N※N

Climate denial 'not based on science': Pacific climate advocate

  //science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. t-based-on-science-pacific-climate-advocate.html
  Published in Science and Technology on Thursday, October 9th 2025 at 15:12 GMT by rnz
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

Climate Denial Is a Misconception – A Pacific Climate Advocate Calls for Science‑Based Action

By RNZ Pacific Desk

In a stark reminder that the science of climate change is unequivocal, Pacific climate advocate Dr. Sione Māori‑Kūka has told Radio New Zealand that denial is not a matter of ignorance, but of politics, misinformation and the failure of governments to act on well‑established evidence. The interview, published on RNZ’s Pacific‑news website, follows the lead of a growing chorus of island voices that are demanding a more science‑driven response to a problem that threatens to erode their very existence.

A Pacific Voice in a Global Debate

Dr. Māori‑Kūka, a climatologist at the University of Hawai‘i and a founding member of the Pacific Climate Action Alliance (PCAA), has spent the last decade mapping sea‑level rise, storm‑intensity changes and ecosystem disruptions across the Coral Triangle. In the interview he stresses that “climate denial is an ideology that simply ignores data that has been collected for over a century.” His words echo findings from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report, which he cites as a “robust, peer‑reviewed synthesis that shows no reasonable doubt that human activities are warming the planet.”

The article links to the IPCC’s “Summary for Policymakers” and to the United Nations’ “Climate Action 2030” targets, underlining the scientific foundation of the arguments he raises. The RNZ piece also references a recently published study in Nature Climate Change that projects a 1.5‑meter rise in sea level by 2100—an outcome that would submerge low‑lying atolls such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and parts of the Marshall Islands.

Why Pacific Islands Matter

The interview’s most compelling segment is Dr. Māori‑Kūka’s description of how rising seas, more frequent cyclones and ocean acidification are already reshaping the Pacific. He points to a “living laboratory” in the region where the effects of climate change are being felt with unprecedented intensity. He uses the phrase “the Pacific is a bellwether” to describe how the islands’ experiences can warn the rest of the world about the limits of our carbon budget.

Linking to RNZ’s earlier coverage on the “Pacific Islands Forum Climate Action” meeting, the article provides context on the regional effort to secure $20 billion in climate finance by 2030. Dr. Māori‑Kūka notes that the Forum’s 2024 declaration calls for a “science‑based, equity‑driven policy framework” but criticises “the lack of concrete commitments from the major emitters.” He adds that Pacific governments “must push the global community to recognise that mitigation and adaptation cannot be separated.”

The Myth of “Science Denial”

A key theme of the piece is the disconnect between the robust body of scientific evidence and the persistent spread of misinformation. Dr. Māori‑Kūka describes climate denialists as “those who refuse to engage with the data because it threatens entrenched economic interests.” He cites the example of the fossil‑fuel lobby’s role in shaping media narratives, and warns that “without accurate information, the public can’t make informed choices.”

The article links to RNZ’s “Science and Climate Change” feature, which explains the role of the scientific method in climate research. It also references a UN report on “Climate Change and Global Inequality” that highlights how the world’s poorest—many of whom live in the Pacific—bear the brunt of climate impacts.

Concrete Calls to Action

Towards the end of the interview, Dr. Māori‑Kūka outlines a series of actionable steps for both Pacific governments and the international community. He urges Pacific nations to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind, to reduce carbon footprints at source. He also calls for a “regional climate resilience fund” that could be used to retrofit coastal infrastructure, support climate‑smart agriculture and safeguard cultural heritage sites.

On the global stage, the advocate stresses the urgency of “achieving the 1.5‑degree Celsius target” and warns that each incremental degree of warming leads to “irreversible losses.” He invites scientists, policymakers and activists alike to support the “science‑based, equity‑driven” framework outlined in the IPCC’s latest recommendations.

The article’s closing paragraph points readers to a “Climate Change in the Pacific” webinar hosted by the Pacific Climate Action Alliance, offering a deeper dive into the science and policy options. The RNZ piece also links to a downloadable PDF of the IPCC’s 2024 Summary for Policymakers, encouraging readers to consult the primary source material.

The Bottom Line

Dr. Sione Māori‑Kūka’s interview is a clarion call for a science‑driven response to climate change—especially in the Pacific, where the stakes are existential. The RNZ article, enriched by links to IPCC reports, UN documents and regional policy statements, paints a vivid picture of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In a world where climate denial often masquerades as “skepticism,” the advocate reminds us that true scientific debate is not about rejecting evidence, but about rigorously testing hypotheses—an approach that, for the Pacific, has become a matter of survival.