When Scientists say “…. oh shit”

I’ve heard it said before that the facts around climate change have the capacity to make people go straight from being concerned to being despondent – skipping over the rather useful stage that usually sits in between, where people do all they can to try to ensure the thing they are concerned about doesn’t come to pass.

Sophie Black drew attention to the thread on the Rooted blog where people have been sharing their “… oh shit” moments about  when they first realised how major the climate change threat is.  It doesn’t make for uplifting reading.

I still believe urgent galvanisation to action is worth a try, rather than going to straight to despondency or staying back in denial. And highlighting the uncomfortable truths is an essential part of that.

If there is one thing less uplifting then reading all the ” … oh shit” moments of the general public, it is reading the about such perceptions amongst climate scientists.  But hopefully it can be galvanising as well.  So at the risk making people feel they may as well give up, go and read these two pieces by Margot O’Neill on the ABC’s site about the current feelings of climate scientists in the lead up to Copenhagen.