Supporting Science and Students

TODAY people around the world are supporting student strikes to bring awareness to climate change and in Scone Murray Armstrong was doing his bit to support the students, with a sit in at the Upper Hunter Shire Council.

Murray was joined by Dr Richard Abbott and Roslyn Armstrong, with others welcome.

Murray said he only decided to support the students with a sit in, a couple of days ago and thought the Council would be the ideal place, since it is one of only a handful of Councils which has declared a climate emergency at their February meeting.

Murray Armstrong sitting in to support students striking globally for climate change awareness.

“I’m doing this in support of the parents for climate action and the students for climate action who are holding passive sit in demonstrations in front of parliament houses and politician’s offices around the country today and it’s a global event,” said Mr Armstrong.

“I have been supporting the school for climate action rallies since the first one in Martin Place, Sydney in November of last year and I’ve been to two major rallies in Newcastle since then and I’ve decided it is time that I made a stand in my local community,” he said.

In terms of science, Murray Armstrong encourages people who believe in science, but don’t believe in climate science to evaluate it as they do other forms of science.  

“I believe in the climate science and my question to people who don’t believe in climate science is, which other realms of science don’t they believe in?” he questioned.

“Do they not believe in medical science or oceanography or astrophysics, or mechanical science, or agricultural sciences? Do they not believe in all of those?

“So why being advised for 40 years by climate scientists that we are approaching a very serious situation for the human population, why are we not doing enough about it?

Dr Richard Abbott with Murray Armstrong supporting students raising awareness for climate change.

There be might be 2 percent of climate scientists who have a different opinion, but 98 percent agree, and I think it is fear that makes people want to believe the 2 percent.

“What the scientists are predicting is a frightening future and it is much easier to deny it is happening, but we do need to look at the science and act,” he said.

“The global temperature has risen by 1 degree since 1900, but the scientists say that if we reach 2 or 3 degrees it will have significant impact and what they were predicting 40 years are now occurring with more unexpected climactic events,” said Murray Armstrong.

The first step the school children are lobbying for, is no new coal mines and a transition to more renewable energies, which Murray believes is a step in the right direction.

“The school kids are asking for a stop to new coal mines, they are not asking for a stop to coal mining tomorrow, but to start to transition to new energy and for the government to start programs to develop new industries, including renewable energy,” he said.

“Germany is increasingly relying on solar energy and Australia has more sun than most countries,” Murray Armstrong said.

For more information on the science of climate change visit: Skeptical Science.