I am going to post a list with all the so-called experts in the GGWS program. It makes it possible for everyone to check for themselves that many of them are not climatologists or even scientists, and some have questionable links with the oil industry. These are not gratuitous brick throwing or ad-hominem attacks. It is important to know the background of the people that claim that mainstream climatology is completely wrong.

I did not compile the list myself, so unfortunately cannot take credit for all the hard work.

Since my earlier attempt didn't work because the post contained to many links, I am going to post them piecemeal.

Enjoy reading!

Nigel Lawson
Politician and well-known conspiracy theorist. Scientifically illiterate.
see:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/11/lawson-vs-the-ipcc/

Paul Reiter, respectable scientist but not a climatologist. Is bitter about the IPCC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Reiter

Nir Shaviv, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
He is a young astro-physicist at , not a climatologist. He is such a "leading scientist" (Channel 4's billing) that he doesn't even get a mention on Wikipedia, and his research is so important that realclimate hasn't even bothered to debunk his [non-peer reviewed, I think] papers. Yet his "research" on GCRs formed the central plank of the programme. He is certainly a known contrarian, although not a well-known one. There's an interesting exchange between him and the realclimate scientists in the Comments section at http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/05/thank-you-for-emitting/. It's quite funny the way several of the realclimate people suggest he go to "a science library near you" to brush up his science - I've never seen them patronise any other scientist in that way, however sceptical.

Ian Clark, University of Ottowa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Clark
A known contrarian, though hardly *well*-known and certainly not a "leading scientist". Has had one peer reviewed paper published as far as I can tell, back in 1997. Programme billed him as a leading Arctic paleoclimatologist but I can't find any evidence of that.

Frederick Singer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Singer

Tim Ball
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Ball
I don't think he has written a peer reviewed paper in his life. Is a well-known anti-AGW activist and is paid by the fossil fuel industry. Have a look at the "Lawsuit" links in the Wikipedia article, they're quite funny.

John Christy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Christy
The most "respectable" of the scientists on the programme. Is a contrarian but is careful by and large to make scientifically meaningless statements that sound sceptical but that are hard to attack scientifically, like "a lot of people are predicting disaster but I don't see that" (what is the scientific definition of disaster?). Tried to pretend in the programme that his satellite data still shows that the troposphere is not warming in line with the models, which was demonstrated not to be true a long time ago - see:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/03/swindled/
in the section "The troposphere should warm faster than the sfc".

See also the stuff on him at:
http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Climate/Climate_Sc...nce/Contrarians.html



Carl Wunsch (well as we know he was duped)

Patrick Michaels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Michaels
I like especially the bit about James Annan's bet!!

Richard Linzen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lindzen
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/04/lindzen-point-by-point/
and the link to the Contrarians article I gave you above.
No longer does science, is now a consultant to the oil industry. last peer-reviewed paper many years ago and even that was quickly debunked.

Syun-Ichi Akasofu
Another "leading scientist" that Wikipedia doesn't consider important enough to be worth giving a page to. Billed by programme as "Director, International Arctic Research Centre". Can't find any evidence to back up this claim. His contributions to the programme were scientifically illiterate, e.g. seemed not to understand the difference between decadal trends in arctic melting and seasonal cycles ("the ice is always melting, it melts every spring [hysterical laugh]"). Only info I can find on web about him seems to indicate he's an astronomer, not than a climatologist.

James Shikwati, economist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Shikwati

Well libertarian economists who are also contrarians are a dime a dozen, because if AGW were true that would mean more regulation of business and that would be anathema to them. They chose one of the very few African libertarians, in order to get people's crocodile tear sympathy for their "third world is being asked not to develop" angle (failing to mention that the third world has no emissions targets under Kyoto - and that this lack of any targets for the third world was the main reason Bush gave for refusing to sign up!!!).

Philip Stott
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Stott
has never published any peer reviewed paper on climate science (only non-peer reviewed books).
On the programme he pulled out the hoary old vines in England chestnut that was demolished many years ago - see:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/07/m...th-and-english-wine/

Piers Corbyn
Another so-called "leading scientist" who Wikipedia doesn't consider important enough to be worth mentioning.

Main claim to fame is that he claims to have been able to out-bet the Met Office on weather forecasting, but has never provided any evidence that he has really done so (apart from waving around one check from a bookmaker); has never submitted his calculations to peer review; doesn't understand the difference between weather and climate; and declined to accept a bet from James Annan.

For some reason I'm not able to post a link to him, but I suggest you google him to find yourself.

so much for hobbes007's expert sleuthing. He says Ian Clark has one peer review paper. Well here is the list of his publications

42. Mohammadzadeh, H., Clark, I.D., Marschner, M., St-Jean, G., 2005. Compound Specific Isotopic Analysis (CSIA) of Landfill Leachate DOC Components. Chemical Geology 218: 3-13.


41. Ethier, A., Clark, I.D., Dallimore, S. Matsumoto, R. and Middlestead, P. 2005. High-resolution isotopic and geochemical studies of the gas hydrate intervals of the JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 5L-38 research well. In press, Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin.(GSC).


40. Marschner, M., Middlestead, P. and Clark, I.D., 2005. Using a simple high performance liquid chromatography separation and fraction collection methodology to achieve compound-specific isotope analysis for dissolved organic compounds. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 19: 261-268.


39. Matsumoto, R., Tomaru, H., Chen, Yifeng, Lu, Hailong and Clark, I.D., 2005. Geochemistry of the interstitial waters of the Mallik 5l-38 gas hydrate research well, Mackenzie Delta, Canada. In press, Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin.(GSC).


38. Murton, J.B., C.A. Whiteman, R.I. Waller, W. Pollard, I.D. Clark and S.R. Dallimore, 2005 Basal ice facies and supraglacial melt-out till of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, western Arctic Canada. Quaternary Science Reviews, 24: 681-708.


37. Renaud, R., Clark, I.D., Kotzer, T.G., Milton, G.M. and Bottomley, D.J., 2005. The mobility of anthropogenic 129I in a shallow sand aquifer at Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada. Radiochimica Acta, 93: 363-371.


36. Lacelle, D., Lauriol, B. and Clark, I.D., 2004. Seasonal isotopic imprint in moonmilk from Caverne de l’Ours (Quebec, Canada): implications for climatic reconstruction. Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 41: 1411-1423.


35. Bottomley, D.J. and Clark, I.D., 2004. Potassium and boron co-depletion in Canadian Shield brines: evidence for diagenetic interactions between marine brines and basin sediments. Chemical Geology, 203: 225-236.


34. Phipps, G.C., Boyle, D.R., and Clark, I.D., 2004. Groundwater geochemistry and exploration methods: Myra Falls volcanogenic massive-sulphide deposits, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, 4: 329-340


33. Clark, I.D., Lauriol, B., Marschner, M., Sabourin, N., Chauret, Y. and Desrochers, A., 2004. Endostromatolites from permafrost karst, Yukon, Canada: paleoclimatic proxies for the Holocene hypsithermal. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 41: 387-399.


32. Murton, J.B., Waller, R.I., Hart, J.K., Whiteman, C.A., Pollard, W.H. and Clark, I.D., 2004. Stratigraphy and glaciotectonic structures of permafrost deformed beneath the northwest margin of the Laurentide ice sheet, Tuktoyuktuk Coastlands, Canada. Journal of Glaciology, 50: 399-412.


31. Clark, I.D. and Raven, K.G., 2003 Arsenic sources in Giant Mine groundwaters, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies 40: 115-128.


30. Lacelle, D. Bjornnson, J., Lauriol, B., Clark, I.D. and Troutet, Y., 2003. Segregated-intrusive ice of subglacial meltwater origin in retrogressive thaw flow headwalls, Richardson Mountains, N.W.T., Canada. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23: 681-696.


29. Alvaredo Quiroz, N.G., Kotzer, T.G., Milton, G., Clark, I.D. and Bottomley, D., 2002. Partitioning of 127I and 129I in an unconfined glaciofluvial aquifer on the Canadian Shield. Radiochimica Acta, 90: 469-478.


28. Bottomley, D.J., Renaud, R., Kotzer, T. and Clark, I.D., 2002. Iodine-129 constraints on residence times of deep marine brines in the Canadian Shield. Geology, 30: 587-590.


27. Zdanowicz, C., Fisher, D., Clark, I. and Lacelle, D., 2002. An ice-marginal d18O record from Barnes Ice Cap, Baffin Island, Canada. Annals of Glaciology, 35: 145-149.


26. Clark, I.D., Lauriol, B., Harwood, L. and Marschner, M., 2001. Groundwater contributions to discharge in a permafrost setting: Big Fish River, N.W.T., Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 33: 62-69.


25. Clark, I.D. and Phillips, R.J., 2000. Geochemical and 3He/4He evidence for mantle and crustal contributions to geothermal fluids in the western Canadian continental margin. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 104: 261-276


24. Douglas, M., Clark, I.D., Raven, K. and Bottomley, D., 2000.Groundwater mixing dynamics at a Canadian Shield mine. Journal of Hydrology, 235: 88-103.


23. Clark, I.D., Douglas, M., Raven, K. and Bottomley, D.J., 2000. Recharge and preservation of glacial meltwater in the Canadian Shield. Ground Water, 38: 735-742.


22. Clark, I.D., Matsumoto, R., Dallimore, S., Lowe, B., Loop, J., 1999. Isotope constraints on the origin of pore waters and salinity in the permafrost and gas-hydrate core intervals of the JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 Gas-Hydrate Research Well. Geological Surveyof Canada Bulletin, 544: 177-188.


21. Lamirande, I., Lauriol, B., Lalonde, A.E. and Clark, I.D., 1999. La production de limon sur des terrasses de cryoplanation dans les monts Richardson, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 36: 1645-1654.


20. Jenner, K.A., Dallimore, S.R. and Clark, I.D., 1999. Sedimentology of methane hydrate host strata from JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin, 544: 57-68.


19. Lauriol, B.J. and Clark, I.D., 1999. Fissure calcretes in the arctic: a paleohydrologic indicator. Applied Geochemistry 14: 775-785.


18. Bottomley, D.J., Katz, A., Chan, L.H., Starinsky, A., Douglas, M., Clark, I.D. and Raven, K.G., 1999. The origin and evolution of Canadian Shield brines: evaporation or freezing of seawater? New lithium isotope and geochemical evidence from the Slave craton. Chemical Geology 155: 295-320.


17. Cane, G. and Clark, I.D., 1999. Tracing ground water recharge in an agricultural watershed with isotopes. Ground Water 37: 133-139.


16. Clark, I.D. and B. Lauriol, 1997. Aufeis of the Firth River basin, northern Yukon, Canada: insights to permafrost hydrogeology and karst. Arctic and Alpine Research, 29: 240-252.


15. Bajjali, W., Clark, I.D. and P. Fritz, 1997. The artesian thermal groundwaters of northern Jordan: insights to their recharge history and age. Journal of Hydrology, 192: 355-382.


14. Lauriol, B., Duchesne, C. et Clark, I.D., 1995. Systématique du remplissage en eau des fentes de gel: les résultats d’une étude oxygène-18 et deutérium. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 16: 47-55.


13. Clark, I.D., Dayal, R. and Khoury, H.N., 1994. The Maqarin (Jordan) natural analogue for 14C attenuation in cementitious barriers. Waste Management, 14:467-477.


12. Clark, I.D., Fritz P., Seidlitz, H.K., Trimborn, P., Milodowski, A.E., Pearce, J.M., and Khoury, H.N., 1993. Recarbonation of metamorphosed marls in Jordan. Applied Geochemistry, 8: 473-481.


11. Carrillo-Rivera, J.J., Clark, I.D. and Fritz, P., 1992. Investigating recharge of shallow and paleo-groundwaters in the Villa de Reyes basin, SLP, Mexico with environmental isotopes. Applied Hydrogeology 4:35-48.


10. Ghomshei, M. and Clark, I.D., 1993. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in deep thermal waters from the South Meager Creek geothermal area, British Columbia, Canada. Geothermics, 22: 79-89.


9. Lauriol, B. and Clark, I.D., 1993. An approach to determine the origin and age of massive ice blockages in two Arctic caves. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 4: 77-85.


8. Clark, I.D. and B. Lauriol, 1992. Kinetic enrichment of stable isotopes in cryogenic calcites. Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section), 102: 217-228.


7. Clark, I.D., J-Ch. Fontes and P. Fritz, 1992. Stable isotope disequilibria in travertine from high pH waters: laboratory investigations and field observations from Oman. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 56: 2041-2050.


6. Weiser, A., H.Y. Göksu, I.D. Clark, D.F. Regulla, P. Fritz and A. Vogenauer, 1992. ESR and TL dating of travertine from Jordan: complications in paleodose assessment. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 44: 149-152.


5. Khoury, H.N., E. Salameh, I.D. Clark, P. Fritz, W. Bajjali, A.E. Milodowski, M.R. Cave and W.R. Alexander, 1992. A natural analogue of high pH cement pore waters from the Maqarin site of northern Jordan, 1: Introduction to the site. Journal of GeochemicalExploration, 46: 117-132.

4. Lauriol, B., J. Cinq Mars and I.D. Clark, 1991. Les naleds du nord du Yukon: Localisation, genèse et fonte. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 2: 225-236.


3. Clark, I.D. and J-Ch. Fontes, 1990. Palaeoclimatic reconstruction in northern Oman based on carbonates from hyperalkaline groundwaters. Quaternary Research, 33: 320-336.


2. Clark, I.D., P. Fritz, and J.G. Souther, 1989. Geochemistry and isotope hydrogeology of the Mount Edziza - Mess Creek geothermal area. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 26: 1160-1171.


1. Clark, I.D., P. Fritz, F.A. Michel and J.G. Souther, 1982. Isotope hydrogeology and geothermometry of the Mount Meager geothermal area. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 19: 1454-1473.

I am not going to even bother doing any research on the rest. Hobbes007, I expected better of you.

Of course he has more than one peer-reviewed publication, otherwise he wouldn't be a professor at a reputed university.

However, most of those publications have probably nothing to do with global warming, as that is not his field.

Sorry for the misleading comment, I did say that I did not compile the list. However, I should have either cut out those comments or checked them beforehand.

quote:

Originally posted by What's in your mind:
I am not going to even bother doing any research on the rest. Hobbes007, I expected better of you.

You so much disliked my post about 'confirmation bias', but now you are demonstrating its logical opposite 'disconformation bias'. Because you will again accuse me of not knowing what to talk about, I suggest you go to wikipedia and type in both of these terms.

Thanks Hobbes. Just been and checked these out. Have to say I'm a bit suspicious though.

Some of these were edited or begun today (Patrick Michaels, John Christy, Tim Ball, Paul Rieter). Is someone spending time re-writing postings on Wikipedia to make the biogs support the arguments made against the programme and the programme's contributors presented in these threads?!!

I looked on Wiki for the director Martin Durkin and there wasn't an entry the other day. Surprise - there's one there now begun on 9th March and it's highly critical of him. As we all know, anyone can write on Wikipedia - it takes time for entries to get de-politicised and ironed out. We should all consider the bias of the writer if we look up these links.

And anyway, is Wikipedia the best place to get good information about these people?!!!

(And who was Richard Linzen in the programme?)

That's the nature of wikipedia, the mere fact they were in the program meant that they will have their entries started or edited (even the ones that my list says do not have entries).

You're right about the depolitization, so we will need to keep an eye on it.

If you have a better source of info than wikipedia or mere google, then I am happy to accept that. For now, we can only stick with what we have.

However, what the list does show is that many of them are not climatologists. And to me that is one of the most important factors in accepting their 'expertise'.

Still throwing bricks I see.....

quote:

Originally posted by DandyDickens:
Thanks Hobbes. Just been and checked these out. Have to say I'm a bit suspicious though.

Some of these were edited or begun today (Patrick Michaels, John Christy, Tim Ball, Paul Rieter). Is someone spending time re-writing postings on Wikipedia to make the biogs support the arguments made against the programme and the programme's contributors presented in these threads?!!

Hi, Dandy Dickens. You may like to check out the following links, from the media-monitoring sites "sourcewatch" and "desmogblog". The pages on sourcewatch can be user-edited, just like wikipedia - the ones linked below, as far as I can see, have not been recently edited.

Incidentally, it's no use just dismissing Sourcewatch as a "lefty" website and therefore self-evidently nothing but lies. The institutions they profile have VERY deep pockets and plenty of lawyers... and there would be nothing to prevent individuals suing too. Sourcwatch DOES respond to and post comments from people/institutions profiled on their site (see for example the entry for Philip Stott. His comments were posted in full.)

In any case, most of the information about these individuals' links with right-wing think-tanks etc. are obtained from those organisations own websites -- and other readily checkable public domain sources.

TIMOTHY BALL

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tim_Ball
http://www.desmogblog.com/node/1272

IAN CLARK

http://www.desmogblog.com/node/1316

JOHN CHRISTY

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_R._Christy

PAUL DRIESSEN

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Driessen

RICHARD S. LINDZEN

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_S._Lindzen

PATRICK MICHAELS

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Patrick_Michaels

PATRICK MOORE

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Patrick_Moore

FREDERICK SEITZ

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frederick_Seitz

S. FREDERICK SINGER

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=S._Fred_Singer

PAUL REITER

http://www.desmogblog.com/node/1279
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Campaign_for_Fighting_Diseases

It is plainly wrong to say that a program such as GGWS should only have technical experts in it. It is precisely because that the debate is not confined only to the technical domian but have spilled over to the social domain that the 'swindle' can take place. Research grants are a political process and this was the contribution of Nigel Lawson in the program. His contribution was to show how Margaret Thacther initiated the global warming program in Royal Society. Lawson is not a technical expert but that does not diminish his contribution- he is a insider to the political process.

Stating that all participants in such a program should be technical experts is frankly, funny