A Question of Credibilty

Image source: Political Cartoons

Leaked documents made available through the web site Skeptical Science reveal that prominent climate change denier Bob Carter, Earthsign Climate Clown is being paid $1667 monthly by the notorious US Heartland Institute to spread lies and deception about climate change for his efforts as co-editor on a Heartland project called the Non Governmental International Panel on Climate Change. Carter told The Age:

''That suggestion is silly and offensive - a kindergarten-level argument, … Institutions or organisations simply pay for services rendered. In the same way that an architect is paid for their work, so are scientists."

Surely this finally discredits the denier objection that global warming is a conspiracy dreamed up by the world's climate scientists to guarantee continuation of their research funding.

A clutch of ABC investigations have again shown that Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is not going to play a part in preserving our environmental viability. First came the report 'Cloud hangs over Rudd's Clean Coal Vision'. This revealed the waste and ineffectiveness of the Rudd government's Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. It also reveals that Rudd was warned that this would be the outcome. Anyone surprised to hear that Kevin Rudd doesn't listen to advice? Then came the '7.30' report Carbon capture caught in a rut?  Now comes the news 'Clean coal 'unviable for two decades'

I wonder if Energy Minister Martin Ferguson who has just dealt another $100 million to a CCS project in the Latrobe Valley is listening. Somehow I think not.

UPDATE

Over at Crikey (re-posted at Climate Spectator) Graham Readfearn has had his say on the 'Deniergate' revelations from Heartland Institute. At Dot Earth Andrew Revkin highlighted as one to cultivate by the Heartland documents struggles to walk the middle path and distances himself from Heartland. Heartland is attempting to deny the authenticity of the documents but Desmogblog and Climate Progress who originally released the Heartland documents are sticking to their guns.

This commentary was originally published in Earthsign Blog and it has been re-published with the authorization of its author Associate Professor Doug Evans.