A recent story on PBS NewsHour, “UN says world must jointly tackle issues of climate change, pollution, biodiversity and land loss,” by Tammy Webber of the Associated Press (AP), reports on a new UN “Global Environment Outlook” that repeats the false assertion that the Earth is nearing a global tipping point that can only be avoided through “unprecedented change” and trillions of dollars in new spending to phase out fossil fuels. These assertions are bogus, lacking any basis in data or observable evidence. In fact, the UN has a long track record of failed disaster predictions tied to climate change, going all the way back to 1989, which PBS ignores.
Webber writes, “experts have warned that the world is nearing a tipping point on climate change, species, and land loss and other harms,” quoting Bob Watson, lead author of the UN report saying, “[i]t has to be done rapidly now because we’re running out of time.” Where have we heard that before? Oh yes, the last UN state of the planet report, and the one before that, and the one before that going back to the 1980s.
