WUWT reader “Purakanui” emailed me: “I have just read an extraordinary news item. Jim Salinger is the voice of global warming as far as New Zealand is concerned. Until recently he was always there when a new ‘record’ appeared, or a glacier retreated. He was a breathless and apparently wholly convinced warmer. Also he is a good scientist.”
I checked his bio page:
http://www.niwa.co.nz/ncc/contact/staff/jsalinger/bio
And it has been removed. Now if NASA could just get the stones to do this for Jim Hansen for promoting civil disobedience. – Anthony
From TV New Zealand
One of New Zealand’s top climate scientists has just been fired from his job at the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric research (NIWA).
Dr Jim Salinger has been the public face of the organisation for three decades, but says it was his unauthorised talking to the media that’s got him sacked.
Salinger, whose work as a science communicator has earned him accolades and even contributed to a Nobel Peace Prize, says he is now planning to sue his former employer for unjustified dismissal because according to him, he cannot understand why he was sacked.
“It’s not as though I’m doing bad science, it’s not as though I’m not performing and so I’m really astounded”.
What got Salinger fired is something that in the past brought him high praise – talking to the media.
Salinger says he always believed that his media work actually brought NIWA into repute.
Read the complete story here
I don’t know this fellow, is he a warmist? If so, then this is a very happy story with which to end the week. If not, then this is a very sad story with which to end the week.
Of course, for anyone who isn’t an AGW proponent, getting fired for speaking to the media about your job without your employer’s permission isn’t newsworthy. The judge should dismiss his suit with prejudice.
The government of New Zealand has recently become more skeptical of schemes to cap carbon.
==================================
“His work now is to make room for over 30 years of scientific papers – the quality of which is not in question.” mmmmm well ok.
I have tried to source these interviews without success – anybody?
There’s a dangerous arrogance among a number of these folks, I think. Frankly, there’s a sort of “moral superiority” about some that makes them act as if the rules don’t apply to them.
I’ve seen similar attitudes shown by all manner of power-drunk “crusading” folks. E.g., MADD, Anti-smokers, Drug Warriors, Anti-Porn Activists, etc.
I suspect that this also leads to big blind spots among many of these folks who sincerely believe that they’re not wrong.
From the linked article:
Um… as scientists do we all exaggerate, fabricate, and pontificate? I must have missed that day in scientist school.
Is this the beginning of a trend? One can only hope. I’m getting tired of encountering programmed automatons created by the likes of Salinger.
… the news from Poland:
Polish Academy of Sciences Questions Gore’s Man-Made Global Warming Theory
By: Kevin Mooney
Examiner Investigative Reporter
04/24/09 9:18 AM
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/Examiner-Opinion-Zone/Polish-Academy-of-Sciences-Questions-Gores-Man-Made-Global-Warming-Theory-43618922.html
This guy wants to use his government job as a soapbox for political involvement. If he believes in the importance of what he says he should show some leadership and initiative and test his ideas in a campaign for office. It would probably involve more courage than he has though. Simply filing a lawsuit will be a coward’s choice. What are his damages supposed to be? I’m sure this character will have no problem finding employment among like minded friends outside of government.
Wow! A chink in the armor? Along similar lines:
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=325379250231972
“Energy Policy: California regulators are ready to conclude that corn ethanol cannot help the state fight global warming. It seems they’ve discovered putting food in our cars would destroy the earth in order to save it.”
This has to be a mistake. We cannot allow logic or common sense to play any part in public policy.
Maybe it’s a trend. Some of these media types just pull things off the net so they have more time to ski, or hike, or golf, or what ever. Journalism has died.
So he told that Antarctic ice is decreasing or increasing? Or both in the same week?
He doesn’t think he’s doing poor science?
Dr Jim Salinger here’s a few things you might want to brush up on
1. CO2 going up, up and away, while temps are going down. – Doesn’t your ‘good’ science say CO2 drives temps? Not looking like it. Looking at the trends I’d say we have about another 25 to 30 years of temps not rising. So much for CO2 driving temps.
2. CO2 was MUCH higher when the Dinosaurs were around – Doesn’t your ‘good’ science say we’ll turn into Venus with too much CO2. – At least that’s what your Nobel buddy Al Gore says.
3. Why is global sea ice increasing? Oh yeah, the video game your pals designed says global warming, causes global sea ice to increase, yet at the same time ‘magically’ Antarctica is going to melt and increase sea levels 20 feet.
Dr Jim Salinger you may not have been the one that did these studies, but you SUPPORT them, which is very poor science.
If I was representing my company and went around talking about how models show the tooth fairy exists I think I’d be fired. Especially if I was a scientist, b/c that would really show how inept I am as a scientist.
The first strike back? Hooray.
Rule: NZ government officials don’t speak in public without obtaining prior approval.
Action: NZ government official speaks in public without obtaining prior approval.
Results: Government official gets dismissed for speaking in public without approval.
Said sacked official wonders why he was fired.
This is an example of two characteristics of the AGW movement: a lack of simple logic and a disconnect due to their evangelism.
Now if NASA could just get the stones to do this for Jim Hansen for promoting civil disobedience. – Anthony
Not likely to happen when the big boss is in complete agreement with Hansen’s views.
Go to http://www.theaustraliannews.com.au/story/0,25179,25376454-758
Jan Veizer April24 . ‘Climate change science isn’t settled’.
Keep up the brilliant work, though I am loosing one or two ,so called, friends.
Baz
Does anyone have any proven evidence weather he was an AGW liar ?
The MSM reports dont actually say anything about his position on issues, so we need to be careful.
If he is an AGW liar (and that is what we shoud call these frauds), then this is great news.
It will be a wonderfully positive sign that our society is on the mend if those who promote advocacy rather than honesty are removed from public positions. Don’t count on it though. It is still the opinion of too many that “The end justifies the means.”
Bio page link is DEAD as of 10:30 AM CDT, USA.
Interesting. Evidently in this Brave New World you can be made a “non-person as fast as you can be made an overnight celebrity. Telling!
Mark H.
Is he to become the Jim Hansen of the NZ? Another AGW scientist that will not blame his science but the government for stopping him telling the world how we are all going to die. Who is the NZ equivalent to Al Gore?
From the article:
NIWA says it will not talk about an employment issue publicly, but says it had given him warnings before his dismissal.
So Salinger was repeatedly warned, but he deliberately disobeyed those instructions. But in his mind, he’s special. The rules don’t apply to him.
Now if NASA would only have the huevos to tell its employees to clear public statements relating to their job, it would restore some faith in the organization.
But sadly, NASA lacks the courage of NZ.
OT:
In House Energy and Commerce Sub-committed testimony, Mr. Gore just equated AGW deniers with Bernie Madoff, stating that the deniers are perpetrating a greater fraud on the world. He also said “There is no legitimate basis for denying [GW].” Golly, I thought the recent data was legitimate.
“I’m not aware of any other country sacking a Nobel award winner or for that matter a companion of the Royal Society of NZ, so that’s a bit strange I’d have to say”.
What has never been, can always be! I wish the same happens to Pachauri for sloppy work. Instead Yale University creates an Institute and a position for him !!!!! (Nature)
He is working part-time retaining his present positions with the IPCC and as director-general of India’s Energy and Resources Institute in New Dehli.
It’s only a matter of money, see Gore!
Jean Bosseler-Luxembourg, Europe
I love this quote, it JUMPS off the page… “As scientists we’re all a bit eccentric and we all might slightly break protocol, but it’s not going to destroy NIWA”.
Let’s look at this quote. Are people employed and paid “as long as they don’t DESTROY” the organizations that pay them??? I missed that memo at my work. I guess things like following your supervisor’s instructions, and company policies are just extras – don’t destroy us and we’ll pay you for life… Good luck finding a job in this Climate! 😉
That’s not very Christian, I hope that he does find work and that God’s will is served through this experience. I have often found in all walks of life that a firing leads to a new hiring and things often happen for a reason, wish him a wake up call and all the best!
Sincerely,
Dave
Q What do you call a sacked Antipodean AGW alarmist?
A A good start.