PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, April 20th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jeff Davis
Washington, DC — Penn State University’s Michael Mann, one of the central figures in the Climategate scandal, has threatened legal action against Minnesotans for Global Warming (M4GW) over the group’s popular satirical YouTube video “Hide the Decline.” The No Cap-and-Trade Coalition, a group that includes M4GW, responded today at an event at the National Press Club, releasing Mann’s threatening letter and an updated version of the “Hide the Decline” video.
“We understand why Michael Mann is eager to silence public discussion of the hockey stick scandal,” said Jeff Davis of No Cap-and-Trade, “but truth is an absolute defense.”
The original “Hide the Decline” video, which had more than 500,000 viewers, was removed today from YouTube by M4GW’s Elmer Beauregard. It received national attention when Rush Limbaugh played it on his radio show and was later featured on CBS Evening News in the wake of the Climategate email scandal. “Hide the Decline” parodied Mann, the Penn State professor who is largely responsible for the creation of the now debunked “hockey stick” graph, which purported to show a dramatic spike in average global temperature during the 20th century after 900 years of relatively constant temperature.
The video spotlighted a phrase from one of the central “Climategate” e-mails in which the University of East Anglia’s Phil Jones explains how he used Mann’s “Nature trick” to “hide the decline” of key temperature data. The hockey stick graph relied on “hiding this decline.”
When asked why he removed the video, Beauregard said “Right now, the last thing I need is a lawsuit. I can barely afford my electric bill.” Beauregard recently converted M4GW’s world headquarters (a recreational vehicle parked in Northern Minnesota) from propane to wood heat. “Mann should be glad to know that we don’t burn fossil fuels anymore — just trees,” said Beauregard.
“M4GW was started to poke fun at Global Warming because I knew it was a joke, it’s hard to believe in Global Warming when you live in a place like Minnesota. During last winter we all wished we had some global warming, hence the name of our group,” said Beauregard. As global warming developed into a political issue, M4GW has tried to educate the public that CO2 is not harmful but part of the natural carbon cycle.
Minnesotans for Global Warming did comply with Mann’s cease and desist demand, taking the “Hide the Decline” video down from their YouTube account and webpage. The No Cap and Trade Coalition unveiled a new video they’re calling “Hide the Decline 2,” however. It was screened at a press conference on April 20th and is available on YouTube and NoCapAndTrade.com.
“If Doctor Mann decides to sue,” said Davis, “we would welcome the opportunity to do legal discovery. I believe he’s hiding more than just ‘the decline.’”
Speaking at the No Cap-and-Trade Coalition press conference was M4GW spokesman “Chicken Little,” a man in a chicken suit who goes to rallies crying “The globe is warming, the globe is warming!”
When asked about the situation, Chicken Little said, “I used to believe in global warming — of course, I used to believe the sky was falling too, but Elmer set me straight.” Chicken Little went on to say, “I think it’s horrible that Elmer had to take down the video. Can’t a person have a little fun on YouTube anymore? Those Global warming guys sure don’t have any sense of humor.”
At the press conference, the No Cap-and-Trade Coalition handed out a historical review of the hide-the-decline controversy entitled, “Michael Mann: Defamed or Defined by Hide-the-Decline?” as well as mini-hockey sticks that read “Mann-Made Global Warming: Why We Should Be Worried About the Intellectual Climate.”
Both versions of the “Hide The Decline” video can be viewed at http://www.nocapandtrade.com/michael-mann-controversy/.
###
Minnesotans for Global Warming (M4GW) uses humor to illustrate the absurdity of anthropogenic global warming fears. Their slogans are “Turn your snow shovels into lawn chairs,” and “Nothing would be green without CO2.” – M4GW.com
The No Cap and Trade Coalition consists of over 40 state and national organizations that are opposed to cap and trade legislation. For more information, see NoCapAndTrade.com
IMHO its only a threat to sue, I don’t think that Mann will follow through. The last thing he would want is for the truth to be dragged out thru the legal system.
Any trial would bound to be a first class sensation which even the MSM could not ignore. Does Mann want this? I think not.
I’ll help defend them.
Despite Attacks from Critics, Climate Science Will Prevail by Rajendra K. Pachauri: Yale Environment 360
http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2264
I just saw this on Tom Nelson’s blog.
It is an empty threat because satire is protected in the US.
Dr. Mann should be embarrassed and his lawyer should be further embarrased for misspelling “cashed.”
It’s interesting that the cease-and-desist letter does not include the usual preface of “WITHOUT PREJUDICE”, and misspells “cached”.
Count me in for a donation. I would LOVE to see Michael Mann in a couple of eight hour depositions answering questions under oath.
There is no way this is anything but an empty threat.
If you would let Mr. Beauregard know that not only would we be willing to chip in for his defense, all it takes is Rush and Glenn mentioning the matter on air for all expenses to be taken care of. They read this site, IIRC.
I’d also donate. Mann is a public figure so he isn’t immuned to satire.
As a first year law student–my third career here, and one I have embarked on because of global warming—I note that the elements of a defamation claim by a public official are 1) that the statements are false and damaging 2) that the statements directly concern the plaintiff 3) that they are made with malice 4) that the statements are published and 4)that the defendants knew and appreciated that the statements were false. I think Michael Mann might have problems proving that the statements made in the video are false. As one commenter has already suggested, bring on the discovery!
Uh, how come the old version is at the new site if the guy can’t afford to fight? I would guess the new version was to avoid that and make the legal target the new guys. . . but if the old one is still up, then the old guy is still at risk, right?
Or did Mann’s lawyer stupidly only demand it come down from youtube, so now they get a little longer until a new legal threat appears re the old one at the new site?
No-one expects the ‘Mann-ish Inquisition’!
(sorry)
FYI – Mann is tenured but that doesn’t mean his salary can’t be effectively frozen. If you feel like telling Penn State what this professor is doing to their reputation and where you’ll be telling relatives, friends, and neighbors where NOT to send their children to school:
The Pennsylvania State University
Department of Meteorology
503 Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802-5013
Email: meteodept@meteo.psu.edu
Telephone: (814) 865-0478
Fax: (814) 865-9429
Douglas DC (15:30:31) : “Ah, may a high powered attorney take this Pro Bono. Go for it, Dr. Mann, what can go wrong?…”
Surely high-powered leftist attorneys also make themselves available on a pro bozo basis?
I like the way the remake articulates the words of the song more clearly.
I hope this sets a trend where clever people do lots of remakes of the original Hide the Decline video. I really like that tune.
I’ll contribute some to the cause!
For some reason, climate scientists seem to have the worst P.R. sense in this whole world.
Baillie, Jones, Mann, Pachauri, Hansen, and on and on, all of them.
I wonder if it’s a requirement for being a climate scientist,
or if people with that disability just migrate toward climate science.
Karl B. … and his lawyer should be further embarrased for misspelling “cashed.”
That has to be a Freudian slip.
The first one is a classic. It is hysterical every time I see it.
The issue about the stick that didn’t get nearly the attention it deserves is:
If this proxy bore no relation to the instrument record, what relationship validated it as a proxy at all?
It appears it was chosen solely because it didn’t suggest a MWP or LIA. But if it doesn’t follow the instrument record, it ISN’T a valid proxy, so who cares WHAT it says?
The image of Mann’s fat face used in the video “Hide the Decline” appears to be copyright University of Pennsylvania.
This really ticks me off. Those two kids at M4GW did nothing wrong. Having fun, exercising freedom of political speech, and trying to make a few honest dollars while they’re at it. I’m proud to call them fellow Americans.
The heck with a legal defense fund. How about starting legal offense fund to give Mann a taste of his own medicine. I’m sure any competent attornety can dream up a host of things that Mann might be sued for. God knows he wronged an awful lot of people.
Mann has never heard of the Streisand effect?
OT: Pachauri says that 2035 was “incorrect”.
He did not give the correct year instead.
If nobody knows a figure, then these glaciers are not melting away.
But if they don’t, why make such non-event a point in an IPCC report?
And, doing so is just “incorrect”? Or what?
Oh, yeah!
If this would go to court, I’d be exercising my given ability to use the “Paypal” donate button, that’s for sure.
Curious (16:36:43) :
I just asked: “Is it possible that we may be informed as to why, when the data regarding the Himalayan Glaciers was discovered to be erroneous, we were not informed? I understand this was several weeks before COP10, and yet this data was portrayed then as valid. ”
but I can pretty much guarantee that very reasonable (IMO) question will never get through.
Um, as a NEWS EVENT, can one not now publish an archived copy of the original? After all, one can not properly evaluate the potential of this NEWS of a threat of suit without the evidence to observe…
FWIW: Long ago there was a legal tussle over the decryption software for DVDs. Suit was brought against the kid that had made the decryption software. The desired outcome was a prohibition on publication of the software and injunctions were issued. As part of the suit, the code was entered into the country records. Which were public as a mater of law. Which were on line. To which I published a link 😉
Never did hear if the DVD industry decided to sue the county court too or not… Decisions decisions…
This just in… Hide the decline……
“Stick it” to Mann. He’s bluffing.