Since the release of Professor Ian Plimer‘s book titled ‘Heaven and Earth‘ was published, a number of reputable scientists and authors including Tim Lambert, Ian Enting, Barry Brook, Michael Ashley, David Karoly, Kurt Lambeck and Charlie Veron have taken the book to task, pointing out a multitude of issues ranging from deliberate misquotes, paraphrasing journal articles and deliberately falsifying graphs. George Monbiot, a journalist with the british newspaper The Guardian summarised Plimer’s efforts:
“…seldom has a book been more cleanly murdered by scientists than Ian Plimer’s Heaven and Earth, which purports to show that manmade climate change is nonsense. Since its publication in Australia it has been ridiculed for a hilarious series of schoolboy errors, and its fudging and manipulation of the data.”
Since then, Monbiot has consistently (and correctly) attacked Plimer on the falsehoods of his book on his blog at the Guardian, which culimanated in Plimer challenging Monbiot to a public debate. Monbiot agreed to this, with the condition that Plimer first respond to the detailed critique as previously outlined (see ‘Why can’t the champion of climate change denial face the music‘ for the ensuing hilarity). Unsurprisingly, Plimer has rejected this challenge, although Monbiot doesn’t say why. Read the full article here (“Let battle commence! Climate change denialist ready for the fight“). I can only hope that Plimer does his best to answer the list of questions, as it would be entertaining to watch Monbiot nail Plimer to a wall… More updates as they come.
Nice to see you don’t have any vested career interest in the debate, NOT, OveHG! The topic of real interest in the debate was volcanoes. Jones the supposedly impartial moderator and Monbiot had previously worked out (can I again see Williams’ hand in it?) that a 1991 US study would be used to nail Plimer on his estimate of undersea volcanoes CO2 output exceeding mans’ output. Plimer didn’t get a chance to respond to this (the reason why is explained below) but what they failed to see was that Plimer as a geologist is eminently qualified to make such an estimate.
But the Monbiot Plimer debate on ABC was notable for more than Monbiot’s ad hominem attacks and Plimer’s poor memory. Tony Jones the Australian ABC TV host gets an honorable mention for another hatchet-job on non-compliant scientists. He previously smeared Prof. Frederick Singer (fair enough) but unforgivably gave him no right of reply, in the prelude to the “Swindle Debate” featuring four skeptics and eight warmists, which it appears was stage-managed by panelist Robyn Williams, the ABC’s climate science gatekeeper.
In the Monbiot Plimer debate, both were given roughly equal time of reply. HOWEVER: Monbiot interrupted Plimer an astonishing eighteen (18) times. To which Jones intervened only twice after the event. Jones himself interrupted Plimer three (3) times. This behavior does NOT show up in transcript, only in the footage. Plimer interrupted Monbiot once. Both called the other side fraudulent, only Monbiot called Plimer a liar. Both Jones and Monbiot had the look of cats who had drunken their fill of milk after the mauling. Monbiot’s interruptions with adjudicator Jones’ complicity ensured Plimer could not get a reply in edgeways.
So to sum it up, it was Tony Jones of the ABC whose abyssmal performance stands out, followed by Monbiot for lack of any social grace. Plimer, reeling, but integrity intact, would have won by default, but for the star performer whom only the alert audience would have observed: the live footage of icy weather on the white snow-covered streets of Copenhagen behind Monbiot’s satellite screen.