Peter Foster: A load of Hoggan-wash (AGW)
Eric Gisin
The oil&gas industry wins if coal plants are shut down in favour of gas turbines.
November 19, 2009, 16:35:00 | NP Editor
The CBC has joined James Hoggan's smear campaign against climate skeptics
By Peter Foster
The full weight of the radical environmental movement and its media arm, the CBC, is being brought
down upon a small Calgary-based organization called Friends of Science, which has suggested that
climate change should be the subject of debate. So it must be a front for "Big Oil."
Friends has dared to produce a couple of radio ads that note that there has been no warming for 10
years, suggesting that the main cause of climate change is the sun, and recommending that it's
"time to get the facts and start thinking."
Leading the charge against Friends is James Hoggan, a PR man who is also chairman of the David
Suzuki Foundation. Mr. Hoggan has just co-authored a book called Climate Cover-Up, which suggests a
massive industry-based programme of climate disinformation.
Mr. Hoggan, who is also responsible for a website that specializes in smearing climate skeptics,
drew a bead on Friends during an interview yesterday morning with Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC's The
Current (there was also to be a segment on the Friends' ad campaign on As It Happens last night).
The Globe and Mail also took a drive-by swipe at Friends this week.
Mr. Hoggan's broad claim is that there are hardly any credentialled skeptics, and those that do
exist speak only as industry shills or right-wing mouthpieces. He notes that there isn't much
skepticism in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature.
However, the debate is lopsided - or non-existent - not because of the state of knowledge but
because governments have poured billions into making the anthropogenic case and squashing
opposition to "official" science, while skepticism has been effectively barred from peer-reviewed
journals, which have taken an anti-corporate, quasi-religious stance.
An editorial in Nature in 2001 attacked "certain industrial groups," who "worked to establish a
bogus scientific debate." But the editorial confirmed massive bias and sent the signal that
skeptical scientists need not submit papers for publication. Thereupon the dearth of published
skepticism was interpreted as meaning that the case was closed.
Friends of Science was formed by a group of mainly retired geologists and atmospheric scientists
who were highly suspicious of the claims made by Al Gore and the UN that man-made climate change
was a catastrophic threat. They put together a volunteer scientific advisor board and set up a
website to promote research and ask questions about the distinctly non-scientific claim that "the
science is settled."
That would be a laudable objective even if funded by Shell and BP. Unfortunately, however, Shell
and BP are busy funding alarmists rather than skeptics.
Friends was indeed given money several years ago by Jim Buckee, when he ran Talisman Energy, to
produce a video. However, according to Doug Leahey, Friends' president and a Ph.D atmospheric
scientist, it has had no corporate money for several years. Indeed, Mr. Leahey points out that the
organization was almost forced to "fold its tent" at the end of last year. Much of its funding
comes from Rotarians, some of whom have oil industry connections - after all, it's based in
Calgary. But the organization's operating budget is about $40,000, most of which goes to pay a
part-time administrative assistant. That wouldn't cover the Suzuki Foundation's annual Starbucks'
bill. So suggestions that Friends is a "front" for Big Oil is patently ridiculous. "We'd love Big
Oil to give us some money," said Mr. Leahey.
Mr. Hoggan is part of a movement with infinitely more funding, but which assiduously avoids debate,
preferring to rely on ad hominem slurs and emotionally-charged messages.
Ironically, on the CBC yesterday morning, Mr. Hoggan spoke of "astroturfing," that is, the creation
of phony grass roots organizations. Maybe the U.S. coal industry does such things. But there could
be no more glaring current example of a phony grass roots operation than something called "Moms
Against Climate Change," a name that suggests a spontaneous outpouring of maternal concern by
mothers about the global warming threat. In fact, it is an organization set up by two leading - and
well-funded - environmental alarmist organizations, Environmental Defence and ForestEthics.
These groups have produced a video, available on YouTube, which features little kids holding
handmade anti-climate change signs while facing off against - and then fleeing from - a phalanx of
police clad in riot gear.
You can also find a making-of-the-video video which features Environmental Defence's chief
alarmist, Rick Smith, with a prop/child on his shoulders, and various advertising types and
filmmakers displaying their moral conviction and scientific cluelessness. One waxes earnestly that
climate change is one of those "get to yes" issues. But science isn't about getting to "yes," it's
about getting to the truth. One unfortunate truth is that corporations have been frightened away
from even suggesting, let alone funding, scientific debate.
Three years ago, in the midst of shaking down catalogue companies for the eco-crime of using paper,
ForestEthics executive director Todd Paglia told The Washington Post: "We are going to provide
these companies with an option of doing it the easy way... If they want to do it the hard way, we
can see a tremendous amount of negative press and damage to their brand."
The same thuggish principle has worked in spades when it comes to closing down corporate
participation in the climate change debate. But the public is growing increasingly skeptical, and
the shrill desperation of the warmists is obvious in their bully-boy tactics against anybody who
dares to stand up for free speech.
Photo: Fake green moms: Scene from Environmental Defence-sponsored video of riot police clashing
with Mothers Against Climate Change.
I M @ good guy
wrote:
That pretty much is supported by the price and
availability of natural gas, most working rigs are looking
for natural gas, it is easier to bring on line and distribute.
The fact that there are idle big rigs in such a
fragile climate of oil supply is something governments
should do something about, natural security of many
countries may be at risk unless some oversight is done.
Rob Dekker
"Eric Gisin" <gi...@uniserve.com> wrote in message news:he4r6q$ktb$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> Next time some green cultist tells you skeptics are funded by big oil, them them alarmists are.
> The oil&gas industry wins if coal plants are shut down in favour of gas turbines.
>
> http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/19/peter-foster-a-load-of-hoggan-wash.aspx
>
> November 19, 2009, 16:35:00 | NP Editor
> The CBC has joined James Hoggan's smear campaign against climate skeptics
> By Peter Foster
>
> The full weight of the radical environmental movement and its media arm, the CBC, is being brought
> down upon a small Calgary-based organization called Friends of Science, which has suggested that
> climate change should be the subject of debate. So it must be a front for "Big Oil."
Ah ! Friends of Science ! Were they not sponsoring the current US/Canada tour of science denier "lord of the lies" Lord Monckton ?
http://deepclimate.org/2009/09/22/friends-of-science-behind-moncktons-magical-mystery-tour/
Yep. They are the ones behind the "lord of the lies" tour, which aired on Fox News Glenn Beck show, the Michael Cohen show and is
all over YouTube with his conspiracy theories.
>
> Friends has dared to produce a couple of radio ads that note that there has been no warming for 10
> years, suggesting that the main cause of climate change is the sun, and recommending that it's
> "time to get the facts and start thinking."
Yes. Let's get the facts and start thinking. Here they are (about this 10 year of no warming) :
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/05/moncktons-deliberate-manipulation/
>
> Leading the charge against Friends is James Hoggan, a PR man who is also chairman of the David
> Suzuki Foundation. Mr. Hoggan has just co-authored a book called Climate Cover-Up, which suggests a
> massive industry-based programme of climate disinformation.
Exactly. Disinformation spread by puppets like Lord Monckton.
>
> Mr. Hoggan, who is also responsible for a website that specializes in smearing climate skeptics,
Just telling them that science does not support what they say is not 'smearing'.
> drew a bead on Friends during an interview yesterday morning with Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC's The
> Current (there was also to be a segment on the Friends' ad campaign on As It Happens last night).
> The Globe and Mail also took a drive-by swipe at Friends this week.
For good reason. "Friends of Science" are "Enemies of Science" when scientific facts disagree with their preconceived belief.
>
> Mr. Hoggan's broad claim is that there are hardly any credentialled skeptics, and those that do
> exist speak only as industry shills or right-wing mouthpieces. He notes that there isn't much
> skepticism in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature.
That's all correct.
There are hardly any serious AGW denier climate scientists left over, and the remaining ones have so little findings that support
their statement of denial, that they have to go to extremes (including falsification of scientific publications) to still make a AGW
denier point :
For example, the paper presented by Lord Monckton (and shown on Fox News and the Michael Coren show and Sen. Inhofe's web site) was
based on "Lindzen and Choi 2009".
That paper is so bad (incorrect models used, incorrect feedback formula, and extrapolated conclusions) that this went too far for
even Dr. Roy Spencer (a skeptic himself), who surprisingly debunked Lindzen's paper quite thoroughly.:
http://www.drroyspencer.com/2009/11/some-comments-on-the-lindzen-and-choi-2009-feedback-study/
So now Monckton is presenting a paper that is already debunked, but he still uses it as proof of the "end of the AGW scam", and
still claims that the other 10,000 scientists are engaging in some sort of conspiricy.
Quite unbelievable. What an ARROGANCE from Monckton and his "Friends of Science".
>
[ snipped more complaining about conspiracies ]
PseudoCyAntz
> Next time some green cultist tells you skeptics are funded by big oil,
> them them alarmists are. The oil&gas industry wins if coal plants are
> shut down in favour of gas turbines.
>
> http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/19
> /peter-foster-a-load-of-hoggan-wash.aspx
>
> November 19, 2009, 16:35:00 | NP Editor
> The CBC has joined James Hoggan's smear campaign against climate
> skeptics
> By Peter Foster
>
> The full weight of the radical environmental movement and its media
> arm, the CBC, is being brought down upon a small Calgary-based
> organization called Friends of Science, which has suggested that
> climate change should be the subject of debate. So it must be a front
> for "Big Oil."
>
>
hda
Conspiracy ? One must be Politically Correct to make it
nowadays, isn't it?. So as a businessman in scare you maybe
cannot afford the truth to materialize. Monckton can, he has
become independent.
Just study his commentary on computermodels [from slide 100
onwards].
http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/monckton_2009.pdf
And sure, if Lindzen then you could be out of the AGW scare
business.
O.T. what about the use of a competent newsreader client you
promised...
Eric Gisin
"PseudoCyAntz" <nume...@IntelligenceDecline.us> wrote in message
news:Xns9CC8D603CEA00nu...@198.186.190.165...