ENVIRONMENT: Kevin Williams and climate change

Rather than making any substantive criticism of a July 8 letter addressing the dangers of insufficient action on climate change, Kevin Williams made the grandstanding point that, yes, global temperature fluctuates within certain bounds ("Worry About a New Ice Age," The Mail, July 15). He dismissed global warming without any reference of any kind, presumably on the basis of his expertise applying weather models to predict the 3- to 10-day horizon of likely weather outcomes for a small portion of the planet.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the leading body for the assessment of climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to provide the world with a transparent scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences.
The IPCC receives contributions from thousands of scientists across the globe. As with all reputable scientific organizations, peer review is integral to the process. Differing viewpoints within the scientific community are reflected in IPCC reports. The fourth assessment report of the IPCC states that there is greater than a 90 percent certainty that emissions of heat-trapping gases from human activities have resulted in "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century."
Mr. Williams is entitled to his opinion. It is my hope that as a scientist, he continues to develop his perspective and contribute to the debate. However, he is in the overwhelmingly minority as a skeptic on an issue of grave import to our future. He would be more responsible using his knowledge to enliven debate among those conducting serious studies of global trends and indicators, rather than using his pulpit as a television personality to influence the opinions of the unqualified.
The realities we may face as a result of our complacency are not subject to popular opinion, but have the potential to be mitigated through our actions.