The Today programme have given another climate change denier airtime - unchallenged. ‘Scientist’ Ian Plimer sees no link between carbon dioxide and temperature.
For the second time in a matter of weeks, the Today Programme this morning offered a platform to a climate change denier. Once again, the person invited on was somebody without any credentials to talk about climate science since they are not a climate scientist and have never published a peer reviewed paper on the subject.
Australian contrarian author Ian Plimer was left unchallenged to spout nonsense on the primetime BBC slot despite his argument having been systematically pulled apart by real climate scientists over at realclimate.org – a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists.
He said:
“The fundamental point is that over the history of time, climates have always changed, we’ve had rapid changes, they’ve been large, they’ve been driven by extra-terrestrial forces, they’ve been driven by many other forces in the past, but not one great climate change in the past has actually been driven by carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide is plant food, we cannot stop carbon emissions because most of them come from volcanoes, it is a normal element cycled around in the earth, and, my science, which is looking back in time, is saying we have had a planet that’s been a warm, wet greenhouse planet for more than 80 per cent of the time, we’ve had huge climate changes in the past, and to think that the very slight variations we measure today are a result of our life, we really have to put ice blocks in our drink.
“If you put 2 and 2 together, then you have to explain the three periods of cooling since the little ice age finished and during those three periods of cooling we’ve actually had carbon dioxide increase, so there is a disconnect between carbon dioxide emissions and temperatures because since 1850, we’ve had a warming period from 1860 to 1880, then we’ve had a cooling until 1910, then we had a warming until 1940 – in fact the North-West passage was open – then we had a cooling until the 1970s, and the people who are trying to frighten us witless now about runaway global warming were in fact those who were frightening us witless about an oncoming glaciation in the 1970s, then we’ve had a warming, up until the late 90s, now we’re in a cooling phase, so if we’d only had warming, then there would be a connect between carbon dioxide and temperature. There is not.”
Plimer added:
“When you look at my critics, they are people who are rent seekers, they have everything to gain by continuing the process of frightening people witless by following the party line … I’m saying that they are taking advantage of the current situation … Now we have a war against climate change and there’s a huge number of people out there that have their careers staked on it and are the beneficiaries from this process … The word belief is a word of politics and religion, it’s not a word of science; my scientific opinion is married to evidence…”
Leading NASA climate scientist, Gavin Schmidt, who has dissected Plimer’s argument in detail, found it to be based amongst other things on a “basic logical fallacy”. Needless to say nobody from NASA, the IPCC, the Royal Society or the Met Office was invited on to explain why Plimer was talking rubbish. Neither did Justin Webb, interviewing, explain Plimer’s lack of authority on the subject.
Listen to the interview in full below and download it here:
76 Responses to “Today give carte blanche to ‘scientist’ who denies link between CO2 and temperature”
Liz McShane
Henry – I couldn’ agree with your more re Billy et al having a Phd in ranting & abuse… doesn’t he have anything better to do? I presume he is usefully employed, plus I do think it’s a tad disinegenous/cowardly when people don’t use their own names……
Anon E Mouse
Liz – you said:
“I presume he is usefully employed” – he is. Are you? Usefully?
” I do think it’s a tad disinegenous/cowardly when people don’t use their own names……”
Or in your case ranting on another section of this blog and not answering questions from another commenter yourself. Pots and kettles Liz?
Here’s what was asked:
Finally Liz does this “connection” you feel wrt ethnicity extend to not condemning the actions ‘Caroline Not Happy’ finds so disagreeable – “burkhas, woman treated unequally, homosexuals threatened with death, female genital mutilation, “honor” killings, forced marriage …etc etc” or do you just pay lip service and just gloss over and ignore the point?
‘Caroline Not Happy’ stated as a feminist she found those actions disagreeable. Don’t you Liz?
Rupert Read
Interesting further news. Were the Beeb aware of this when they got him on-air?: Prof. Plimer is a director of three Australian mining companies: Ivanhoe Australia, a subsidiary of Bob Friedland’s Ivanhoe Mines,[3][4] CBH Resources,[4] and Kefi Minerals.[5][6]
Plimer argues that the proposed Australian carbon-trading … Read morescheme could decimate the Australian mining industry,[11] and “probably destroy it totally”,[12] as well as creating “massive unemployment”.[12]
http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ian_Plimer
So, Mr. Plimer has huge financial interests in being a climate-denier. Shouldn’t the BBC audience have been told this?
…And don’t you think that it rather undermines his claims to being a disinterested scientist on this issue?…
Liz McShane
Anon E Mouse (I presume that’s not your real name – but you never know these days…)
Strange that you are talking about multi culturalism here I thought this post was about climate deniers but maybe I am mistaken but in response to your comment I can happily say yes that I do not like the thought of female genital mutilation and other traditions/beliefs that denigrate and demean women likewise I find lots of other religions also quite dodgy re women’s issues and status including some Christian ones so why single out one? Is this part of the current vogue of increasing islamaphobia?
Anon E Mouse
Hi Liz. My point was that although everyone is quick to attack Billy they don’t answer points elsewhere in the blog – such as yours above.
Regarding the Climate Change brigade I don’t believe them either. I’m sorry but the planet just keeps getting colder and has for a decade and as Billy states, the heat from the sun is never taken into consideration which is plainly stupid.
The left keep smearing and lying about anyone that does follow their “flawed”
science. Just the way people did to Charles Darwin.
To be clear Liz. There is no EVIDENCE that CO2 is causing Global Warming. Lots of speculation but NO evidence – flawed science is all.
This report says it all but you lot won’t challenge it, all you’ll do is attack the guys character, not his points –
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1226808/Earth-absorbing-CO2-claims-climate-change-study.html