Elsbeth Etty on the triumph of cynicism

Obvious mistakes in several reports presented by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) have given climate change sceptics a boost and led right-wing politicians to redouble their attacks on environmentalists. This displays cynical contempt for all those concerned about the future of mankind, writes journalist Elsbeth Etty in NRC Handelsblad: "The doubts about the reliability of science are being translated into a public display of hate against those who aren't just preoccupied with saving their own skins. Thus we witness the triumph of cynicism. The most grievous example concerns the indifference regarding the nuclear threat the world faces - which is even more acute than the threat of global warming. A group of statesmen, officers and scientists recently sounded the alarm. Things will inevitably go wrong with the 23,000 stockpiled nuclear weapons if steps aren't taken soon towards disarmament. ... The scrapping of the most inhumane weapon one can imagine is not just wishful thinking, as Australian ex-minister Gareth Evans explained, it is absolutely crucial. ... At this point cynicism is a crime."

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