Climate change is "a myth," sea levels are not rising and Britain's chief scientist is "an embarrassment" for believing catastrophe is inevitable. These are the controversial views of a new London-based think-tank that will publish a report today attacking the apocalyptic view that man-made greenhouse gases will destroy the planet.
The International Policy Network will publish its long-awaited study, claiming that the science warning of an environmental disaster caused by climate change is "fatally flawed." It will state that previous predictions of changes in sea level of a meter over the next 100 years were overestimates.
Instead, the report will say that sea level rises will reach a maximum of just 20cm during the next century, adding that global warming could, in fact, benefit mankind by increasing fish stocks.
The report's views closely mirror those held by many of US President George Bush's senior advisers, who have been accused of derailing attempts to reach international agreement over how to prevent climate change.
The report is set to cause controversy. The network, which has links with some of the President's advisers, has received cash donations from the US oil giant ExxonMobil, which has long lobbied against the climate change agenda. Exxon lists the donation as part of its "climate change outreach" program. Environmentalists on Saturday said the network report was an attempt by US neoconservatives to sabotage Prime Minister Tony Blair's attempts to lead the world in tackling climate change.
It has close links to the Washington-based organization, the Competitive Enterprise Institute which is run by Bush's top climate adviser Myron Ebell. It was Ebell who recently launched an astonishing personal attack on Britain's chief scientist Sir David King after he described climate change as a greater threat than terrorism.
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