In 2007 the UN panel of climate scientists claimed that global warming would cause all Himalayan glaciers to melt by the year 2035. In january 2010 the panel of scientists admitted that this claim was unfounded and it was unrealistic to say that the glaciers would melt in a matter of decades. Yesterday (14/10/2010) the same panel of scientists agreed to change its practices in response to the error made in 2007. These actions have been spurred by a publicised attack on the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). It was suggested that the chairman of the IPCC Rajendra Pachauri should step down. On the 30th of August the InterAcademy Council who are a group of experts from national science academies called for a fundamental reform of IPCC management. They said that panel leaders should serve only one six year term instead of the current maximum of two. Pachauri who has now dismissed suggestions of him stepping down as chairman was re-elected in 2008 and is due to step down in 2014 after he has presented his next report. In 2007 Al Gore shared the nobel peace prize with the IPCC after the release of his film 'An Inconvenient Truth' in 2006.
When Al Gore's film was released in 2006 it raised a lot of public awareness on global warming and it could be said that he acted as an advocate to spur the IPCC to place the bold claim that the Himalayan glaciers would melt in the year 2035. The false claim will ultimately result in policy changes in the IPCC to amend the way in which information regarding climate change is released into the public sphere.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/14/rajendra-pachauri-ipcc-reforms)
John Vidal, 14th of October 2010
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7177230/New-errors-in-IPCC-climate-change-report.html)
Richard Gray and Ben Leach, 6th of February 2010
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