BBC Bitesize edits page to remove list of climate change 'benefits'

Stormy conditions at Newhaven in March 2021

BBC Bitesize has removed references to the "benefits" of climate change on its website, following complaints online.

The education website listed "healthier outdoor lifestyles" as one of the pluses of having warmer temperatures.

Others included easier access to oil in Alaska and Siberia, new shipping routes created by melting ice, and more tourist destinations.

Climate expert and writer George Monbiot called the list, which has now been removed, "an absolute disgrace".

"This is what BBC Bitesize is teaching our children about climate breakdown," the Guardian journalist tweeted.

"I'm sorry, but it's an absolute disgrace. You could come away thinking: 'On balance, it sounds pretty good'."

Stuart Lock, the chief executive of Bedford's Advantage Schools trust, said the article did not "align with the national curriculum" and "needs reconsidering".

The BBC said on Friday: "We have reviewed the page and have amended the content to be in line with current curricula."

The guide, which is aimed at GCSE geography students, now only shows the negative impacts of climate change - such as sea levels rising and droughts and floods becoming more likely.

On Thursday, the Queen said tackling climate change would mean a change to "the way we do things", as she met experts on global warming in Edinburgh.

Government advisers said last month the UK is woefully unprepared to deal with changes occurring to the climate.

They warned of more severe heat waves, especially in big cities, and more intense rainfall, with an increased risk of flooding across most of the UK.

In 2018, the BBC admitted its coverage of climate change had been "wrong too often", telling staff: "You do not need a denier to balance the debate".