EnviroSpin Watch

A most quotable week.....

Here are some most quotable quotes from this last week's climates of opinion:

* "It is strange that the climate reconstruction of Mann has passed both peer review rounds of the IPCC without anyone ever really having checked it. I think this issue will be on the agenda of the next IPCC meeting in Peking in May." (Rob van Dorland, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, 27 January 2005);

* "Today’s temperatures are supposedly higher than at any time in the past thousand years. This claim is the central pillar of the Kyoto Protocol, which takes effect this month. It is largely based on the celebrated ‘hockey stick’ graph of temperature history since the year 1000, published by Michael Mann and colleagues in 1998 and 1999. However, according to Canadian researchers Stephen McIntyre and Ross McKitrick, Mann’s hockey stick is no more than a statistical artefact. Their quest to verify the accuracy of this pivotal study of global warming raises questions about the integrity of world climate research." (Marcel Crok, Natuurwetenschap & Techniek [.pdf], February 2005);

* "The IPCC is monolithic and complacent, and it is conceivable that they are exaggerating the speed of change." (John Maddox, a former highly-respected editor of the journal Nature, quoted by David Adam in The Guardian, 28 January 2005);

* "So it would be true to say the evidence [for dangerous global warming] is still disputed. It would be wrong to say that the evidence of danger is not clearly and persuasively advocated by a very large number of entirely independent and compelling voices. They are the majority. The majority is not always right; but they deserve to be listened to." (Tony Blair at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 26 January 2005).

All most interesting. I wonder if, at the very peak of the ecohype, the tapestry of the great 'global warming' myth is just beginning to unravel a tad? There appears to be quite a lot of weft and warp, not to mention weaving, going on.

Philip, catching up, between football, on posts. That was never a penalty against Portsmouth this afternoon! "Lost yer specs, ref!" (Hat tip to CCNet for the fascinating quotations.)