A day after IPCC admitted to its erroneous report on melting of Himalayan glaciers, Indian environment minister Jairam Ramesh criticised the UN's top climate body for making unsubstantiated doomsday warning about Himalayan glaciers.
The recent finding which denies disappearance of Himalayan glaciers by 2035 has given a shot in the arm for the Indian environment minister who has always been skeptical about the alarming projections of IPCC.
He said that that IPCC’s claim lacked scientific evidence and the UN body should explain the basis of its claim about melting of glaciers by 2035.
Ramesh said he felt "vindicated" after repeatedly challenging the IPCC's work on glaciers. He believes there is no "conclusive scientific evidence" linking global warming to the melting of glaciers.
In November 2009, Ramesh backed a study by Indian scientists which contradicted IPCC view, prompting IPCC chief Dr R. K. Pachauri to label his support "arrogant" and making fun of scientists behind the study, calling their conclusions ‘voodoo science’.
The IPCC, which was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, is already under attack over hacked email exchanges which skeptics say reflected attempts to skew the evidence in favour of alleged global warming.
The new controversy has boosted climate skeptics, who have repeatedly questioned scientific evidence behind global warming in the past and are on a roll after a scandal last month dubbed "climategate."
