A RIPON student has been invited to talk with politicians in the House of Lords about his thoughts on climate change following his success in a major international science competition.

Milo Smith, from Ripon Grammar School, won the runners-up award in the Royal College of Science Union challenge, which attracts entries from all over the world and is judged by eminent scientists including Lord Robert Winston.

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As well as being presented with a trophy at an awards ceremony held in London’s Royal Institution, 16-year-old Milo, from Knaresborough was also invited to meet politicians during a tour of the House of Lords with fertility expert Lord Winston on May 11.

The competition, run by Imperial College, London, asks students to demonstrate their skills in debate and reasoning to communicate science in an engaging, concise and creative way.

In his entry into the competition, Milo argued that “the hesitancy of global leaders to act upon climate change, whether due to economic incentives or scepticism in their voting base, makes it far less likely that the devastating ecological or economic effects of climate change will be mitigated before it is too late.”

Milo said he was overjoyed to receive the award and said the awards ceremony was “amazing.”

He added: “The awards ceremony was amazing as it was held in the Royal Institution lecture theatre, which is of huge scientific importance in the UK, and two guest speakers spoke on climate.”

Milo’s prize-winning essay was based on a question posed by Lord Winston: “Why are so many citizens reluctant to accept that the Earth's climate appears to be changing? Should scientists be worried by this?’

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The competition was judged by Lord Wilson and other world-leading academics including climate science expert Dr Paulo Cepi, British physicist Prof Kathy Sykes and chemist Prof Richard Templar.

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