Global warming denial in U.S. will help China overtake America, says top scientist
One of the world's most respected scientists has slammed America's position on global warming.
Peter Raven has been a trusted adviser of U.S. presidents, popes and other heads of state on the issue since 1964.
The 76-year-old American scientist and former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says that an anti-climate stance has diminished U.S. prestige among world leaders.
Eminent scientist: Former presidential adviser Peter Raven says that an anti-climate stance has diminished American prestige among world leaders
Attention is turning instead to China -- who is seen as a more positive and influential global force.
Achim Steiner, the Brazilian head of the United Nations Environmental Program, told ABC News that Europe is 'looking east' to find a solution to the problem.
Mr Raven is in agreement.
'Two years ago, the world was hoping for U.S. leadership on this question, global climate change, and now it has pretty well given up, with us as the only hold-out nation on the science,' he says.
'We measure worldwide climate by satellite, we know what it is... [and] unpredictable events correlated with climate change are occurring with increasing frequency.'
In response to claims by some U.S. political parties stating that man-made global warming is a 'hoax,' Mr Raven said 'it's just foolishness' to believe that global warming isn't a real threat.
'It's not a matter of conjecture anymore,' Mr Raven told ABC News.
Serious challenge: Other leading scientists say that a vigorous 'disinformation campaign' by U.S. political parties and the fossil fuel industry is a 'tragedy'
'Climate change is the most serious challenge probably that the human race has ever confronted.'
Christiana Figueres, the head of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change, also spoke to the network about the 'tragedy' of the U.S. position.
'The U.S. is cutting off its possibilities to be a leader in this field, to be a leader in green technology [and thus] create jobs,' said Ms Figueres.'
'The U.S. is losing leadership to China,' she continued.
Mr Raven also says that a vigorous 'disinformation campaign' in the U.S. by political parties, particularly the Republicans, and the fossil fuel industry about the seriousness of the situation has led to an alarming lowering of respect for America.
'There is virtually unanimous consensus among the world's scientists who work in the area that human beings are the major reason [for global warming],' said Mr Raven.
'We've already pumped enough carbon dioxide and about 15 other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to have changed the climate dramatically,' he said.
The National Academy of Science Academic stated in 2010 that those who doubted man-made climate change were in the vast minority, at around two percent of notable researchers.
The society also said that denouncers had far less credible careers than their scientist peers generally.
Watch Peter Raven talk about global warming (from 2:47):
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