Lord Skidelsky rightly criticises alarmism in today's global warming debate. He cautions against the misreporting of science which can lead to unsubstantiated doomsday scenarios being conjured up. Instead, he encourages that a degree of scepticism be employed when evaluating claims about global warming. I agree with Lord Skidelsky that the search for sustainable solutions requires calm and reason, and it is hardly helped by an environment of fear and panic.

However, I find that Lord Skidelsky's criticisms of climate scientists are a tad too harsh. He says that some scientists 'see themselves as captains in the salvationist army, dedicated to purging the world of evil habits'. This claim is surely too strong. I am far from being a scientist, but I can confidently say that most scientists practise a healthy degree of scepticism, hence they would refrain from comparing themselves to messiahs. Many a geologist would readily acknowledge that the climate has been changing throughout Earth's history, but they would definitely qualify themselves when making the claim that global warming today is entirely anthropogenic. On the other hand, it should be celebrated that scientists at the forefront of their respective fields are making the effort to communicate their findings to society. They are scientists who retain the human touch, scientists who do not disconnect science from its linkages to society. If we laud nuclear scientists who speak out against the use of nuclear weapons, and if we praise genetic researchers who caution against 'playing God', surely we should also give credit to climate scientists who have decided to speak out based on the data which they have access to.

Moreover, it seems only natural that for global warming to make the news, it should be given a doomsday nature. Regardless of whether it is the media that paints the doomsday picture to attract public interest, or whether it is a method used by science communicators to draw the attention of the media, this is how attention is drawn to a highly complex and pressing issue. In Singapore, there was little public awareness about global warming less than just two years ago. It was an almost alien concept to most Singaporeans then, and it was certainly very difficult to generate any public interest in this issue. If not for the doomsday scenarios, public awareness about global warming will still be quite low. However, like what Lord Skidelsky recommends, we should not unquestioningly jump onto the doomsday bandwagon and adopt apocalyptic language. Advocacy is one thing - religious zeal is another. 'Climate change is a fact,' but Lord Skidelsky also cautions against irrationally putting all our stakes on the climate change issues and neglecting other issues, such as intra-generational equity and justice, as a consequence.

However, unless the public is willing to accept that returning to the primitive way of living is an option, I doubt that an 'apocalyptic virus' leading to 'the meltdown of our economies' is truly imminent. In my opinion, the growing awareness about climate change is also creating a wave of environmental concern which can be healthy for our economies. This wave is not something which we should reject just because some aspects of it have been associated with irrational apocalyptic forecasts. Instead, it is an invitation to the public to understand the fine inter-dependence between human society and nature, and to search for more sustainable solutions to environmental problems. When adequate, solutions to environmental problems will lead to breakthroughs in social equity.

Back home, Singaporeans should take advantage of this wave, as Singapore is well-equipped to be at the forefront of sustainability in tropical climates. For example, sustainable, cradle-to-cradle designs are as yet poorly developed in tropical regions. More research can be conducted to take stock of Singapore's geography and its unique tropical biodiversity, and to evaluate the ecological footprint of an average Singaporean. With the application of proper knowledge, we can rationally address fundamental problems in our relationship with nature, and transform our island-state into a truly green city, a bastion of environmental sustainability in the South-east Asian region.

Ying Shan Lau (Miss)