Merchants of Smear – a Heartland Policy Brief

In my 6/6/14 blog post, I briefly mentioned that I had just “wrapped up a written piece relating to my work on the basic history of the ‘industry-corrupted skeptic climate scientists’ accusation.” It is now at this link, with my setup about it appearing there and a PDF link which will take you to the 17 page policy brief. [12/24/23 author’s note: The web link to the PDF file has subsequently gone inoperative nearly a decade later, but it is archived here. ] Continue reading

Three Degrees of Separation or Less, Part III: The Moral Imperative to Stop Global Warming

A good Christian would no doubt feel a moral imperative to be a good steward of the planet and fight global warming, particularly when told immoral people with evil self interests are causing the harm and impeding the cure……. unless that Christian was to start questioning whether the bit about ‘immoral people with evil self interests’ has a leg to stand on. Now, suddenly, there is a moral dilemma. Continue reading

Dr. Willie Soon Guest Comment: “Is What I Say Beyond the Boundaries of Reasonable Discussion?”

Although I am no more than an ordinary citizen, my email address book reads like a “Who’s Who” list of skeptic scientists and speakers. Among them, I’ve had the privilege to exchange emails with Dr Willie Soon of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Do just a basic internet search for nothing more than his name and you see why he is disgusted by those saying his work is tainted by industry funding. Here, rather than having a written-out guest post, Dr Soon suggested I could place two videos featuring him, followed by a specific comment question he wants to pose to his accusers, along with a statement from a fellow skeptic scientist, Dr Richard Lindzen. He felt this would collectively encapsulate the fatal weakness accusers show when they resort to charter assassination in order to avoid debate on the science of global warming. Continue reading

Jonathan DuHamel Guest Post: “On being a heretic”

As I noted at the top of Lord Monckton’s 5/30 piece, it is my goal to have guest posts here about how enviro-activists are enslaved to character assassination as a first-resort tactic for avoiding genuine debate on the science of global warming. Jonathan’s is the second in what I hope will be an ongoing series. I’ve had my own fun with the ‘ignorant’ commenters he speaks briefly about in this guest post. Continue reading

Lord Christopher Monckton Guest Post: “Ignoratio elenchi and global warming”

Besides detailing myriad instances of how Ross Gelbspan’s ‘big coal & oil funding’ accusation of skeptic scientists unravels, it is also my goal to have guest blogs here about how enviro-activists are enslaved to character assassination as a first-resort tactic for avoiding genuine debate on the science of global warming. This short excerpt from Lord Monckton’s encounter with an accuser encapsulates the problem (mild profanity warning in the main essay, typifying what’s heard from some global warming promoters):

Why had he been so reluctant to talk about climate science or economics? The answer is that he knew – knew with a dreadful, raging certainty – that he would lose the argument.

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