Viewers won’t remember but one thing about this interview: that a UEA scientist called a skeptic an “assh*le” on live television. It reveals just how rattled they are there at UEA/CRU.
NOTE: Updated to the full length version which was put online about 5 hours after this story was first posted – better video quality in addition to the full context of the interview – readers may wish to watch a second time. Thanks to WUWT commenter “adamskirving” – Anthony
Professor Andrew Watson (whose emails are in the Climategate emails) also adds a nice touch when he rolls his eyes, see if you can spot it.
Marc Morano explains:
A professor who is accusing global warming skeptics of engaging in “tabloid-style character assassination” of scientists, called an American climate skeptic “an assh*le” on the December 4, 2009 live broadcast of BBC’s Newsnight program.
“What an assh*le!” declared Professor Watson at the end of the contentious debate with Climate Depot’s executive editor Marc Morano. A clearly agitated Watson had earlier shouted to Morano “will you shut up.”
Video of BBC “Asshole” clip is here. (short) and here (full length – best quality)
Full one-on-one BBC debate segment between Prof. Watson and Climate Depot’s Morano is here in two parts.
The remark was broadcast live on BBC and prompted an on-air apology to viewers from the BBC later in the program for the offensive language.
Watson (Email: a.watson@uea.ac.uk) is a professor at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, which was the source of the disclosed files. Watson’s emails appear in the hacked Climategate files.
During the live debate, Morano challenged Professor Watson for being in “denial” over the importance of Climategate and noted that “you have to feel sorry for Professor Watson.”
“[Watson’s] colleague, [Professor] Mike Hulme at the University of East Anglia is saying this is authoritarian science, he is suggesting the [UN] IPCC should be disbanded based on what Climategate reveals,” Morano said.
“[UK environmentalist] George Monbiot is saying many of his friend in the environmental and the climate fear promoting business — as Professor Watson is part of — are in denial. You have to feel sorry for Professor Watson in many ways here,” Morano explained.
A clearly agitated Watson called Morano his “psychic colleague” and blurted out “Will you shut up just a second!?”
Morano summed up his views on what ClimateGate reveals during the debate. “It exposes the manufactured consensus. Your fellow colleagues are saying this,” Morano said to Watson.
Morano also noted that President “Obama is probably attending [the UN Conference] because they are circling the wagons because of the magnitude of this scandal.” (See: ‘Welcome to the delayers’: Obama’s ‘half-hearted climate efforts’ welcomed by skeptics – Nov.17, 2009)
“You have UN scientists turning on UN scientists. This is the upper echelon of the UN and it has been exposed as the best science that politics and activism can manufacture. Prof. Watson’s whole argument is ‘trust me, take my word for it,’” Morano added.
Professor Phil Jones, Watson’s colleague, has temporally stepped down pending an investigation into the Climategate scandal, which many observers say exposes data manipulation, suppression of peer-review process, blacklisting, data destruction, willful violation of Freedom of Information Act requests. [Editor’s Note: Climate Depot’s Morano, who BBC described as “one of America’s leading climate change skeptics,” is also cited in the released Climategate files. On July 23, 2009, AP reporter Seth Borenstein asked the Climategate scientist about a “a paper in JGR (Journal of Geophysical Research) today that Marc Morano is hyping wildly.” Penn State Professor Michael Mann (who is now under investigation) apparently wrote back to Borenstein: “The aptly named Marc ‘Morano’ has fallen for it!”]
Professor Andrew Watson of the University of East Anglia, the University at the center of the Climategate controversy, has come to the defense of his colleagues this week and is claiming that the whole email and data release is much ado about nothing.
But other scientists disagree. One of Watson’s colleagues at the University of East Anglia, Professor Mike Hulme, declared Climategate reveals climate science had become ‘too partisan, too centralized.” Hulme, a climate scientist who was listed as “the 10th most cited author in the world in the field of climate change, does not mince words on the magnitude of the scandal.
Hulme has even suggested that the UN IPCC has run its course. ”
“It is possible that climate science has become too partisan, too centralized. The tribalism that some of the leaked emails display is something more usually associated with social organization within primitive cultures,” Hulme wrote on November 27, 2009.
“It is also possible that the institutional innovation that has been the [UN] I.P.C.C. has run its course. “The I.P.C.C. itself, through its structural tendency to politicize climate change science, has perhaps helped to foster a more authoritarian and exclusive form of knowledge production,” Hulme explained.
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The eye-rolling is so obvious and frankly really arrogant – no wonder the CRU people think they are beyond FOI, any form of scrutiny and are smug enough to be offensive/rude to another guest on national TV.
I can see the UEA press team hiding behind the sofa during that exchange – it won’t be long before it’s all over the MSM websites now they’ve found their cojones.
Professor????
Why hasn’t Anthony been on tv about ClimateGate yet! Maybe he can be called a name too. 😉
Unbelievable: Iand 39;ve gone through raw station data and some pdfand 39;s in the hacked docs, plotted a graph – and there has been no global warming from 1900-present day. Its been a regular flat trend within either side of a 0.5C anomaly.(In fact, the rise from 1880 until 1930 dwarfs the recent rise since the 1970?s until 2000 from when temperatures have declined).
Climatology as its called is not a science. It is an analysis, that can only be dealt with in the same way as economic data, ie climate analysis. The ones who control it now are activists, whether they be professors or their students.
The American lobby of creationists have put themselves behind the climategate *scientologists* and thereand 39;s a march in London this saturady 5thDec. It begins with an ecumenical service at Westminster Central Hall, which involved both the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and Archbishop Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
This is now a question of politics, propaganda and religion, as the science has come to the limelight as disproving the Anthropogenic theory. When theories are overturned, politics, propaganda continue the quest. Its a sort of tyranny where those scientists who have been caught out lose their tempers on TV and namecall, whilst *sceptics* focus on the science. The only defence from the defence is to accuse of character assassination, as a red herring, when in fact the sceptics focus on science.
We must get these politicians masquerading as scientists out of the process. They are the real problem and not this AGW. Please any scientist out there involved in the process speak up and get these idiots out. This can’t be allowed to continue.
Didn’t quite get the tongue hanging out.
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/959/rolleyes.png
Thank goodness for Marc. I don’t think he has ever seen a “global warming” debate he wouldn’t fly over an ocean to take part in. I think the alarmists anxiety about his being on the loose and tracking them down has just racheted up a factor!
Obviously the term a…hole is used by scientists as a clever way of describing someone with an alternative viewpoint.
That is perhaps the most significant overall telltale sign. The scientists that believe the case is settled get infuriated when you tell them it isn’t. Not just angry or mad, but blood boiling maniacs. To me, that’s proof enough that the vast majority aren’t rational enough to make a proper decision.
“…it [Science] must be absolutely and totally open and we have to look at the important issues, not the issues of character assassination.”
I couldn’t agree more! And according to Watson, the important issue is whether or not the world has warmed in the last 100 years. I guess if the answer is yes, then their hypothesis *must* be the reason why!
I’m so glad we have these altruistic and honorable fellows shepherding climate science into the new millennium.
Yes, it does show how rattled they’ve become. Lots of things that were ‘unthinkable’ three weeks ago are starting to happen.
If I were a popcorn eater I’d be getting in extra supplies.
But the outcome IS rigged, I believe.
mmmmmmm,
mmmmmmm,
mmmmmmm,
What an asshole.
I listened to Newsnight and I think he may have siad “excited colleague” not “psychic colleague” (I will listene to the programme again). He did appear angry though and “shut up” is perhaps about as strong as it gets, and a*****e is well beyond what passes for criticism here.
Alex
It appears that Mike Hulme, mentioned above, has been thinking a lot recently.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/04/laboratories-limits-leaked-emails-climate
We live in interesting times!
The new Badge Of Honor: being called an As—le by a leading warmist. On that basis, I nominate Anthony as the As—le-in-Chief. Congratulations Anthony.
Having watched the video clip, I am afraid that I have to agree with the warmist professor’s last comment – but very little else.
Marc Murano was indulging in what the general public hate – trying to talk over the other person’s point – which is precisely what the warmists have been doing since the scam started. Not helpful!
Guess what?
Gore cancels Copenhagen lecture
Scientists behaving badly? What about wretched Policians behaving badly, Gordon Brown has compared “Skeptics” to “Flat earthers”, well in that case I’m a Christian “flat earther” and thankfully I’m not alone:-
http://blog.echurchwebsites.org.uk/2009/12/04/group-evangelicals-comprised-scientists-economists-theologians-called-mainstream-view-pending-catastrophe-caused-climate-change-hoax-event-thursday-days-key-unsponsored-climate-change-conference-copen/
Entirely symptomatic of the arrogant, dictatorial attitude that prevails at the UEA CRU – you don’t agree with me therefore you must be some sort of a**hole – infantile and pathetic.
Watson said, “The issue is the world has warmed”, or words to that effect.
So what, maybe it has; doesn’t mean it was CO2 does it?
And this is the best UEA can do.
They’ll finally get it when they see next years student roll. With people like Watson thinking this is a storm in a tea cup, what hope is there. Surely if the university had an ounce of common sense they would absolutely forbid any of these people to say anything in print or on TV. They just make matters worse for themselves. So Prof Watson, don’t tell people to shut up even if they irritate or annoy, say nowt, there’s a good chap.
I don’t agree with Watson’s views, and it was wrong to insult Morano, but jeez!! Morano makes me cringe. I spend a lot of time outside the US, and I watch a lot of english-language programming in those countries. The “Crossfire” form of discourse American TV has fostered makes me nauseous. Morano was exceptionally loud, spoke over others when they were just getting started, and had to add little snorts of disbelief even when he was listening. This seems to be the lowest common denominator of American discourse on TV these days – be very rude, and punctuate your thoughts by inappropriate snorts and chortles when someone else is speaking. People rightly hammered Gore for doing that during the presidential debates in 2000. Someone should tell Morano to act like an adult. (just do it a bit more delicately than Watson)
Sounds like the best (or worst) of all possible ad hom attacks – very succinct.
THIS QUOTE FROM HULME: “The tribalism that some of the leaked emails display is something more usually associated with social organization within primitive cultures,” Hulme wrote on November 27, 2009.”
Niiiiiiiice. Way to nail it on the head Professor Hulme.
He has just described a mechanism more “devolved” than “groupthink.”
Its worse than we thought, folks.
Its great that the REAL scientists like Hulme are standing up and calling it like it is!
The others, just like doctors violating the Hippocratic Oath, run the risk of permanently discrediting themselves…as they are obligated to be living and breathing by the Scientific Method.
And that means they are obligated to be living and breathing by the TRUTH…wherever and however and by whatever means the truth is verified.
If there ever was a Hippocratic Oath for scientists (and really, the SM is), then this scandal will separate the wheat from the chaff…
…as it is already doing…
…and as evidenced by *Professor* Watson’s milk-toast, drama-queen countenance and behavior in this interview!!
And Marc Morano WAS a bit of an a**h**** in this interview. (lol)
SO WHAT?? In light of the gravity of this scandal, I would be, too
Chris
Norfolk (not East Anglia) VA, USA
Sorry Morano does come across as just a rambling TV pundit who does his best not to let anyone else get an uninterupted word in edgeways, and exagerates everything anyone else says. Can’t we get some better informed more rational “skeptics” on TV ? Someone who’s relatively objective and not so obviously politically involved. Like McIntyre, Loehle or Svaalgard for example.
So Professor Watson has revealed that he’s just another pompous ass. I wonder if he’s going for Jones’s job?
Something I’m noticing is that this has given the warmists an opportunity to make the point that the planet is warming and we’re going to have catastrophic climate change, but we’re taking our eye off the ball with this climategate issue, and not arguing the science with them.
I saw a similar thing in the Munk debates with Bjorn Lomborg (who is a warmist) ceding the science and focusing on the emotional issues, leaving Lord Lawson to argue the case all on his own. No wonder we lost.