9 Sep 2012

Plea for no appeal for ruling favouring NIWA

5:49 pm on 9 September 2012

A group of health professionals worried about the effects of climate change says it would be very disappointing if a ruling in favour of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research is appealed against.

The New Zealand Climate Science Education Trust has lost its High Court bid to challenge temperatures recorded by NIWA which show a one-degree-celsius increase over the past century.

George Laking of the Climate and Health Council welcomes the ruling, under which the trust has been ordered to pay NIWA's court costs.

Dr Laking says it has been incredibly frustrating to see political action on climate change repeatedly obstructed by global warming sceptics.

"As long as this doubt is manufactured in people's minds then I think it's very hard for the political process to move forward and change our energy system from fossil fuels to something more renewable that doesn't involve carbon."

A spokesperson for the trust says it is considering an appeal.