Climategate Not Dead

[cashinmattress]

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Lobbyists who cleared 'Climategate' academics funded by taxpayers and the BBC

A shadowy lobby group which pushes the case that global warming is a real threat is being funded by the taxpayer and assisted by the BBC.

The little-known not-for-profit company works behind the scenes at international conferences to further its aims.

One of its key supporters headed the official investigation into the so-called "Climategate emails", producing a report which cleared experts of deliberately attempting to skew scientific results to confirm that global warming was a real threat.

Another scientific expert linked to the group came forward to praise a second independent investigation into the Climategate affair which also exonerated researchers.

Set up with the backing of Tony Blair, then the Prime Minister, and run by a group of British MPs and peers the organisation, Globe International, started life as an All Party Group based in the House of Commons.

It is now run as an international climate change lobbying group flying its supporters and experts club class to international summits to push its agenda. Last year, it said, it spent around £500,000 flying its supporters to these meetings.

It has also paid out at least £75,000 on travel for prominent UK politicians, including for its former presidents Elliot Morley [corr], the ex-Labour environment minister now facing jail for expenses fraud, and Stephen Byers, the former Labour cabinet minister who was suspended from the Commons after he was filmed describing himself a "cab for hire" when offering to lobby his parliamentary contacts for cash.

Now Globe is planning a mass lobby of the United Nations Rio 2012 summit in Brazil, where world leaders will discuss climate change, by holding a World Summit of Legislators in the city to coincided with the event.

Next week the group's current President Lord Deben, the former Tory Cabinet Minister John Gummer, is due to launch a major report on climate change policy alongside Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary.

Globe has also recently held behind-closed-doors meetings with William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, and other senior Coalition ministers.

Last year two prominent experts linked to Globe were drawn into the controversy over emails leaked from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit.

Lord Oxburgh, the organisation's director, was called in to head an internal inquiry into the leaked emails which included one infamous message referring to a "trick" to "hide the decline" in global temperatures.

The peer's investigation cleared the scientists of malpractice. But critics claimed the report was a whitewash and Lord Oxburgh also failed to declare his involvement with Globe before he began his investigation.

Meanwhile Bob Ward, from the Grantham Institute, which works alongside Globe, praised a second inquiry by former civil servant Muir Russell, which also cleared the climate researchers.

He said it had "lifted the cloud of suspicion" and demonstrated that "the integrity of climate science is intact."

Globe International's work is paid for with donations from multi-millionaire backers and through partnerships with other environmental groups.

Globe also confirmed last night that it received direct funding from the Department of Energy and the Department of International Development (DfID). including a grant of £91,240 provided by DfID since the Coalition came to power last year.

More cash from DfID is filtered through the Complus Alliance - a "sustainable development communications alliance" of broadcasters based in Costa Rica which is also supported by the BBC World Service Trust, the Corporation's independent charity,.

Complus, which was awarded DfID cash last year and in 2006, says it has an "ongoing relationship with Globe" helping it run "shadow negotiation" teams at international summits of world leaders.

A spokeswoman for Complus said: "The BBC is a founding member not a funding member. They can make in-kind contributions, like organising events, supporting logistics, sharing content."

She added that Complus did not fund Globe but work with them on "convergent objectives".

Last night a DfID spokesman confirmed the department had given Complus £250,000 in total to provide research, advocacy and communications work on the impact of climate change.

The spokesman said: 'These contributions were awarded under the previous Government. ???91k??? The current Government has not given them any funding.

'We only support projects that meet our strict conditions of delivering value for money and can prove their ability to reduce global poverty.'

The BBC trust's money is drawn from the £15.2 million-a-year it gets from the Foreign Office and DFID and £800,000 from licence payers. The BBC charity failed to respond to questions about its relationship with the project and how much this involvement was costing.

The Zoological Society of London, the world famous charity behind London Zoo, also provides Globe with scientific advice "providing high level input" from its top conservationists and zoologists. Globe said it paid ZSL for its expertise.

Last night Globe's general secretary Adam Matthews said: "Globe is not a lobbying organisation. It is an international group of legislators. It was set up by the legislators themselves.

"We facilitate them coming together to discuss environmental issues. Our members have multiple views - some quite sceptical on some aspects of the climate change debate."

"We are funded by the World Bank, the EU, international parliaments and Governments, including the UK Government. The coalition Government contributes to our work through DFID."

Globe International, registered as a not-for-profit firm under the name The Global Legislators Organisation Ltd, makes minimal discloses about its finances to Companies House.

Last year it declared a £500,000 loss, but still managed to fly a number of key supporters to summits and international conferences.

Barry Gardiner MP, its vice president and former Labour biodiversity minister, attended to at least four international conferences on Globe's behalf, including a trip to Tokyo, Japan, Seoul and South Korea costing more than £7,000.

Another trip to China cost more than £8,000. Mr Gardiner's daughter is also a member of Globe's full time staff.

It also paid nearly £3,000 to fly Gregory Barker, now Coalition climate change minister, to Washington DC.

Peers Lord Hunt, former head of the Met Office, and Lord Jay, the former head of the Diplomatic Service, both declared club class travel to summits paid for by the organisation.

Lord Hunt, father of Tristan Hunt, the historian, television presenter and Labour MP, also lists Mr Matthews, Globe's secretary general, as a member of his House of Lords staff.

Mr Matthews was once Barry Gardiner's researcher in the House of Commons. His chief adviser, Gauri Kiik, is listed as being on the House of Lord's staff of Lord Jay.

Lord Deben declares his work for Globe as a "non-financial interest" to the House of Lords. He is also yet to declare any foreign travel funded by the organisation, although Globe confirmed last night that it had contributed to his travel and accommodation costs in the role.

Lord Deben also runs an environmental consultancy company, Sandcroft International, which declared a turnover of almost £2 million in its last accounts. He is also chairman of Forewind, which has won the rights to build a controversial offshore wind farm in the North Sea off the Yorkshire coast.

Among Globe's principle backers are a charity set up by the Swedish multi-millionaire Niklas Zennstrom, founder of the internet phone service Skype, and British-born wealth fund manager Jeremy Grantham, whose personal clients include Dick Cheney and John Kerry.

Mr Grantham bankrolls the Grantham Institute at the LSE, which works alongside Globe.

He believes "weather instability" is the world's biggest "investment problem" and his $107 billion fund pushes alternative assets including a massive portfolio of forestry.

The fund was believed to be preparing to invest in the abandoned Government sell off British forests.

Globe's staff also includes Dr Sam Fankhauser, Globe's chief economist, is an "independent adviser" to the Government on climate change. He is a member of the Government's Committee on Climate Change which advises on policy.

And Terry Townshend, Globe's director of policy development is married to Libby Townshend, a diplomat, who was on the UK team at the UN Climate Change summit in Copenhagen.

Globe Internationals' influential supporters include:

President: Lord Deben, former Tory Agriculture Minister John Gummer. Paid expenses.

Vice President: Barry Gardiner MP. Ex-environment Min. Regular club class flight. Daughter works for Globe.

Former President: Elliot Morley, ex-environment minister facing jail for expenses fraud.

Former President: former Cabinet Minister Stephen Byers who described himself as a “cab for hire” for lobbyists.

Director: Lord Oxburgh, appointed to oversee the internal investigation into Climategate affair. Failed to declare his link to Globe.

General Secretary: Adam Matthews. Works in the House of Lords former Met Office boss Lord Hunt. Previously worked as a researcher of Barry Gardiner.

Globe’s chief economist: Dr Sam Fankhauser is an “independent adviser” to the Government on climate change.

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Oops: Chief Climategate investigator failed to declare eco directorship

'Dracula's in charge of the blood bank'

Exclusive The peer leading the second Climategate enquiry at the University of East Anglia serves as a director of one of the most powerful environmental networks in the world, according to Companies House documents - and has failed to declare it.

Lord Oxburgh, a geologist by training and the former scientific advisor to the Ministry of Defence, was appointed to lead the enquiry into the scientific aspects of the Climategate scandal on Monday. But Oxburgh is also a director of GLOBE, the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment.

GLOBE may be too obscure to merit its own Wikipedia entry, but that belies its wealth and influence. It funds meetings for parliamentarians worldwide with an interest in climate change, and prior to the Copenhagen Summit GLOBE issued guidelines (pdf) for legislators. Little expense is spared: in one year alone, one peer - Lord Michael Jay of Ewelme - enjoyed seven club class flights and hotel accommodation, at GLOBE's expense. There's no greater love a Parliamentarian can give to the global warming cause. And in return, Globe lists Oxburgh as one of 23 key legislators.

At its blog, GLOBE wears its heart on its sleeve

In the House of Lords Register of Lords' Interests, Oxburgh lists under remunerated directorships his chairmanship of Falck Renewables, and chairmanship of Blue NG, a renewable power company. (Oxburgh holds no shares in Falck Renewables, and serves as a non-exec chairman.) He also declares that he is an advisor to Climate Change Capital, to the Low Carbon Initiative, Evo-Electric, Fujitsu, and an environmental advisor to Deutsche Bank. For a year he was non-exec chairman of Shell.

GLOBE is conspicuous by its absence, however. Oxburgh joined GLOBE in 2008. The University of East Anglia appointed Oxburgh after consulting the Royal Society.

"We are grateful to the Royal Society for helping us to identify such a strong panel and to the members for dedicating their time to this important matter," said the University in a press statement. It may not be the smartest advice the UEA has ever received - the Royal Society's partisanship is well known.

(A parallel enquiry, headed by Sir Muir Russell, is already underway.)

One insider, who declined to be named, described Oxburgh's appointment as "like putting Dracula in charge of the Blood Bank".

GLOBE has not returned our request for comment. Nor has the University. The network hasn't had much luck with its UK appointments, as key figures have become caught up in the MP expenses scandal.

GLOBE's worldwide secretary Elliott Morley and its British branch secretary David Chaytor were two of three MPs to face criminal charges last week. Brent MP Barry Gardiner, co-chairman of the GLOBE Dialogue on Land Use Change & Ecosystems claimed for a second home eight miles from Westminster, and worked the system for £200,000.

In 2007 Oxburgh won a Lifetime Achievement Award from Platts. The judges said they were also impressed by “his very high ethical standards".

Sadly, whether you like it or not, we will all be paying 'green' taxes in due course. Fvcking robbery more like. The front line of this global warming dream team has zero scientists.

Climate change is a reality, but it's cyclic and mainly due to existential phenomena' like the sun, volcanoes, etc. How the sun doesn't get calculated into this bogus research is beyond me.

I have no problem with cutting down on particulate and toxins in the atmosphere, but stop ramming this CO2 nonsense down my neck FFS.

Here's my proposal. Put ALL the data on the web and allow the people of the world to draw a consensus. NASA does it with the SETI program.

[Bloo Loo]

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Sadly, whether you like it or not, we will all be paying 'green' taxes in due course. Fvcking robbery more like. The front line of this global warming dream team has zero scientists.

Climate change is a reality, but it's cyclic and mainly due to existential phenomena' like the sun, volcanoes, etc. How the sun doesn't get calculated into this bogus research is beyond me.

I have no problem with cutting down on particulate and toxins in the atmosphere, but stop ramming this CO2 nonsense down my neck FFS.

Here's my proposal. Put ALL the data on the web and allow the people of the world to draw a consensus. NASA does it with the SETI program.

CarbonDiOxide is of course highly toxic and dangerous to us all.

I signed a petition to have DiHydromonOxide removed from our planet...apparently it is in our rivers, our oceans and makes us pee.

[cashinmattress]

CarbonDiOxide is of course highly toxic and dangerous to us all.

I'm aware of that, but we are talking about the atmosphere here.

[Bloo Loo]

I'm aware of that, but we are talking about the atmosphere here.

rather than pay tax, we should limit prole breathing to one breath per minute.

[Jack's Creation]

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Sadly, whether you like it or not, we will all be paying 'green' taxes in due course. Fvcking robbery more like. The front line of this global warming dream team has zero scientists.

Climate change is a reality, but it's cyclic and mainly due to existential phenomena' like the sun, volcanoes, etc. How the sun doesn't get calculated into this bogus research is beyond me.

I have no problem with cutting down on particulate and toxins in the atmosphere, but stop ramming this CO2 nonsense down my neck FFS.

Here's my proposal. Put ALL the data on the web and allow the people of the world to draw a consensus. NASA does it with the SETI program.

It's all begining to look a little Agentinian, isn't it?

Emptying the till whilst the shop burns down.

[cashinmattress]

It's all begining to look a little Agentinian, isn't it?

Emptying the till whilst the shop burns down.

At least the Argie's have effected change.

We're too fat, lazy, and scared sh1tless to attempt such things.

We leave protests to a handful of students and union types, plus 10x chav yobs.

[Paddles]

"Climate Change" (not "Global Warming" anymore, for some reason) requires us to believe, in decreasing order of credibility;

1. That the climate is changing.

2. That the climate change is man-made and not just part of a naturally-occurring cycle.

3. That it can be reversed by man.

4. That a consensus of governments exists now or could ever exist that would be competent enough, not corrupt and minded to reverse it.

I'm not a scientist but I do know a bit about gambling. I reckon sticking a ten quid accumulator on every race at Cheltenham in a season and it paying off would be the horse-racing equivalent of all of those 4 beliefs being correct.

Climate Change is an even bigger global confidence trick than the Millennium Bug.

[SleepyHead]

"Climate Change" (not "Global Warming" anymore, for some reason) requires us to believe, in decreasing order of credibility;

1. That the climate is changing.

2. That the climate change is man-made and not just part of a naturally-occurring cycle.

3. That it can be reversed by man.

4. That a consensus of governments exists now or could ever exist that would be competent enough, not corrupt and minded to reverse it.

I'm not a scientist but I do know a bit about gambling. I reckon sticking a ten quid accumulator on every race at Cheltenham in a season and it paying off would be the horse-racing equivalent of all of those 4 beliefs being correct.

Climate Change is an even bigger global confidence trick than the Millennium Bug.

We can tell you're not a scientist. Believe me, its obvious.

What a complete and utter sh** cannon of a post.

[cashinmattress]

We can tell you're not a scientist. Believe me, its obvious.

What a complete and utter sh** cannon of a post.

How so? Explain your rather aggressive stance with some logic perhaps?

[tinker]

I'm with Paddles on this.

Follow the money, and you will see why there is fraud, corruption, contempt and deception.

[SleepyHead]

How so? Explain your rather aggressive stance with some logic perhaps?

What do you need logic for? If you don't believe the scientists, surely you reject all logic, along with data, experiment, analysis and everything we know today as science?

[SleepyHead]

I'm with Paddles on this.

Follow the money, and you will see why there is fraud, corruption, contempt and deception.

So your decision is to rely on the analysis of someone who openly says he's not a scientist, but is instead a gambler. Good plan.

[Jack's Creation]

We can tell you're not a scientist. Believe me, its obvious.

What a complete and utter sh** cannon of a post.

I for one, am totally convinced by your argument.

[cashinmattress]

What do you need logic for? If you don't believe the scientists, surely you reject all logic, along with data, experiment, analysis and everything we know today as science?

As and engineer, I only believe what I see, and can prove by calculation.

I never take somebody else word for granted, even my piers. We always check each other, always.

This 'science' that you seem to be circling the wagons around, has more holes in it than did George Best's two livers

[Jack's Creation]

So your decision is to rely on the analysis of someone who openly says he's not a scientist, but is instead a gambler. Good plan.

What if the scientists have have been found to lie? Or when some scientists say that other scientists are wrong? That's when the people who are forced to pay for the research ( via taxation or added product cost) have to start using probability analysis to try and establish whether a load of boffins are just trying to scare them into funding their research grants. What's your vested interest?

[tinker]

So your decision is to rely on the analysis of someone who openly says he's not a scientist, but is instead a gambler. Good plan.

Having read around the subject and been made aware of the lack of any empirical science, the biased computer modelling, the media subversion of facts and counter arguments, I simply don't buy into your religion.

And Paddles is a good bloke. Gambler? You appear to lack the intelligence to see what he is saying using the gambling reference to point out the ludicrousness of the idea that man can control the planet, and that a small group of big cheeses, backed by some scientists with grant funding to worry about, can somehow co-ordinate this 'action'.

Wake up and smell the coffee, you are part of the problem.

[Injin]

We can tell you're not a scientist. Believe me, its obvious.

What a complete and utter sh** cannon of a post.

Well, just take his 3rd point.

When governments control over the environment increases does the environment get worse or better? (hint: communist states/dictatorships have the most control over their environments.)

[Injin]

What do you need logic for? If you don't believe the scientists, surely you reject all logic, along with data, experiment, analysis and everything we know today as science?

It looks to me like you have conflated the work of scientists with the job title.

Climate change cannot ever be part of science as it is entirely predictive. Science relies on repeated mass experimentation which provides inductive proof, and no experiment can be done on the environment.

[SleepyHead]

Its amazing how many of the arguments here are criticising the scientists on the basis of them being a vested interest.

But none of you seem to acknowledge the oil companies as being a vested interest.

Follow the money? ... Are you saying the oil companies are not vested interests? They're the ones making the big money, not the scientists.

[snowflux]

It looks to me like you have conflated the work of scientists with the job title.

Climate change cannot ever be part of science as it is entirely predictive. Science relies on repeated mass experimentation which provides inductive proof, and no experiment can be done on the environment.

Experimentation is optional; it is observation that is critical to science, though of course experimentation may be used in order to obtain those observations. My own physics degree included astrophysics and cosmology, despite the lack of stars and universes in our laboratory! Climatology, being observation based, is just as much a scientific discipline as the ones I studied, and its predictions are equally valid.

[shipbuilder]

Merchants of Doubt is but one book exploring the vested interests behind those making the anti-AGW argument. The idea of this thread that the VIs and money are on any one side is utterly ridiculous.

[SleepyHead]

Experimentation is optional; it is observation that is critical to science, though of course experimentation may be used in order to obtain those observations. My own physics degree included astrophysics and cosmology, despite the lack of stars and universes in our laboratory! Climatology, being observation based, is just as much a scientific discipline as the ones I studied, and its predictions are equally valid.

+1 Brilliant post.

This is a proper scientist! ... and very nice to see we still frequent this forum from time to time.

[Jack's Creation]

Experimentation is optional; it is observation that is critical to science, though of course experimentation may be used in order to obtain those observations. My own physics degree included astrophysics and cosmology, despite the lack of stars and universes in our laboratory! Climatology, being observation based, is just as much a scientific discipline as the ones I studied, and its predictions are equally valid.

It's prediction though, not observation, which is open to subjective interpretation and if you've studied physics you will know that the outcome and interpretation of any experiment is influenced by the observer. ( Indeed, chaos theory relies upon this fact.

Stars and galaxys are not weather patterns and presumably you had access to telescopes?

[Injin]

Experimentation is optional; it is observation that is critical to science, though of course experimentation may be used in order to obtain those observations. My own physics degree included astrophysics and cosmology, despite the lack of stars and universes in our laboratory! Climatology, being observation based, is just as much a scientific discipline as the ones I studied, and its predictions are equally valid.

Fraid not.

No experiment, no proof. I understand that Vi's have managed to edge out the original meaning of science (in the same way that other VI's have managed to move the definition of free market to include capita) but the original meaning of science is the only valid one.

Just observing on it's own doesn't make for science, there has to be a test. Now, that test might happen for you in the natural world, which is great. No such "observation" is possible with the climate system, it simply isn't.

Sorry.

[Tankus]

Um..... the planet has never had a stable climate , there has always been variance , the real trick is to put an unquantifiable human interference on that change and then put a monetary value on it (carbon credits) which can be capitalized," traded" and" invested " to make a very small cadre of people very rich on the induced fears, gullibility and greed of the many .

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-most-bizarre-economic-bubbles-in-history/

A tried and tested formula , but the genius is ..this time its thin air and long term