Abu Dhabi: R K Pachauri, head of UN's
panel of climate scientists today defended his Nobel winning
team over forecasting an early disappearance of the Himalayan
glaciers, saying IPCC will soon come with a response report on
the issue.
The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
is preparing a response to the glacier retreat report and will
announce the same in a week's time, Pachauri said.
Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the World Future
Energy Summit (WFES) here, Pachauri said he would like an end
to the controversy but does not want to rake up the issue
before a formal response is prepared.
Pachauri was keynote speaker at the Summit.
A section of a 2007 report by IPCC said the
probability of glaciers in the Himalayas "disappearing by the
year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high."
Pachauri said that even if the remarks on Himalayan
glaciers is incorrect, it does not undermine evidence
supporting the existence of climate change.
"Theoretically, let's say we slipped up on one
number, I don't think it takes anything away from the
overwhelming scientific evidence of what's happening with the
climate of this earth," he said.
"We continue to disagree with the 2035 date and that
will be part of the response we are working on," he said.
On the subject of the cold spell across Europe
Pachauri said climate should be seen separate from weather.
-PTI
First Published: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 00:39