The Netherlands Below Sea Level

The Distortion

The attacks on the IPCC's report have continued relentlessly, with the opponents of reform picking out a number of things they claim are mistakes. One of them involves the amount of land in the Netherlands that is "below sea level," with attackers claiming one thing about the number, and the Dutch government giving conflicting reports.

The Truth

The reality is really simple. The IPCC used the figures given by the Dutch government and said that 55% of the Netherlands was under sea level. The Dutch government later corrected that, saying that 55% were at risk of flooding, but only 26% was below sea level.

So, basically, the mistake wasn't the IPCC's, and it has absolutely nothing to do with climate change. It's just a silly dispute over Dutch geography, something that won't affect anyone but the Dutch.

This is a perfect example of how the deniers try to throw up confusing "controversy," while also showing just how slim their choice of targets really is. They are trying to attack the IPCC for someone else's mistake on a matter that has nothing to do with climate change. Pathetic.

For more on this and other facts about the IPCC, see here:

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/02/ipcc-errors-facts-and-spin/