Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Water, Penny Wong, today released the report, “Climate Change Risks to Australia’s Coast” which estimates, by 2100, “a sea-level rise scenario of 1.1m”. (http://www.climatechange.gov.au/publications/coastline/climate-change-risks-to-australias-coasts.aspx)

In the past, Ms Wong and Kevin Rudd have said they rely on the IPCC reports for their policy decisions. They also criticise those who disagree with the IPCC.

However, the IPCC report (2007) gives a high and low scenario for sea level rises. The high of the high scenario is a rise of 59cm for the 21st century. That is far less than the 110cm in this new report.

So is Ms Wong now saying that the IPCC is wrong? If so, why won’t she listen to the large number of sceptics who also disagree with the IPCC?

Interestingly, the report also says (p. 6), “Over the geological past this dynamism has been even more pronounced, with sea levels up to 4-6 metres higher than today and the shoreline in some places more than 500 kilometres inland.”

Clearly, those increases could not have been caused by humans, but I don’t expect the media, or Wong or Rudd, will make that point!

Bob Long