Lai See | When it comes to earth's climate, change is normal

Those convinced that human-induced global warming is going to bring an end to the world as we know it would do well to read the testimony by Dr Daniel Botkin, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara.

His testimony was given to the US House Subcommittee on Science, Space and Technology, which was examining the 2014 report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

He adopts a refreshingly dispassionate and clear approach to a controversial subject that is usually couched in highly charged emotional terms.

Botkin has been publishing research on theoretical global warming, its potential ecological effects, and the implications for people and biodiversity since 1968.

In his testimony, he says he approached the subject as a scientist but laments that in recent years "the subject has been converted into a political and ideological debate".

He adds: "I have colleagues on both sides of the debate and believe we should work together as scientists instead of arguing divisively about preconceived, emotionally based 'positions'."