UPDATE: University of Oregon responds, see Update #3 below.
I’ve been purposely ignoring this ugly pronouncement related to “Planet Under Pressure“, because well, it was just so beyond ugly and it brought up visions of the Soviet politburo defining political opposition as a mental illness. As Andrew Bolt put it, Something is sick, and it’s not the sceptics.
But now there’s been a cover up, and I have the goods.
Apparently, the maelstrom of embarrassment and public ridicule created by Kari Marie Norgaard, professor of sociology and environmental studies at the University of Oregon was too much for the University to bear. So, in the best Soviet style, they rewrote history, as if nobody would notice, without so much as an apology or update. I find it amazing in this day an age that University types still don’t understand the Internet and that disappearing things like this only makes it worse for you.
Now you see it:
Source: Google Cache which says: This is Google’s cache of http://uonews.uoregon.edu/archive/news-release/2012/3/simultaneous-action-needed-break-cultural-inertia-climate-change-respons. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on Mar 29, 2012 21:42:11 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime
Now you don’t:
The words “and treated” have now been sanitized from the University’s press statement, which is located here:
I hope that the University of Oregon Alumni are made aware of this.
h/t to Christopher Monckton
==============================================================
UPDATE: It seems Norgaard herself has been “disappeared” from the University of Oregon web server. In the ORIGINAL press statement that I got from Google Cache, there’s a link to Norgaard’s faculty page, a portion of which I used in my third paragraph above.
Here’s the screencap, I put yellow highlight either side of the link to her page:
That link goes to: http://sociology.uoregon.edu/faculty/norgaard.php but that gives a 500 Internal Server error now:
Although she still appears of the sociology faculty page listing at:
http://sociology.uoregon.edu/faculty/index.php
…that link is dead as well, but other faculty members on the same page have working links.
And, further, the link from the original press release has also been removed in the revised one, note the missing link underline between the yellow highlights on Norgaard’s name:
Curiouser and curiouser.
Again, Google Cache is your friend:
What a bunch of rank amateurs. Maybe they’ll soon go from being called The Mighty Ducks to “The Mighty Schmucks”.
===============================================================
UPDATE#2 – It gets worse. As pointed out in comments, apparently her official uoregon.edu email address has been replaced on the Sociology Faculty page. On the Google Cache for that page, as it appeared on Mar 28, 2012 19:55:22 GMT, the “send email” link for Norgaard goes to a uoregon.edu email address. On the current page, it goes to a yahoo.com email address. If they were trying to shield her from hateful email, why shift it to a private email account?
Something is going on behind the scenes that we aren’t privy to yet.
UPDATE#3 4/3/12 2PM PST
UO responds:
I asked Jim Barlow, director of science and research communications, University of Oregon when and why the sentence was changed. Here’s his response:
“I intended the original first sentence of the news release to function as a play-on-words on our researcher’s message about recognizing and addressing cultural inertia. Unfortunately, the word “treated” became the focus of the story, leading to inaccurate portrayals. In an effort to shift the focus back to the actual topic of the conference presentation, I chose at midday Monday to remove the word from the version of the news release that appears on our website.”
Source:
http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/call-climate-skeptics-be-treated-removed-universitys-press-statement (h/t David L. Hagen)
No mention of why her faculty page disappeared.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Wasn’t Al Gore the first to make the racism-skeptic connection in his infamous September world-wide, 24-hours of climate talk, while being “interviewed” by a fawning acolyte?
You do not have to be privy to the inner workings of the university of Oregon to appreciate what happened.
Someone realised, finally, that such lunatic ravings, in addition to ridiculing the university, are also a violation of the free speech provisions of the Constitution.
As a non American I was amazed at the violation and how it passed unseen in comments. You do not like what someone says, you treat him, says the professor. You cannot get more blatanta trampling of free speech than that.
“I intended the original first sentence of the news release to function as a play-on-words (it was a JOKE people!) on our researcher’s message about recognizing and addressing cultural inertia. Unfortunately, the word “treated” became the focus (How dare you draw conclusions based on current and past views of the author.) of the story, leading to inaccurate portrayals.(If I say it enough, even I start to believe it.) In an effort to shift the focus back to the actual topic (Sigh, we just can’t pretty up “Gulag”.) of the conference presentation, I chose (I knew what she meant, not you morons.) at midday Monday to remove the word from the version of the news release that appears on our website.”
There, hope this helps.
All this is fun, but why waste any more of your time on Dr. Kari? Go after the university that employs her until it no longer does.
Why does everyone use Godwin’s Law or compare this scam to the Soviet Union? Honestly, I could go into this, but this is a science blog, not a history one, and I’ll tell you now that the Soviet Union wasn’t even that bad, and it nowhere near had as bad misinformation as this. They launched the first satellite in space, so obviously they weren’t that “brainwashed”.
http://www.infowars.com/climate-change-skepticism-a-sickness-that-must-be-treated-says-professor/
Climate Change Skepticism a Sickness That Must be “Treated,” Says Professor
Global warming alarmist equates climate denial with racism
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Friday, March 30, 2012
“Comparing skepticism of man-made global warming to racist beliefs, an Oregon-based professor of sociology and environmental studies has labeled doubts about anthropogenic climate change a “sickness” for which individuals need to be “treated”.
Professor Kari Norgaard, who is currently appearing at the ‘Planet Under Pressure’ conference in London, has presented a paper in which she argues that “cultural resistance” to accepting the premise that humans are responsible for climate change “must be recognized and treated” as an aberrant sociological behavior.”
“As Jurriaan Maessen documented yesterday, the ‘Planet Under Pressure’ confab at which Norgaard is appearing to push this insane drivel is nothing other than a strategy session for neo-eugenicists to hone their population control agenda.
A statement put out by the scientists behind the event calls for humans to be packed into denser cities (eco-gulags?) so that the rest of the planet can be surrendered to mother nature. It’s a similar idea to the nightmare ‘Planned-Opolis’ proposal put out by the Forum for the Future organization last year, in which human activity will be tightly regulated by a dictatorial technocracy in the name of saving the planet.
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
The mindset of this gaggle of arrogant, scoffing elitists in their drive to micro-manage the human race, which they regard as a plague on the earth, is best encapsulated by the following quote from ‘Planet Under Pressure’ attendee and Yale University professor Karen Seto.
“We certainly don’t want them (humans) strolling about the entire countryside. We want them to save land for nature by living closely [together],” ”
==============================================
I haven’t been able to find a copy of the paper she gave.
I foresee a children’s book coming out of this.
“Where in the World is Hairy Kari of Eugene?”
Sincere apologies to Carmen San Diego..
Steve in BC
Should be Hari Kari?
If it were just one professor, or one Sociology Dept., or one university, one might take some comfort that the attitudes Dr. Norgaard expressed where an aberration. However, the fact that her sociological sisters and brothers can be found in every Sociology Dept. at every university in the U.S., and probably the U.K. and Europe too, gives cause for alarm.
If you don’t believe this, go to any university’s website, go to the Sociology Dept. and read the CV’s. So it’s not really about her, it’s about the belief she expresses.
Has anyone worked out the exact moment when we entered a Philip K. Dick novel?
I have solved the mystery of AGW-ish stuff. It’s all cyclical. It is necessary to defeat the inexorable rise of liberalism/communism-fueled hysteria once every half generation (~ 30-50 years). It takes them that long to regroup, recruit a new army of uneducated bots, and get a new BS narrative going.
Plus, after regrouping, all the good names have been used so they have to get creative with a new movement title.
The CAGW monstrosity is the invader, attacking science and reason itself, and attempting to ensconce itself in the halls of academia, and government. But skeptics/climate realists are at the forefront of a fierce and ever-growing resistance to that. Thankfully, the resistance movement is winning, despite the odds, and despite the near-unlimited resources of the enemy. It is laughable that they think any sort of “campaign” outing that resistance will help them. Funnier still that they have thoughts of “treatment” of resisters. They are losing, and they know it.
@Shooter says:
April 3, 2012 at 3:03 pm
“Why does everyone use Godwin’s Law or compare this scam to the Soviet Union? Honestly, I could go into this, but this is a science blog, not a history one, and I’ll tell you now that the Soviet Union wasn’t even that bad, and it nowhere near had as bad misinformation as this. They launched the first satellite in space, so obviously they weren’t that “brainwashed”.”
==================================================================
I’ll have to agree with you on that point, Shooter. The Soviets weren’t all that big on brainwashing..
But take a look at the following:
http://www.ukemonde.com/news/rferl.html
There was no need for brainwashing when there were other cheaper and quicker methods for those “not with the program.”
Who cam blame Prof. Norgaard? Look at the reams of money the stodgy old climate science department has attracted with their computer models (that everybody knows are hogwash). Who wouldn’t want a heaping slice of that pie? Of course, personal integrity has to be shucked off like yesterday’s stinky drawers. But then, they can be washed and refreshed in the stream of consensus and good intentions, or so she thought.
After reading update #3 I still wonder happened to Dr Norgaard. Did they deposit her down the memory hole? I’m almost certain she existed, once.
Wait, I’ll ask Winston.
What on Earth do gender or race have to do with climate change?! Let me guess: evil white men are the great destroyers and everyone else properly worships mother Gaia. I’m getting too old for this sh!t.
@Shooter says:
April 3, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I’ll tell you now that the Soviet Union wasn’t even that bad, and it nowhere near had as bad misinformation as this.
OT, I know, but this sort of revisionism should not go unnoticed.
No Shooter, as H.R. points out, it was much, much worse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_repression_in_the_Soviet_Union
[snip – over the top – Anthony]
wfrumkin says:
April 2, 2012 at 9:41 pm
…..I am in the process of searching for a college to send one of my children to. Needless to say, that one is off the list. I would appreciate suggestions for which top 100 universities is safe to send a child to.
________________________________________
YOu want a private college that recieves no public funding to start and then vet them carefully.
http://www.collegeatlas.org/types-of-colleges.html
GeologyJim says:
April 2, 2012 at 10:09 pm
wfrumkin –
By all means, send your offspring to Hillsdale College.
____________________________________________
Good recommendation. I was trying to think of their name.
DirkH says:
April 2, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Ah, on that Wired piece:
“Kari Norgaard: On the one hand, there have been extremely well-organized, well-funded climate-skeptic campaigns. Those are backed by Exxon Mobil in particular, and the same PR firms who helped the tobacco industry (.pdf) deny the link between cancer and smoking are involved with magnifying doubt around climate change.”
She’s another Gleick, inventing smears.
______________________
She used a PDF from the Union of Concerned
DogsScientistsSmoke, Mirrors
& Hot Air
How ExxonMobil Uses Big Tobacco’s Tactics
to Manufacture Uncertainty on Climate Science http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/exxon_report.pdf
i dont know about exxon or other big companies funding skeptic campaigns but i did read an interesting book by Ron Arnold called Undue Influence that shows the path of the green movements as they are started and funded by “the powers that be” , the charitable trusts .
the trusts started out as the old bucaneers of the 19th century for the most part . the old guy was rough and tough , but his kids and theirs are “educated and refined ” and believe in being nice and social . into the humanities , giving to hospitals etc , and recently the green movement . especially wildlands project and climate change , just great people generally . however they want to take over the world and are busy doing it .
their attitude is one of total contempt for the general population which you also see in present day greenies . what they do is okay but what we do is not .one earmark of a socialist is that they always want much control . these people at the earth under pressure conference are all into what norgard is into . lots of social engineering . quite the crowd .
Lets investigate a little;
“I intended the original first sentence of the news release to function as a play-on-words on our researcher’s message about recognizing and addressing cultural inertia. Unfortunately, the word “treated” became the focus of the story, leading to inaccurate portrayals. In an effort to shift the focus back to the actual topic of the conference presentation, I chose at midday Monday to remove the word from the version of the news release that appears on our website.”
[play-on-words. cultural inertia??] “an effort to shift the focus back to the actual topic” What’s the topic? A play-on-words. cultural inertia?? Hm… Okay, Lets investigate a little more.
It’s just a word without context!
That’s right, the word “treated” no longer has any meaning within context of it’s original meaning or context. But it’s okay folks, it’s all just a play on words.