Andrew Forrest says fuel loads, not climate change, are primary cause of bushfires | latikambourke
Andrew Forrest wants donors around the world to contribute to his private Fire Fund.Mr Forrest is aiming to raise half a billion dollars for his foundation and told CNN that it would fund new "peer-reviewed science into climate change," saying the "science has so far to go."
"Arsonists have had a horrible impact, the fuel load has probably had the greatest impact," he told interviewer Christine Amanpour."This is why we need the science and there is no doubt that you've got this red warning light on the dashboard of the world called Australia, saying we're all existing in a gently, slowly warming climate on this planet Earth."
Mr Forrest said carbon was "partially responsible for the slowly warming planet which has an impact on fires", but said unless the cash was raised to fund scientific research "we're going to be having the debates the whole time.""We need to raise $500 million as a minimum, I have done a PhD in marine ecology, I know the science must be done, we must take it out of this football field of politics and have peer-reviewed science ...
When Amanpour pointed out that the majority of climate scientists are unanimous in the link between fossil fuels and climate change, Mr Forrest said the science was incomplete. "The science has so far to go, we cannot say there's a single reason, if someone says 'Oh it's climate change,' they're copping out of their responsibilities," he said.
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