Your tax dollars at work;
A new paper is out today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (which I’ll call APHS10 after the author’s initials) that segregates climate scientists into the “convinced” and the “unconvinced” — two relatively ambiguous categories — and then seeks to compare the credentials of the two groups. The paper is based on the tireless efforts of a climate blogger, self-described as “not an academic,” who has been frustrated by those who don’t share his views on climate change:
I’ve also grown all too familiar with the tiny minority of ‘climate skeptics’ or ‘deniers’ who try to minimize the problem, absolve humans of any major impact, or suggest there is no need to take any action. I’ve gotten pretty fed up with the undue weight given to the skeptics in the media and online.
What qualifies one to be on the APHS10 list of skeptics, which I’ll just call the “black list”? Well, you get there for being perceived to have certain views on climate science or politics.
Here it is: http://www.eecg.utoronto.ca/~prall/climate/skeptic_authors_table.html
And, here he is: James W Prall Office: GB254D . . . Campus phone: ext. 65760 . . . Off campus dial (416) 946-5760 . . . email: jim.prall@utoronto.ca
That is the problem with academe, if you pay with PNAS only monkeys will work for you.
I would resign from my membership in the National academy of (pseudo)sciences if I had one, like I did cancel my subscription to Nature when the quality of the papers went for shits.
Beyond personal political aims what was the purpose of this drivel, it has no connection with either his degree or his current work status. Is he submitting it for peer review? On what basis and to what body.
This thing looks and acts like a MCarthy era shot across the bow , step into line or you might just end up on the LIST
The quality of his web page, considering he is a computer science guy, is disturbing. Maybe we should rank geeks on their web pages and correlate it to the quality of their work elsewhere. I bet we’d find something interesting there.
Wow, impressive list of “deniers”. Lots of PHD’s and given that he already sorted them by number of citations on their 4th largest cited paper then they have lots of credibility.
Impressive list. If it was just about having impressive people sign up, which it used to be for the AGW guys, then this list is a good reason to be skeptical.
Here’s my letter, it was done quickly:
Regarding your: Sceptic Authors Table
I will not waste your time trying to convince you of how wrong compiling such a list is. You are either well aware of how loathsome and dastardly such a list is; or, you see yourself as some type of superior intellect who can justified any means to his ends because of a haughty self-image.
All things considered, I believe it’s likely that you are loathsome, and see the policies you support as a generator of income for you and your peers in the future. Sure it’s possible that you believe you are saving the world. I suppose it’s just a nice coincidence that by saving the world you will also line your pockets with wealth that you and your peers did not ,and could not produce, but rather confiscated.
As I said, I don’t expect you to ingenuously consider any rational argument from your critics. You and your ilk have shown an inability or a lack of desire to rebut or even acknowledge your critics… and you’re scientists for crying out loud! It doesn’t get more ironic than that.
Finally, I won’t appeal to you with the typical Leftist mantra of “What about the children?”. I won’t ask you if the liberty of your children and grandchildren is fair trade to secure your retirement. I won’t even ask you if destroying the credibility of the Scientific Community is fair trade to secure your retirement. Nor will I ask what real harm you will be causing the poor people of the world(the ones you claim to protect) driving the cost of living through the roof to secure your own retirement. No, the only thing I will do is offer you something to ponder:
What kind of creep assembles and publishes such a list with the sole intent of bringing harm to those people listed?
Yeah, it’s an “enemies list.”
But it’s also a “friends list.”
If I was his friend, I’d be worried.
It might even convince me, if I was getting cold feet from what’s been going down the last year or two, to get friendly with the guys on the “enemies list” side.
It’s never too late to come to Jesus.
This man is living his dream.As he says “Thanks to my job as computer support staff at University of Toronto, I have access to electronic and/or print copies of most major journals, and a very extensive library collection of print works. ”
Somehow or other,through sheer luck or maybe blackmail,he has made it out of mom’s basement and is now “on top of the world”. He has unlimited computer access(at our expense) and a job where there isn’t signs posted to wash BOTH hands after using the washroom,and he has been published.I’ll bet ‘T’ and the others are jealous as hell.
I do hope he gets laid before he gets fired,which should be happening soon.
I‘ll bet ‘T’ and the others are jealous as hell.
~wallyj
For all we know it is ‘T’.
Naaaaw.
LOL, I couldn’t type that with a straight face.
OK.(brushes tears from eyes)
8^D
That wouldn’t be a – blacklist – would it?
One of the guy’s favourite movies is The Motorcycle Diaries.
Who could have predicted that?
The Red-Green enviro-commissar is serious.
He’s not engaging in “McCarthyism”.
He’s engaged in preparing the way to Stalinism; Stalin was the socialist liquidator aided/abetted by Beria, et al.
Red-Green is drawing up a list for “Liquidation”.
Repeat: take him at his words. He is serious.
Compare with the Unabomber who was driven to murder by the same mentality: communism/socialism.
The other UNaBomber is “Liberal leader” Bob Rae’s Uncle Mo Stlong.
…-
“I.V. Stalin
“On Defects in Party Work and Measures for the Liquidation of Trotskyists and Other Double-dealers”
A report and concluding remarks at the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, 3-5 March 1937.
Editor’s Introduction”
http://www.cyberussr.com/rus/s-m-intro.html
As an Ontario taxpayer I ask:
Was this crap produced at my expense? If so, what idiot authorized it?
This is not isolated.
Renewable energy companies are creating lists of local citizens who have raise objections to their plans. These lists are being shared with provincial police. Folks have discovered officers knocking on their door in a “concern for public safety”.
Stalin would be proud.
The U of Trontsky has no problem finding suitable sinecures and titles for those who have “good ideas” and just require “a little support” like a steady minimal effort required paycheck to leave them plenty of time to promote the party line. I suppose it’s called the Kookier effect among the favoured few.
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2009/11/27/google-s-climate-scholars.aspx
Aw, yes. The totally unbiased CBC.
John @ 8:12
come on now. im pretty gullible but officers knocking on peoples doors? really? where and when?
russ
“As he says ‘Thanks to my job as computer support staff at University of Toronto, I have access to electronic and/or print copies of most major journals, and a very extensive library collection of print works.'”
Perhaps one of those print works should be a book on PHP, ASP, or some other language that would make his website look like it’s not a time capsule from 1994.
Isn’t this list just the educated class’s nuanced version of this:
“If you’re one of those who have spent their lives undermining progressive climate legislation, bankrolling junk science, fueling spurious debates around false solutions, and cattle-prodding democratically-elected governments into submission, then hear this:
We know who you are. We know where you live. We know where you work.
And we be many, but you be few.”
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/013710.html
Link to the Windsor Star coverage of OPP visits with wind power opponents:
http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/Turbine+critic+alarmed+intimidation/3184139/story.html
Search Wind Concerns Ontario for more coverage of OPP interest in those residents who are a greater threat than the fun-lovin chop-shop gun runners in Caledonia.
Well well well. A list maker.
Maybe there should be a list of Greentards, Leftards and Jihadtards published, with the name, address and web page of every one of these dorks all conveniently listed by profession, credentials, employer and major malfunction.
What ya think Jimmy? Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Talk about a self inflicted wound! This is nice work by Prall to show every one just how many creditable scientists are actually skeptical of the whole AGW theory! Circulate this list to all the “believers” you know!
The Rat @ 6:55: “The quality of his web page, considering he is a computer science guy, is disturbing.”
=================
Doesn’t surprise me. I’ve worked with computer science guys. I can only presume graphic design is not given much emphasis in computer science courses. Make that zero emphasis.
Not sure who said this, but … “Ideology – like scientism – is mostly fraudulent, not unlike man-made global warming theory (environmentalism’s off-spring) is inimical to reason and sacrifices truth to power – by bullying, intimidation and the suppression of debate, because scientism cannot allow -“the Divine foot in the door.'”
He sue is a busy beaver!!
But someone should ask him to google CRU and East Anglia.
Pity, such a determined fellow is heading south towards a northbound train….
Of course the irony of esPousing some sort of value to a concensus table on a scientific matter is completely lost on the sh!tw!t.
Damn. I don’t think I’m on the list. What should I
do to get on it?
Note the treatment of Freeman Dyson.
Freeman Dyson’s research area is listed as
particle physics. That is only a small part of what
Dyson has done. In particular Dyson is a Jason – a
very capable generalist retained by the US Gov’t
to analyse any of a wide variety of topics of
interest. Dyson in fact is not really a skeptic –
he claims to have seen evidence for global warming
in the North. However, he notes that the effects
of global warming, if it exists, is to ameliorate
temperature lows – seasonal and diurnal – and that
many of the people who experience this actually
like it. Dyson’s skepticism is as to whether
global warming, if it exists, is good or bad.
Certainly weather changes in eastern Newfoundland
over the last 30 years, if not purely illusory,
are in the direction of amelioration of the worst
temperatures and winds.
Well no one can accuse our “conservative” government of being “unconvinced”.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20100622/coal-plants-100622/
Time to bring back the Reform party. At least with them they forced a balanced budget and major tax cuts.
I am seriously disappointed with this government. Other than the GST cut what exactly have they done? Deficit as a result of fear of the leftards. Still have gun registry. Idiot legislation like banning incandescent light bulbs. Now banning coal fired power plants. Ya, that’ll do wonders for the prairie economy. Can’t see it happening without a fight and perhaps separation.
Maybe Harper will go done as the PM that did what no other PM could do, break up the country.
What ya think Jimmy? Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
~The Phantom
Indeed.
Fact is, the state has been keeping very comprehensive files on us all for a long time.
(and giving them freely to the Americans too with little or no quid pro quo)
I know, I got to see at least a portion of mine back in 1981.
If Jamie Prall is making his own he’s doing it as an outsider of the establishment or we’d never be seeing it in such a public way.
Fear not, as Kate says, “We are winning.”
Thanks again Kate, you are a beacon in uncertain times.
“Doesn’t surprise me. I’ve worked with computer science guys. I can only presume graphic design is not given much emphasis in computer science courses. Make that zero emphasis.”
I have a degree in computer science, and I can confirm that graphic design is not high on our priority lists. We tend to be cut from the same cloth as engineers and mathematicians. My concept of “pretty” is an algorithm refined to the point of irreducible complexity – but I couldn’t begin to decide which colors look good together on a website 🙂
Did anyone read this guy’s c.v.? He lists precisely one (1) journal article, a co-authored piece that hasn’t even been published (only “submitted”):
Anderegg W; Prall J; Harold J; Schneider S. 2009. “Expert Credibility in Climate Change”
(submitted)
BUT, on the basis of this stellar scholarly record, he is also able to list among his “media appearances”
2009-02: “Goldhawk Live” on Rogers Community Television – panelist on proposed wind farm in Lake Ontario
2009-11: “The Current with Anna-Maria Tremonti” on CBC Radio One – on climate change skeptics vs. supporters
Just about par for “The Current”.
This isn’t a blacklist.
It’s counterevidence to the claim there is a broad consensus among scientists regarding antropogenic global warming.
Let’s thank him for his research and move on to more important issues like planet-killing asteroid collisions, the threat of terrestrial supervolcanoes, gamma ray bursts from magnetars, and alien invasions. The end of the Mayan calendar also warrants serious concern.
What the hell does this guy mean by listing educated scientists as skeptics?
I am confused, I thought the science was settled and there were no qualified scientists who did not agree with the concept of AGW.
As someone informally but effectively blacklisted by this profession (around 1980) I can say that I find this very disturbing, whatever the motivations of the study may have been.
Enemies lists — of course mine doesn’t matter because it was only one person, well person is a bit of a stretch, I wasn’t even born in Wonderful-land.
So don’t worry about it or look into it, nothing to see here.
I suppose when one has loaded up with a lot of fancy book learning and ends up working as the modern day equivalent of telephone maintenance man, boredom could set in.
It’s nice to have a hobby to while away those empty hours. Maybe now he’ll enhance his list of deniers by adding the names of their close family members and known associates.
It’s nice to have a hobby to while away those empty hours.
~Cal
Yup, now that saving the planet isn’t a functioning hobby option for him any more after ClimateGate blew a reality size hole in his fantasies.
His neighbors should keep close tabs on their pets while he decompresses.
Perhaps SDA and the devotees should make THE LIST. Hopefully this list has some consequences (i.e. access to grant money, promotions etc.).
Did I read this right? At least one researcher has his or her name on 900 publications?
I do research myself. I figure that a full-time researcher can produce maybe five to ten high-quality, original, truly scientific papers per year that they deserve credit for.
More than that and the researcher is either getting their names on papers that they did little work on, or are churning out a lot of unoriginal or poor quality work, or are making it up.
Something nice and coercive, eh T? Freedom of expression not a high priority for you, I guess.
Thanks for representing the Leftist agenda so well. Really puts things in perspective.
I’m a layman who has been studying the AGW debate for about four years. Using Prall’s list making obsession as a guideline, simply studying the subject makes me a skeptic since I don’t blindly accept the AGW gospel. I recognize some of the names on the list and a great many I don’t. So T this guy gets paid to compose a list that proves what?
Free Thinker, T just told you. Its a hit-list for guys moved to do things like that, and a blacklist for institutions that hand out gravy.
Nice, eh?
Aawwwww, why does Toronto have to win everything?
Why can’t they let others win sometimes?
With Mr Prall they have easily claimed the Canadian title of ‘Village Idiot of the Year’ award and the year is only half done.
Does this list include the 33,000 scientists screaming their heads off that Climate Change was and IS a hoax of monumental proportions, or is this just some list this greeniac hopes to threaten his peers with? HAS he read the e-mails from East Anglia or is he just ignoring the facts in hopes reality will go away and he will continue to take money for a complete and utter fraud. And what IS up with the C’s? You’d think they were a part of the Obama administration lately with all this banning of this and banning of that. Do they NOT know there is an uprising building in the US that will make the Tsunami in Indonesia look like a mild summer rain?
I think our government should stay away from anything to do with the UN, period. We just cannot afford this lunacy.
Does the University of Toronto president know that someone in his academic institution is compiling this “enemies list”?
I sent the silly little bugger Tom Harris’s list from Climate Science International and told him just to do a cut-and-paste:
http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=289
.
And the fascists would be the ones on the List, right T?
You’re forgetting the most important point: since the Warmist Climate Monks – oh, pardon me, Cargo Cult Scientists – value consensus and appeals to authority over trifles such as data, what we need to be asking ourselve is:
how do we get as many names as possible – thousands, tens of thousnads preferably – added to this black list?
Can’t you just see the metaphorical exploding heads if the “deniers” count starts to climb by orders of magnitude over the “believers”?