cranks

Mad, bad and dangerous

by Gareth June 7, 2011

Australian climate scientists have been receiving abusive emails — even death threats — from people who mistake violence for political expression. Graham Readfearn provides some examples (not for the squeamish). The Canberra Times broke the story at the weekend and it’s been covered in depth at The Conversation (one, two). Tim Lambert comments on the [...]

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Climate rap – scientists fight back

by Gareth May 11, 2011

This is a preview of a section of tonight’s Hungry Beast show (Wikipedia explains) on ABC in Australia — I’m A Climate Scientist — a rap attack on climate denial. Opening lines: Droppin facts all over this wax/ While bitches be crying about a carbon tax/ Climate change is caused by people/ Earth Unlike Alien [...]

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Carter and Beck: partners in misconduct

by Doug Mackie May 8, 2011

Jim Renwick’s review of Bob Carter’s book, Climate – The Counter Consensus, reminded me that I have long promised provide a detailed explanation of why EG Beck – lauded by Bob Carter and Bryan Leyland – is a fraud. So here, connecting the two, is a syllogism (*): EG Beck is a fraud. Bob Carter [...]

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Educating Richard (or not)

by Gareth May 3, 2011

If ever you wanted a demonstration of the strange version of reality occupied by those that would deny the need for action on climate change, then Richard Treadgold — he of the oddly one-sided climate conversation — provides a perfect example in his recent attempt to respond to a post of mine. You may remember [...]

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Gathering nuts in May: The Business Roundtable and the Toxic Avenger

by Doug Mackie May 3, 2011

Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report this morning suggested that ousted ACT party leader and climate denialist Rodney Hide may be given some bauble of office at the Business Roundtable. But is he qualified? Can Rodney be the auctioneer to sell off Christchurch? Can Rodney’s ‘toxic’ brand fit with that of the BRT when it comes [...]

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Brash in pocket

by Gareth May 2, 2011

Confirmation that new ACT Party leader Don Brash still considers himself a climate sceptic comes in an interview he gave to arch-libertarian commentator Lindsay Perigo shortly before he launched his takeover putsch (starts as about 24:10 on the Youtube video). Brash happily confirms his scepticism, saying: “I don’t believe the case has been established that [...]

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Don’t Hide your love away: Don Brash, climate and a very particular kind of coup

by Doug Mackie April 30, 2011

The most right wing political party in New Zealand that is represented in parliament is the Act Party. This blog post by Bryce Edwards, a political scientist at the University of Otago, is a little long and a little out of date now (November 2009) but it gives a reasonable summary of the state of [...]

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Climate: The Counter Consensus

by Gareth April 29, 2011

This review of Bob Carter’s latest book, by Dr James Renwick, Principal Scientist at NIWA’s Climate Variability & Change group, was first published in the March newsletter of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand. My thanks to Jim for permission to republish it here. This book is a curious read, full of misinformation, straw-man arguments, [...]

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Return of the Climate Clueless™: there’s none so blind…

by Gareth April 17, 2011

Sir Peter Gluckman, scientific adviser to NZ prime minister John Key, recently published a discussion paper entitled Towards better use of evidence in policy formation (pdf). It’s an interesting read for anyone who has ever noted the sometimes large discrepancy between political dogma and policy outcomes. Sciblogger Peter Griffin went so far as to describe [...]

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Bob Carter: innumerate and irrational?

by Gareth March 11, 2011

Bob Carter, in Shhsshh … don’t talk about the science, Quadrant Online, Feb 28 2011: So what about the famous global warming which occurred in the late 20th century, whatever happened to that? Well, not only did the gentle warming terminate in 1998, but in accord with natural climate cycling that warming has been followed [...]

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