Australia boosts climate science research in U-turnSYDNEY: Australia made an abrupt climate change U-turn on Thursday, with the issue set to again become a key focus of the national science agency just months after it saw hundreds of jobs cut in a heavily criticized move. “The decision to cut climate science jobs at CSIRO during such a critical time for Australia’s climate was preposterous, so this partial u-turn is a welcome move,” Greenpeace Australia’s senior climate and energy campaigner Nikola Casule said in a statement. But following the government’s narrow re-election last month, new Science Minister Greg Hunt stressed both he and Turnbull had “clear and strong views” about the importance of climate science. “It’s critical to our long-term planning… so climate science will be a bedrock function for research of the CSIRO,” Hunt told national broadcaster ABC. The cuts were slammed by environmental campaigners, while almost 3,000 international scientists signed an open letter in February calling the move alarming and a reflection of the lack of insight about Australia’s importance to global and regional climate research.

Source: Manila Times August 04, 2016 04:07 UTC