Science is needed 1

Mike Hulme's characterisation of the politics and policy spinning around the international climate change summit in Montreal rings true, sadly (Opinion, January 6).

Almost equally sad though, considering Hulme's position, is that he seems to undervalue what can be done by climate scientists and engineers. When Hulme states that "climate science will never deliver the certainty about the future change nor unambiguously define the probabilities of climate related risks", my impression is that he has his usage of "certainty" and "probability" wrong.

He calls on "behavioural psychologists, sociologists, technology analysts, artists and political scientists" to join his "climate-change A-team", unfortunately omitting from his list scientists from non-climate scientific disciplines.

It seems that Hulme, who is in a leading climate-change research position in the UK, is a postmodern sociologist. I suppose after the view is reached that climate change is solved, he can turn his skills to saving tropical rainforests, fighting Aids and alleviating world poverty.

Keith Rennolls
Greenwich University