Climate scientists reveal their fears for the future

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/climate-scientists-speak-of-their-worst-fears/8631368?pfmredir=sm&fbclid=IwAR3Z98FOWinLfhqG6D-r95CbVQ0fGb3p1ywM77YxmzMJx1FJ4Zg2x-oXiB8

By Kerry Brewster
Updated Wed 28 Jun 2017, 9:10 AM AEST

Cradling her newborn baby girl, heatwave expert Sarah Perkins Kirkpatrick admits to feeling torn between the joy of motherhood and anxiety over her first-born child's future.

"I always wanted a big family and I'm thrilled. But my happiness is altered by what I know is coming with climate change," she said.

"I don't like to scare people but the future's not looking very good.

"Having a baby makes it personal. Will this child suffer heatstroke just walking to school?"

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Professor David Griggs, who recently retired as director of the Sustainable Development Institute at Monash University, said Australia is in denial about climate change.

"Australians will have to adapt or die," he said.

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He spoke to Lateline about the emotional burden of knowing what climate change would bring.

"Depression is clearly something. You get days when you're down, because what you know and what you can see coming is not good," he said.

He is planning to move his family to south-west England, where he said climate projections look good for the next 100 years.

"When a new fact comes in that makes me fearful I think at least I've done what I can to protect my family," he said.

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