The Prince of Wales has hit out at climate change sceptics for what he calls the "corrosive" impact they have on public opinion.

The prince was speaking to an audience of MEPs and other policymakers at a conference in Brussels.

He warned against the pursuit of growth at the expense of the environment.

And the Prince said environmentalists should sell the benefits of sustainable living rather than just telling people what to give up.

In his speech, Prince Charles set out to illustrate how problems with the environment led directly to economic difficulties.

And he attacked climate change sceptics who he said were denying a vast body of evidence.

The implication of their arguments was that thousands of scientists throughout the world were conspiring to destroy the capitalist-based market system, he said.

"I would ask how these people are going to face their grandchildren and admit to them they failed their future."

He added that they were playing "a reckless game of roulette with the future inheritance of those who come after us."

Rainforests
"I cannot see how we can possibly maintain the growth of GDP in the long term if we continue to consume our planet as voraciously as we are doing," he warned.

He claimed the fabric of "the Earth's life support system" may be beginning to fragment.

The prince says halting the destruction of rainforests is not "a lifestyle option"
Pointing to the destruction of the rainforests he said that stopping the process was "not a lifestyle choice".

Failure to address it meant an end to any chance of stopping climate change.

But the prince also criticised environmentalists for concentrating "on what people need to stop doing".

"If we are constantly told that living environmentally friendly lives means giving up all that makes life worthwhile, then it is no surprise that people refuse to change."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12403292

He makes a lot of good points overall, but I'd suspect he's ignoring a lot of evidence and theories himself...

There's something I don't get about the global warming lobby, and that's they can achieve their apparent aims by using considerably more effective arguments, such as the fact that we have a very limited quantity of resources on the planet and we need to be as efficient as possible to make them last as long as possible. It's a much more straightforward justification for achieving the same aims, and much harder to argue against.

Agreed but the problem is just look at the oil industry. The Americans are addicted to cheap oil, struggle badly when ever there is an increase. The Saudis also up production to stop developments and up take of renewables because it reduces their future revenue. In the short term no one wants to listen and in the long run they will be dead. Even medium term it will be someone else's problem. So no that is why nothing will get done.

Governments might come out with some BS about the deficit stealing from our children, but the austerity steals even more, yet they do not realise it. The same for global warming. If you are a believer then now is the time to make the cheapest changes. In ten years the costs will be much higher and in twenty years they will be unaffordable. How is that not stealing from our children. All because they want tax cuts now.

I hope the queen lives to be a hundred and forty.
I don't want this self righteous plonker to be king in my lifetime.

It's not so much his opinions that bother me (though I often disagree with him) but the arrogance of the way he dismisses other peoples opinions.