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Germany’s Deutsche Welle (DW) here presents a commentary by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, the director of German ultra-alarmist Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Professor Schellnhuber fears that the planet could warm even as much as 12°C if man does not act quickly to totally eliminate greenhouse gases. He adds that he “has all the evidence” and that climate scientists “are only trying to do a job” for us.

Hat-tip: Reader Dennis A.

With the US Administration pledging to back out of the Paris climate treaty, Schellnhuber is now calling on scientists “to take to the streets to counter climate denial“.

If we want to hold the 1.5 degrees [Celsius; 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit] line, which is the ambitious goal of the Paris agreement, we have maybe 300 billion tons left – more or less the budget of 10 years – if we do business as usual. If we want to hold the 2 degrees line, which is more realistic, we have another 20 to 30 years to go, but no more actually. So it’s a very tight budget. It’s quite mind-boggling – for example, by 2030, we have to phase out the combustion engine. And we have to completely phase out the use of coal for producing power. By 2040 we will probably have to replace concrete and steel for construction by wood, clay and stone. We are at the crossroads now: We either say: this thing is too big for us, this task cannot be done. [Then] we will be transformed by nature, because we will end up with a planet warming by 4, 5, 6 or even 12 degrees. It would be the end of the world as we know it, and I have all the evidence.”

In short, the eccentric professor from Potsdam is essentially claiming that unless we return to living in mud huts with thatched roofs and forego the fundamental amenities of modern life, our great grandchildren will end up living in super tropical hot-house conditions.

Fortunately Schellnhuber’s view is a rare one that is out on the remote fringe. Other climate scientists hold a far more sober view, like Prof Judith Curry. Interestingly, climate hardly seems to be a concern for Schellnhuber’s boss, Angela Merkel, who yesterday did not mention climate change once during her press conference with President Trump. In fact much of the discussion was about trade, economy …along with a little fake news and wire-tapping.