In the week a UN study warned of dire consequences for the planet, predicting a 6-deg. rise in the Earth's temperature, Tory climate-sceptics gather in Europe.
Conservative MEP Roger Helmer is today hosting a “climate sceptics’ conference” in Brussels. The news once again undermines David Cameron’s claims to that the electorate can “Vote Blue, Go Green“.
James Delingpole, wrote yesterday on his Telegraph blog, that:
“Today I’m off on the Eurostar to Brussels (”a carbon neutral journey” it boasts on my ticket – which rather makes me wish I were flying instead) to speak at the European Parliament on Climate Change.
“No, don’t worry. The Goreistas haven’t got to me. It’s a sceptics’ conference – Have Humans Changed Climate? – being staged tomorrow by Tory MEP Roger Helmer. Many of my science and eco-heroes will be there, including Patrick Moore (the co-founder of Greenpeace who subsequently bailed when the charity turned far too red), Prof Fred Singer (who’ll be talking on Can We Trust The IPCC?) and Professor Ross McKitrick (who famously helped expose the notorious Hockey Stick curve).”
Sessions at the conference include “Why can’t we trust IPCC?”, “How the Sun and its solar winds affects our climate” and “Media Bias, Climate Alarmism and the Rise of the New Media.”
In his “Straight Talking – September 2009” newsletter, Helmer writes:
“Far too often there is an assumption that everyone is in agreement on the climate change issue; I am pleased to be able to go some way to demonstrating that that is simply not so. I shall keep you posted on the event.”
The climate sceptics conference comes in the same week as the warnings from the UN’s Global Carbon Project study of a six-degree rise in the Earth’s temperature this century, which could lead to a climate not seen for 100 million years, extinctising almost all life and reducing humanity to a few struggling groups living near the poles
This statement will, no doubt, concern David Cameron who said in his conference speech, “The dangers of climate change are stark and very real. If we don’t act now, and act quickly, we could face disaster.”
The conference comes on the back of news this morning that shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, has campaigned against a wind farm close to his Cambridgeshire South constituency on the spurious grounds of noise pollution.
Minister of State for Energy, Joan Ruddock told Left Foot Forward:
“While serious politicians wrestle with getting a deal to tackle climate change in Copenhagen, David Cameron lets one of his MEPs convene a meeting of climate change sceptics. It shows how two-faced the Tories really are on climate issues. The Tories are out of step with the science and the politics and would put all our efforts to tackle climate change at risk.”
UPDATE 4:25
Speaking from Beijing, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has just said:
“Who are the real Tories? David Cameron may talk green but the Tories either deny climate change is happening or don’t want to deal with it. Cameron lets one of his MEPs get a motley crew of sceptics together while one of his key allies Andrew Lansley says in Not In My Constituency about wind power.
“The world has only a few weeks to get a deal at Copenhagen to tackle Climate change and the Tories are turning their backs on the truth. Here in Beijing the Chinese understand the challenge of climate change and want to tackle it.
“The Tories would leave us left behind not just in Europe on this but across the world.”
UPDATE 10.08 19/11
Political Scrapbook reveal that “Star of Tory climate change conference [Fred Singer] was paid to deny effects of passive smoking”.
Other speakers include Ross McKitrick, a libertarian with a track record of broader anti-environmentalism; Fred Goldberg, an expert in welding technology who claims that polar bears are increasing in number; and Benny Peiser, a social anthropologist who has only published three research papers in peer-reviewed journals, none on human-induced climate change.
38 Responses to “Tory MEP hosts “climate sceptics'” conference”
Anon E Mouse
Ian – Let me start by saying that I recycle everything I can, drive only to work – do the lot. I have x10 in my house with modified magnetic latching relays, my own mod as it happens and they use zero electricity when they are off.
I compost, lights off when not in a room, the works. At work we have modified our industrial unit to split the lights 8 ways blah blah (Our EON electricity bill is down to half what it was) you get the point. I’m so obsessional on saving water, electricity and fuel you wouldn’t believe it – I’ve been described as a crank.
But I see no evidence or any proof that (man made) CO2 is causing global warming. The science simply does not exist and as a realist I will not accept it unless those purporting to be right in their views stop preaching their unproven opinions at me – especially when taxes on flights and stuff simply go to the treasury to help this hopeless government and not on “green” projects.
I also dislike the assumption that people who do not behave in a way these people advocate are in some way less virtuous. They are not and in the face of the lack of evidence of (man made) CO2 causing global warming that assumption is without merit.
When I see Sting flying around the world in a private jet whilst banging on about climate change and the rain-forests it makes me weep.
Ian Bolton
Anon.
Fair point. I understand completely. I have friends (amazingly) who preach this that and the next and in reality are a walking contradiction. When we get celebrities who more than likely preach this stuff to make themselves look good, then (like U2) spend millions of pounds transporting a stage and all their equipment to play a virtual 3D gig around the world defeats the whole point in caring in the first place.
But like I said, I find people who believe in creationism frighteningly single minded and in some ways I put them in the same boat as climate change sceptics. Surely science is there to prove things, and although it can’t prove everything just yet, we shouldn’t let politics and pathetic journalism get in the way of growing evidence. But like you say, is there any evidence to say CO2 is destroying the planet? It’s safe to say our over population and ridiculous consumer lifestyles are really not helping. Surely we can’t keep taking things from the planet and expect it to keep giving. Our questioning of this whole carbon emissions problem just goes to show how much trust we have in our government, who in my eyes, hasn’t done so bad, but we’ll see.
Anon E Mouse
Ian – agree with you on almost everything except the last line 😉
Ian Bolton
haha, the more i think about it, the more i question my own reasoning.
Richard Blogger
Richard Blogger – when did it become a crime to hold an opinion that’s different to yours?
I am a scientist (semiconductor physics, in case you ask). In science you measure things and formulate theories, then you public your results in peer reviewed journals. Your peers point out any issues. This allows scientists to refine their work. There is no belief or opinions, just science.
The deniers almost to a man is working on “belief”, not on science. Now you may come back and say that there are other theories, and I will acknowledge that. I have worked in areas with conflicting theories, and this encourages more work to determine which theory is right.
The deniers are not scientists (Helmer, Lawson, Delingpole, where are the science degrees, what actual scientific research have they done?), their opinions are faith-based. I don’t do faith, I do science.