Australia’s top climate scientists have been forced to move their offices to a secure location after they received death threats relating to their work on global warming.
As an intense debate over how to tackle climate change in the country becomes increasingly vicious, a team of high-profile researchers at the Australian National University in Canberra has been given increased security protection after a campaign of menacing and abusive emails and phone calls intensified in recent weeks.
The threats, which included sexual assault, sexual attacks on family members and public smear campaigns, were so serious and so explicit that the Australian Federal Police have been called in to investigate.
Dick Young, the ANU vice-chancellor, said the thrust of the messages were to stop research on climate change or face violent retribution.
“Obviously climate research is an emotive issue at the present time,” Mr Young said.
“These are issues where we should have a logical public debate and it’s completely intolerable that people be subjected to this sort of abuse and to threats like this.”
As well as extra security at the university, several scientists have chosen to upgrade security systems in their homes, delist their phone numbers and delete their online profiles.
Scientists in Australia have recently released reports detailing the serious risk to the country’s coastline, national parks and infrastructure posed by climate change.
The research identified $226 billion (pounds 147bn) worth of assets that are vulnerable to erosion or destruction as a result of the rising sea levels, which are predicted to reach three feet by the end of the century. Another report found that the impact of human-induced climate change was already evident after a temperature rise of less than 1C (1.8F) and a rise of 2C (3.6F) would have a significant effect on the distribution of rainfall, the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts and bushfires and the intensity of cyclones.
The threats come in the midst of a highly-charged debate about how to deal with carbon emissions and climate change.
Julia Gillard, the prime minister, wants to bring in a carbon tax on big polluters from next year, but is facing fierce resistance from the conservative opposition party and the powerful mining industry.
The issue has polarised public opinion. Over the past few weeks pro- and anti-carbon tax campaigns have raged, with both sides sparking controversy.
At an anti-carbon tax rally in Canberra in March, Tony Abbott, the leader of the opposition, was photographed in front of banners calling Ms Gillard a witch, a bitch and a liar.
Last week, actor Cate Blanchett was accused by the tabloid press of being vain and out of touch for taking part in an advertising campaign that urged Australians to “Say Yes” to the carbon tax.
But up until now, scientists investigating climate change had largely been kept out of the melee.
Mr Young said the threats had rattled the academics, who were “really not equipped to be treated in this way.”
“The whole scientific process is one of open debate and discussion, but the concept that you would be threatened for your scientific views and work is something that is completely foreign to them,” he said.
“I think it is totally outrageous and the vast majority of Australians would think it is totally unacceptable for anybody in society to be subjected to this sort of behaviour,” he said.
Australia is among the world’s worst per capita emitters, relying heavily on coal-fired power and exporting millions of tonnes of the fuel to Asian steelmakers and electricity firms every year.
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