma década.
Os modelos de computador que prevêem um aumento rápido da temperatura falham de uma forma inaudita na explicação da recente evolução climática.
Senhor Presidente : a sua caracterização dos factos científicos relacionados com as alterações climáticas e o grau de certeza que supõe incorporado no debate científico está pura e simplesmente incorrecto.
Os 116 signatários incluem : Ivar Giaever, Ph.D., que partilhou o Prémio Nobel da Física de 1973 pelo seu trabalho em supercondutores na General Electric ; John Blaylock, anteriormente no Laboratório Nacional de Los Alamos ; Richard Lindzen, Ph.D., do Instituto Tecnológico de Massachusetts; e William Gray, Ph.D., um respeitado perito de furacões da Universidade do Estado do Colorado.
Os subscritores incluem ainda cientistas da Universidade de Princeton, da Academia Naval dos Estados Unidos, da Universidade do Kansas, da Universidade de Oklahoma, da Universidade do Colorado e da Universidade do Missouri.
Entre os países representados pelos subscritores estão a Grã-Bretanha, Canadá, Itália, Noruega, Alemanha, Austrália, Nova Zelândia, Japão, Argentina e África do Sul.
Alguns dos cientistas são actuais ou anteriores recensores do Painel Intergovernamental para as Alterações Climáticas – os quais partilharam o Prémio Nobel da Paz de 2007 com Al Gore, o militante do aquecimento global – e que, desde então, inverteram as suas posições acerca do aquecimento global com origem antropogénica.
Segue-se a lista dos signatários :
1. Syun-Ichi Akasofu, Ph.D, University Of Alaska
2. Arthur G. Anderson, Ph.D, Director Of Research, IBM (retired)
3. Charles R. Anderson, Ph.D, Anderson Materials Evaluation
4. J. Scott Armstrong, Ph.D, University Of Pennsylvania
5. Robert Ashworth, Clearstack LLC
6. Ismail Baht, Ph.D, University Of Kashmir
7. Colin Barton Csiro, (retired)
8. David J. Bellamy, OBE, The British Natural Association
9. John Blaylock, Los Alamos National Laboratory (retired)
10. Edward F. Blick, Ph.D, University Of Oklahoma (emeritus)
11. Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen, Ph.D, University Of Hull
12. Bob Breck Ams, Broadcaster Of The Year 2008
13. John Brignell, University Of Southampton (emeritus)
14. Mark Campbell, Ph.D, U.S. Naval Academy
15. Robert M. Carter, Ph.D, James Cook University
16. Ian Clark, Ph.D, Professor, Earth Sciences University Of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
17. Roger Cohen, Ph.D, Fellow, American Physical Society
18. Paul Copper, Ph.D, Laurentian University (emeritus)
19. Piers Corbyn, MS, Weather Action
20. Richard S. Courtney, Ph.D, Reviewer, Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change
21. Uberto Crescenti, Ph.D, Past-President, Italian Geological Society
22. Susan Crockford, Ph.D, University Of Victoria
23. Joseph S. D'aleo, Fellow, American Meteorological Society
24. James Demeo, Ph.D, University Of Kansas (retired)
25. David Deming, Ph.D, University Of Oklahoma
26. Diane Douglas, Ph.D, Paleoclimatologist
27. David Douglass, Ph.D, University Of Rochester
28. Robert H. Essenhigh, E.G. Bailey Emeritus, Professor Of Energy Conversion, The Ohio State University
29. Christopher Essex, Ph.D, University Of Western Ontario
30. John Ferguson, Ph.D, University Of Newcastle
31. Upon Tyne, (retired)
32. Eduardo Ferreyra, Argentinian Foundation For A Scientific Ecology
33. Michael Fox, Ph.D, American Nuclear Society
34. Gordon Fulks, Ph.D, Gordon Fulks And Associates
35. Lee Gerhard, Ph.D, State Geologist, Kansas (retired)
36. Gerhard Gerlich, Ph.D, Technische Universitat Braunschweig
37. Ivar Giaever, Ph.D, Nobel Laureate, Physics
38. Albrecht Glatzle, Ph.D, Scientific Director, Inttas (Paraguay)
39. Wayne Goodfellow, Ph.D, University Of Ottawa
40. James Goodridge, California State Climatologist, (retired)
41. Laurence Gould, Ph.D, University Of Hartford
42. Vincent Gray, Ph.D, New Zealand Climate Coalition
43. William M. Gray, Ph.D, Colorado State University
44. Kenneth E. Green, D.Env., American Enterprise Institute
45. Kesten Green, Ph.D, Monash University
46. Will Happer, Ph.D, Princeton University
47. Howard C. Hayden, Ph.D, University Of Connecticut, (emeritus)
48. Ben Herman, Ph.D, University Of Arizona, (emeritus)
49. Martin Hertzberg, Ph.D, U.S. Navy, (retired)
50. Doug Hoffman, Ph.D, Author, The Resilient Earth
51. Bernd Huettner, Ph.D.
52. Ole Humlum, Ph.D, University Of Oslo
53. A. Neil Hutton, Past President, Canadian Society Of Petroleum Geologists
54. Craig D. Idso, Ph.D, Center For The Study Of Carbon Dioxide And Global Change
55. Sherwood B. Idso, Ph.D, U.S. Department Of Agriculture (retired)
56. Kiminori Itoh, Ph.D, Yokohama National University
57. Steve Japar, Ph.D, Reviewer, Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change
58. Sten Kaijser, Ph.D, Uppsala University, (emeritus)
59. Wibjorn Karlen, Ph.D, University Of Stockholm, (emeritus)
60. Joel Kauffman, Ph.D, University Of The Sciences, Philadelphia, (emeritus)
61. David Kear, Ph.D, Former Director-General, Nz Dept. Scientific And Industrial Research
62. Richard Keen, Ph.D, University Of Colorado
63. Dr. Kelvin Kemm, Ph.D, Lifetime Achievers Award, National Science And Technology Forum, South Africa
64. Madhav Khandekar, Ph.D, Former Editor, Climate Research
65. Robert S. Knox, Ph.D, University Of Rochester (emeritus)
66. James P. Koermer, Ph.D, Plymouth State University
67. Gerhard Kramm, Ph.D, University Of Alaska Fairbanks
68. Wayne Kraus, Ph.D, Kraus Consulting
69. Olav M. Kvalheim, Ph.D, Univ. Of Bergen
70. Roar Larson, Ph.D, Norwegian University Of Science And Technology
71. James F. Lea, Ph.D.
72. Douglas Leahy, Ph.D, Meteorologist
73. Peter R. Leavitt, Certified Consulting Meteorologist
74. David R. Legates, Ph.D, University of Delaware
75. Richard S. Lindzen, Ph.D, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
76. Harry F. Lins, Ph.D. Co-Chair, IPCC Hydrology and Water Resources Working Group
77. Anthony R. Lupo, Ph.D, University Of Missouri
78. Howard Maccabee, Ph.D, MD Clinical Faculty, Stanford Medical School
79. Horst Malberg, Ph.D, Free University of Berlin
80. Bjorn Malmgren, Ph.D, Goteburg University (emeritus)
81. Jennifer Marohasy, Ph.D, Australian Environment Foundation
82. James A Marusek, U.S. Navy, (retired)
83. Ross Mckitrick, Ph.D, University Of Guelph
84. Patrick J. Michaels, Ph.D, University Of Virginia
85. Timmothy R. Minnich, MS, Minnich And Scotto, Inc.
86. Asmunn Moene, Ph.D, Former Head, Forecasting Center, Meteorological Institute, Norway
87. Michael Monce, Ph.D, Connecticut College
88. Dick Morgan, Ph.D, Exeter University, (emeritus)
89. Nils-Axel Morner, Ph.D, Stockholm University, (emeritus)
90. David Nowell, D.I.C., Former Chairman, Nato Meteorology Canada 91. Cliff Ollier, D.Sc., University Of Western Australia
92. Garth W. Paltridge, Ph.D, University Of Tasmania
93. Alfred Peckarek, Ph.D, St. Cloud State University
94. Dr. Robert A. Perkins, P.E. University Of Alaska
95. Ian Pilmer, Ph.D, University Of Melbourne (emeritus)
96. Brian R. Pratt, Ph.D, University Of Saskatchewan
97. John Reinhard, Ph.D, Ore Pharmaceuticals
98. Peter Ridd, Ph.D, James Cook University
99. Curt Rose, Ph.D, Bishop's University (emeritus)
100. Peter Salonius, M.Sc., Canadian Forest Service
101. Gary Sharp, Ph.D, Center For Climate/Ocean Resources Study
102. Thomas P. Sheahan, Ph.D, Western Technologies, Inc.
103. Alan Simmons, Author, The Resilient Earth
104. Roy N. Spencer, Ph.D, University Of Alabama-Huntsville
105. Arlin Super, Ph.D, Retired Research Meteorologist, U.S. Dept. Of Reclamation
106. George H. Taylor, MS, Applied Climate Services
107. Eduardo P. Tonni, Ph.D, Museo De La Plata, (Argentina)
108. Ralf D. Tscheuschner, Ph.D.
109. Dr. Anton Uriarte, Ph.D, Universidad Del Pais Vasco
110. Brian Valentine, Ph.D, U.S. Department Of Energy
111. Gosta Walin, Ph.D, University Of Gothenburg, (emeritus)
112. Gerd-Rainer Weber, Ph.D, Reviewer, Intergovernmenal Panel On Climate Change
113. Forese-Carlo Wezel, Ph.D, Urbino University
114. Edward T. Wimberley, Ph.D, Florida Gulf Coast University
115. Miklos Zagoni, Ph.D, Reviewer, Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change
116. Antonio Zichichi, Ph.D, President, World Federation Of Scientists