Prince of Wales: climate change sceptics 'playing a reckless game of roulette'
Climate change sceptics are "playing a reckless game of roulette" with the future of their grandchildren, the Prince of Wales on Wednesday told a European Union conference on global warming.
Prince Charles addresses the European Parliament in Brussels Photo: AP
By Bruno Waterfield, Brussels 5:16PM GMT 09 Feb 2011
Sharing a platform with the most senior officials in Brussels, the Prince attacked those who "corrode" the EU's environmental policies by denying "the vast body of scientific evidence" that climate change is caused by industrial activity.
"I would ask how these people are going to face their grandchildren and admit to them that they failed their future; that they ignored all the clear warning signs," he said.
"I wonder, will such people be held accountable at the end of the day for the absolute refusal to countenance a precautionary approach for this plays a most reckless game of roulette with the future inheritance of those who come after us?"
The Prince accused critics, who accuse government funded climate scientists of bias, of using conspiracy theories to undermine the authority of experts and long-standing environmentalist campaigners, such as himself.
"Their suggestion that hundreds of scientists around the world, and those who accept their dispassionate evidence, including myself, who rather ironically is accused of being anti-science, are somehow unconsciously biased creates the implication that many of us are, somehow, secretly conspiring to undermine and deliberately destroy the entire market-based capitalist system," he said.
Earning the applause of an audience, including Herman Van Rompuy, the president of Europe, the Prince called on the EU to "make it cool to have less stuff" by winning over consumers to their policies.
"So can I ask if you will be courageous enough to seize the moment, set Europe on a course for survival and economic prosperity and so earn the endless gratitude of our descendants?," he said.
Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, claimed the Prince was "scaremongering" for green energy policies that could earn the Royal Family an extra £38 million a year from subsidised wind farms on marine land owned by the Crown Estate.
"It is not certain that CO2 is leading to global warming. It is certain that the measures we are taking against it are expensive and flawed – especially wind turbines. The Royal Family will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of wind farms," he said.
Roger Helmer, a Conservative MEP and climate change sceptic, said: "Even if global warming is man-made, the actions we are taking will achieve a result too small to measure, and even that's only in 100 years time. We might as well sacrifice a golden calf to the sky gods. It would be equally ineffective, but much cheaper."
climate scientists, prince of wales, economic prosperity, absolute refusal, conspiracy theories, prince charles, european parliament, climate change, precautionary approach, warning signs, waterfield, herman van, capitalist system, environmental policies, environmentalist, senior officials, campaigners, grandchildren, applause, implication
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