FASTS Organises Conference Dealing with Climate Scepticism. (June 15, 2010)

Dr Cathy Foley

The Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) has organised a one day conference of representatives of its member organisations to discuss possible methods of communicating better with the general public regarding the science demonstrating the anthropogenic contributions to climate change, particularly in the light of growing apathy not to say scepticism as attested to, for example, by a recent Lowy Institute Poll which found that the number of Australians who wanted immediate action regarding global warming had dropped 22%, from 68% in 2006 to 46% in 2010.

Addressing the conference will be Australia's chief scientist, Professor Penny Sackett while representatives from CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Academy of Science and the Department of Climate Change, will be among those attending.

FASTS' president, physicist Cathy Foley noted that a well-organised and well-funded climate sceptics' movement had captured  increasing attention: ''We are concerned the debate around climate change has become a left-wing versus right-wing debate - or a kind of religious argument - when it should really be about the strength of the scientific evidence.'' And Dr Foley emphasised that the conference was not about politics or ''brainwashing'' the public.

Click here to listen to Dr Foley being interviewed by the ABC.