Now that Dr. Rajenda Pachauri has blown all his (and the IPCC’s) credibility with denouncing complaints about the flawed glaciers melt date as “voodoo science”, the pundits, both serious and silly, are getting to work. On the serious side we have Geoffry Lean, the father of environmental reporting (40 years) in the UK calling for Pachauri’s resignation.
On the silly side, Pachauri may be selling insurance soon. With Mr Pachauri’s penchant for hyperbole and sensationalism, I could easily see him selling catastrophic health insurance as a natural career path at this point. Good luck sir.
From “I hate the media” Pachauri may be the new mascot for Geico Insurance, screencap below.
For our readers outside the USA, this video video below might help you understand why most American readers are ROTFL about right now. We’ve been saturation bombed in the USA with these commercials over the last several years.
Geico now has a new mascot, with a British (or maybe Australian, I can’t tell) accent no less:
While the science is far more important than the satire, Pachauri is now becoming a serious public relations liability to the IPCC, as the Telegraph’s Geoffrey Lean points out.
h/t to Joe
I agree with HalfWise. Speaking as someone with a rather ugly mug myself, we don’t need to pile on Pachauri because of his looks. His actions are ugly enough.
Geoffry Lean, the father of environmental reporting (40 years) Goodness gracious
Please note the comments under Mr.Lean’s item.
He is a warmist,an appologist for UEA and CRU and there are constant calls for him to pack up and stop pushing the IPCC agenda. The Item quoted is the first one in which he has criticised the alarmist faction.
Now, now. Very funny indeed, but I have been snipped here in the past for making similar Rajendra comparisons. I guess if mom and dad can do it, it doesn’t mean the kids can, too. Double standard!!!!!
I suggest it’s time you conduct a fun contest for what the acronym TERI really means:
A few suggestions:
Tricky Evasive Rich Indian
Terrify Earthlings Ridiculous Imagery
Teach Evil Rabid Information
I’d say that the gecko has an east end of Luhhhndn (London) accent maybe even approaching the estuary strain on the way to Essex. Certainly not ‘strine. The rest of us in the sarfeest speak much more proper like.
Those Geico commercials were REALLY annoying. Pachauri is REALLY annoying. He’s also fugly and painful to look at. Very few people would deny these facts. He’s in desperate need of a John Kerry style botox makeover.
The part that amused me most was the auto-generated “possibly related posts” section that seems to agree with everything I just stated:
* Haruhi wig styling
* Ewww!
* Laser Treatment #1
Um… If Pachauri is wearing a wig then he seriously needs to demand a FULL refund.
@Mike D. (10:47:45) :
It’s not about being funny or not. The CO2 fundamentalists already have the high ground (the gov. and international institutions), so the competition is one for credibility not one for arguments, though arguments help if you have credibility. Making fun of their facial hair does not help much with being persuasive.
The Gekko originally had a strong cockney accent.
Apparently, too much of an accent for US viewers, so it has been “moderated” such that he now sounds like any random member of the unwashed masses of SE of England.
Or, at least what a US advertising agency thinks they sound like.
Sort of like the fake UK accents you hear on BBC America (which make me cringe) — presumably the unions wan a US citizen to have the job.
Once when we were in England, a taxi driver asked my husband if we were from Australia. I am from the western US, my husband is from the southeastern US (southern drawl, yawl). So it’s not just Americans who can’t discern accents.
REPLY: That and I have about an 80% hearing loss. – Anthony
Oliver Ramsay (10:13:56) :
If people keep misusing the term ‘ad hominem’, it will wind up useless when it actually is appropriate.
What did I miss? Or misuse? Or (mirabile dictu) would my comment have actually been an appropriate use of the term and it is others in the platoon who are out of step? I have always thought that ad hom arguments were defined by the introduction of some irrelevant personal feature into the debate. Pachauri’s physical appearance may limit the number of his admirers to, perhaps, his mother, but it does not signify in the debate. But if you are saying that attacking the man for his deeds is fair game, I agree 100%. I just would not term that ‘ad hominem’.
Gary Hladik (10:23:42) : As to the politics of climate science and the necessity of satire, we should just mock the so-called science. That, my friend, is one target-rich environment.
Carsten Arnholm, Norway (10:38:17) :
“Criticise the man for what he does . . .”
Fair enough.
So what has the man done? Does what he has done warrant ridicule? Or would prosecution be justified?
I favor the second, but doubt, this early in the process, that there is enough evidence to convict him of any criminal offense – Politician lie every day and make shady, but marginally legal, backroom deals that benefit them, friends and families.
Since option two is not currently available, ridicule is appropriate. Comparing him to an imaginary character is not unacceptable.
Humour is one of the most devastating forms of criticism. Laughter will serve to drive these charlatans from power faster than any reasoned logic.
Once the stand-up comics start on the AGWs then the battle is almost over.
@Halfwise:
“I have always thought that ad hom arguments were defined by the introduction of some irrelevant personal feature into the debate.”
Exactly, and because the Geico caveman post is immediately preceded by the disclaimer “On the silly side…”, it should be abundantly self-evident that it was neither meant to be an argument nor a debate. That is why your claim of this being an “ad hominem” is simply false. Satire at the expense of a public official (particularly a political appointee) is comic relief, not an ad hominem attack.
[sorry, we don’t link the Hitler videos here]
27 years ago I grew a beard. Wife & kids implored me to shave it. I did. They then implored me to grow it back. I complied (keep it trimmed, unlike the victim of this story) because some of us look better with part of our face covered. This may be true of Pauchari, but it’s obvious he wants to keep the unkempt professor look. Sign of laziness if you ask me. Which may be the root of his attitude with the IPCC.
The first time I saw a picture of that fraud, all I could think is “looks like they sent him down from central casting”.
The Geico guy has better hair.
I think this article is completely unacceptable. It has been long been said on this blog, and on others, that ad hominem attacks are not proper in serious discussions on science, and criticisms have been levelled here at Mann, Schmidt, Hansen etc. for doing just that.
Now this blog is stooping down to the same level. Shame on you.
And if you can’t see that comparing the chairman of a large international body to a caveman is not a gross insult, then I don’t know what to think.
REPLY:
I understand your point, but I didn’t make the comparison, another blog call “I hate the media” did and I pointed it out.
Tell you what though, if you get Dr. Pachauri to apologize for using the word “deniers” such as in this piece from the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/jan/04/climate-change-delay-denial
…I’ll pull the piece.
To paraphrase, ‘if you can’t see that comparing the international body of skeptics to “holocaust deniers” is not a gross insult, then I don’t know what to think. ‘
Besides, I’ve defended many times in comments against ad homs on Dr. Pachauri, snipping them, however satire (and that is what this is) is fair game.
– Anthony
[snip ]
Rajenda Pachauri is toast.
His resignation is just a matter of when, not if.
Pachauri is politically radioactive.
And since the IPCC is all about politics — generating political pressure:
His usefullness is over — put a fork in him, he’s done.
maybe warren buffet will give WUWT a donation for all the free advertisement?
after all:
GEICO is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
Actually, it would appear to me that Pachauri is trying to effect the “Bagwan” look. Similar type characters it seems as well. Wonder if Pachauri has a fleet of 90 Rolls Royces stashed somewhere near Antelope, Oregon?
Haha Australian or British. I thought everyone could tell those apart. I’m Australian and I’m telling you we sound nothing like that. Although I can’t distinguish the Canadian and US accents which sound similar so that’s probably the same thing.
” John F. Hultquist (10:23:04) :
and the UN should shut up on scientific issues and focus on international politics.
Please no. Haven’t they caused enough trouble?
Give them just very simple-concept and restricted tasks. For example, 1 – improve the supply of safe water, and 2 – provide health training and needs, and 3 – pick one for yourself”
The UN is the most corrupt, dysfunctional NGO on Earth. We will be better off if its is disbanded ASAP.
Lord Monckton is to be interviewed by Alan Jones (Sydney’s No 1 shock jock) after 7am Sydney time – i.e in around 15mins
http://www.2gb.com/listenlive/wmp_stream.php