There has been a lot of talk about the edits the BBC made to a story on climate change in response to repeated emails by a single environmental activist. Michael Ronayne has created an animation of the before and after using Google Cache:
image changes every 5 seconds -click for the full sized image
For the story on what transpired, Michael has also supplied some links to commentary and the actual email exchanges:
Glenn Beck has commentary on the email exchanges:
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/8412/
Blog bully crows over BBC climate victory
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/08/bbc_blog_bully/
From Jennifer Marohasy: There is an amusing you-tube clip with Noel Sheppard on Glenn Beck’s show talking about the BBC. Have a look:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=216v5AoQcFQ
Apparently the BBC is refusing to comment.
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Ozone is what protects us from the radiation from the sun.
Oxygen is naturally a diatomic molecule, which means it naturally wants to float around as O2. If O2 is hit by radiation, however, it gets “excited” and latches on to a third Oxygen atom, creating O3 (aka Ozone).
The poles are where both of these key ingredients are lacking. The Earth spins on its axis, making our atmosphere bulge at the equator and thin at the poles. the majority of the sun’s radiation falls away from the poles, also making Ozone formation less likely.
And Dupont scientists were the ones who “discovered” that CFC’s hurt our ozone layer right when their patent for freon was about to wear out. If you don’t know how patents work, if a person or company comes out with an idea, then they have complete control over it for a period of time. then any company can make a generic version of it and sell it. That’s why you have brand name medicines and generic ones. Luckily though, Dupont had a replacement coolant CFC free ready though.
A simple majority gets even the most unpopular legislative through the House, no matter how strenuous the objections of the minority, even if they are a minority only by one.
Let ’em.
Are you old enough to remember that old “do nothing” Ford? The crafty old fox hammered together a third of the house and vetoed the “veto-proof congress” around forty-eleven times and was never once overridden. One of the slickest (and least appreciated) runs in all of American political history. (No one properly appreciates the big D.) And all the while, his foes were deluded into thinking he was some sort of clumsy moron (he was an All American footballer and captain of his debating team in college).
To:
Jon Jewett (12:20:41)
Jon:
Buy, beg, borrow or steal a copy of: ” The Holes in the Ozone Scare: The Scientific Evidence That the Sky Isn’t Falling” (ISBN: 0962813400)
by Rogelio A. Maduro and Ralf Schauerhammer. It is over 10 years old, and thus does not contain latest information, but gets pretty close to the truth. Close enough that it has been roundly damned by the usual suspects. Ozone being depleted by CFCs was strictly a political event. Besides, DuPont’s patents were about to run out on F-12 and F-22.
BTW, I do worry about McCain’s attitude, but he keeps insisting he wont sign anything that “hurts the economy”, which I take as code that he really isn’t going to do much at all other than a few tax breaks for “alternatives”.
Harrabin at the BBC has a history of writing alarmist claptrap that panders to western guilt about poor people in the developing world and most people’s general ignorance of science.
He better pick one. He can’t have both this time. He’s ot to throw one over the side in order to have the other.
The irony is in the phrase ’emerging truth’. Yes, the truth is emerging.
============================================
If the animation is too fast for you fellows, when the image is showing you want to see and read, just click the STOP button on your browser. Refresh the page and it will animate again.
(You don’t have to post this, Anthony, if you’d rather make note of this method in your post)
I think the CFC thing was largely based on hypotheticals and not via observation. There’s been no net change in the ozone “hole” in over 50 years, as far as I know.
so these people have decided that all temp measurements cease in 2006!
http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/trends/temp/angell/graphics.html LOL more amunition for the scektics
Anthony,
Not a comment on the article, I just wanted to point out an interesting article about negative feedbacks by clouds.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/print/print.asp?id=21153&cid=39&cname=NBR
Re: the Ozone Hole
I don’t believe that it was DuPont scientists that proposed the CFC depletion of the ozone theory. (M.J Molina was/is from MIT, F.S Rowland from UC Irvine, and Paul Crutzen was from the Max Planck Institute.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sherwood_Rowland
But, the management at DuPont did jump on the band wagon. After all, if a bunch of hysterical fools are going to believe some junk science and make stupid, harmful and wasteful laws, why shouldn’t someone make a profit??
The current AGW movement is about money-and power. See this latest about the World Bank: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSBKK28941120080404?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&rpc=22&sp=true
It seems that the vultures are circling about.
Jeff,
I was in power plant management of operations and maintenance before I retired. Billions were spent on the replacement for CFCs. And (according to the popular media-it may be true) for a while the value of the R-12 smuggled into the country exceeded the value of illegal drugs.
For a while, production of R-12 was banned in the first world while it was still being made in places like India. And the Indians, not being completely stupid, found that they could make a lot of money smuggling it into the US and other countries.
It sort of reminds you of the Kyoto Accords.
Regards,
From Jo’s site climate change etc.. it seems that the extreme element is now trying to get away from the global warming theory and moving on to overpopulation pollution etc.. good on them. There was never any argument with that. Maybe we can all find a common ground now. All that is left are the poor ol “climate scientists” and their careers who are going to have to eventually admit that human produced C02 does not force (significantly) global warming. Maybe they can concentrate on hurricane modelling etc for the future.
I don’t blame Jo one bit.
She believes in a cause, and she fights for it. She does what a lot of people on the other side are simply just too lazy to do…she picks up her pen and writes.
Give her credit for that. Good for her I say.
For a lot of people it’s just so much easier to sit in chair and just complain about things, and do nothing else.
We also can also pick up our pens and write to the BBC as well. I think Roger Harrabin is a reasonable man, and everyone here has the chance to give him your point of view. Show him that we can do it without using the bullying tactics.
The BBC is a media source now controlled by a delusional illogical minority, and rabidly controlled by an unscrupulous ignorant director, who holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a shit by the clean end.
Re. BBC changed article, I wrote complaining that they had apparently submitted to the demands of an activist. The reply I received is below. Needless to say I then replied asking about “a minor change”, “better reflect the science”, why the WMO “pointed out……….”, especially after Harrabin had initially said to Jo Abbess more than once that he saw no reason to change the report as the BBC were simply quoting the WMO. (Did the BBC ask WMO to change the story so that they could?? You have to wonder)
(BBC reply to my criticism)
Dear Reader
There has been considerable interest in the story about global
temperatures authored by our correspondent Roger Harrabin, and the
alteration made to the text after publication. A minor change was made
to the piece on our website to better reflect the science. A number of
people, including the report’s authors the World Meteorological
Organization, pointed out to us that the earlier version had been
ambiguous.
With thanks for your mail, time and interest.
BBC News website
New low for solar flux-68.0
================
Sorry, Pierre, but i do blame her. She went beyond advocacy into not so veiled threats. Obviously she felt her position was so tenuous that threats were needed.
What can i say about that
She believes in a cause, and she fights for it. So do nazis, skinheads, klanners, etc., but we don’t admire them, do we?
I can think of several names to describe Harrabin, but “reasonable” would not be one of them. Not to say people shouldn’t write to him to let him know just what people think of what he did.
Actually, this entire episode has provided conclusive proof how the BBC in general, and Harrabin in particular, can be manipulated to achieve the goals of the extremists.
Pierre stated he doesn’t blame Jo for doing what she did. I agree. Even though she’s so far out in the fringe, she has a right – perhaps even duty – to try everything her little mind can conceive to pillage anyone who goes against her losing agenda.
She is wrong, and we all know that. But showing the world how easy it is to manipulate the BBC is a joy in itself! Can you imagine how often their news is manipulated by the more powerful? Think of that one!
Jack Koenig, Editor
The Mysterious Climate Project
http://www.climateclinic.com
Criticism acknowledged. Thank you.
I certainly wouldn’t go so far to compare these people to skinheads and Nazis…I’d be a little more careful with the loose lingo here.
I believe most of these folks do have good intentions. Many are just plain misguided. Like it or not, this is what free societies are about…being active in what you believe in. Of course I don’t agree at all with what these kooks are promoting. But we have to do a lot more of some of the things they’re doing.
We need to get out more and start educating people.
Gore is out there recruiting 1000s to make presentations. What are we doing?
We’re reading these blogs and getting valuable info from them, and complain about kooks taking over. Talking’s fine, but that aint enough. We’ve got to get out and connect.
I’m putting together my own presentation to show in companies, trade groups, and the school where my kids attend. I intend to do something about it…and I’m sure I’m not going to make any friends doing this.
I don’t mind the criticism from the readers here – but I’m sticking to my guns. I’m not taking anything back.
kim,
Would you provide with the link with the solar flux data?
I’d much appreciate it.
Jeff,
You call it threats, I call it leverage. It’s business. Sort of like either you do what the boss tells you, or you’re fired. It’s the real world.
If our side had the chance to use such leverage, I’d say go for it!
But we don’t. We’ve got the facts, but we’re still losing. We’re a team, but without equipment or a playbook.
Pierre said:
“We need to get out more and start educating people.
Gore is out there recruiting 1000s to make presentations. What are we doing?
We’re reading these blogs and getting valuable info from them, and complain about kooks taking over. Talking’s fine, but that aint enough. We’ve got to get out and connect.”
Actually that’s being done across the board, Pierre. For example, the Heartland Institute sends monthly newsletter/updates to almost every elected official in the Nation on climate change, education, budgets, etc. They also provide speakers as requested for all types of meetings. Then there’s Mark Moreno who sends periodic reports on the environment in general and cc in particular that goes to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.
I personally send email reports to over 100,000 subscribers of “The Mysterious Climate Project” database (in spite of Comcast efforts to derail the project) and speak at numerous events including schools. Anthony periodically appears on the FNC (and perhaps others that I don’t view).
The Pogies have been stopped dead in their tracks and have entered panic mode. This is evidenced by polls and the fact Goofy Gore had to put together a $3 million advertising package in an attempt to stop their hemorging of believers.
This blog is sooooooooo important because it provides many of us with up-to-date information that you won’t find in the Lamestream Media (ABCNNBCBS) and others. Many of us then take this information and use it as input in our individual efforts in keeping the public informed.
Now that nature and the Dragon Slayers have slowed down – if not stopped – the Pogies, we have to continue the onslaught until it’s turned around!
Jack Koenig, Editor
The Mysterious Climate Project
http://www.climateclinic.com
This is typical of the BBC. Its supposed to be independent but has it’s own agenda and left wing political bias mainly because the majority of it’s staff are recruited from the left wing press … the Guardian and the Independent. There is an independent section however which allows complaints and will challenge programme makers and news editors live on air based on “consumer” complains and can make the news staff very uncomfortable. Its called Points of View:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/points_of_view/
even tells you how to complain about the BBC
you can e-mail it at :- pov@bbc.co.uk
Unfortunately the next series of programmes starts on the 20th April, which is a bit late but I think it is still worth deluging it with e-mails and at lest it’s independent of the new desk. Best of luck!
McGrats, That’s not 3 million in advertising, it’s 100 million a year for the next three years.
Mike
That’s alot of money…