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Medvedev Meets Russian Scientists; Attacks Political and Money Climate Game
17 December 2009
(LPAC)— On Dec. 16, Russian President Medvedev met with leading Russian scientists who had led a battle against British climate change ideologue Sir David King in 2004, then science advisor to Tony Blair. The Russian scientists included Russian Academy of Sciences President Yuri Osipov and Academician Yuri Israel. After their meeting on Wednesday, which covered a broad array of matters, including overall science policy and modernization, Academician Osipov, Russia Today reported, cited the fight with Blair’s henchman. "[W]e had a heated debate with David King, advisor to the UK prime minister [Blair]," RT quoted Osipov. "When discussing the Kyoto agreement, we insisted there was no scientific basis for the deal. Instead of listening, he put enormous pressure on us. Why don’t they understand logical reasons?" Academician Israel proposed holding a separate conference where scientists can debate climate change. President Medvedev stressed the political and financial machinations around climate change, after meeting the scientists, who also included Academician Nikolai Laverov. Medvedev said that he accepted their concern about the possible involvement of Russia "in somebody else’s political game" under the "noble" pretext of preventing global warming and about the "artificial and anti-academic politicization of global warming," Itar-Tass reported. "This problem [climate change] should be dealt with jointly, on the basis of scientific knowledge and realistic forecasts," Medvedev was quoted by Novosti. "There are so many interests involved — political and business interests, as well as scientific. It’s also an issue which is emotionally charged. The upside is that the business community is coming to view the energy saving industry as a source of income and learning how to make money from it." Medvedev continued: "I am better prepared for the Copenhagen forum now. I will cite various opinions I have heard at the Russian Academy of Sciences." He noted that "[p]lenty of my colleagues, leaders of large states, have taken so much interest in the subject that they fly long distances to discuss it." This is what happened at the recent Singapore APEC summit, Medvedev said. "Some of the leaders, among them the organizers of the conference, flew all night to discuss [climate change] during a 20-minute lunch. The attention is extremely keen, and I can feel the scent of money. Why should they be so enthusiastic otherwise? Everything would have been different if it had been a regular academic debate. There would have been no such deep involvement of world leaders. As you know, they are not scholars and they have other practical tasks to do," Medvedev said. "In this case, we are dealing with politics and big money and, at the same time, with a threat that must be handled by joint efforts." |