Friday, December 11, 2009
BRIAN TAYLOR'S BIG DEBATE - BBC RADIO SCOTLAND
inside BBC's Pacific Quay (recorded dead ahead) looks like somebody swallowed a zigguratRadio Scotland runs this every Friday 1.15 - 2.00 & today I was in the audience. Most of the rest of the audience consisting of 2 classes of schoolchildren & their teachers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mk70p/episodes/player
The 4 panelists were David Whitton, Labour MSP; Rob Gibson, SNP MSP; Patrick Harvie, leader of the Scottish Green Party & MSP; & Alastair Northman, token business representative.
The questions were on
(1) cutting class sizes in schools in which an audience member made the only serious point - that discipline is more important. Naturally the teachers there were rather keen on more teachers & money.
(4) on the new expenses revelations about which everybody was suitably indignant.
(3) global warming: I had put in a question which wasn't accepted but was told I could probably ask during the discussion which I did
We know the globe is actually currently cooling rather than warming; we know there has been massive fraud among the people collating it; we know that over 31,000 scientists have signed a petition it isn't a problem & a CO2 rise is beneficial. Yet we are told there is a "scientific consensus". There is certainly a consensus among politicians & journalists but can any member of the panel name 2 prominent scientists who say we are suffering catastrophic warming & aren't funded by government or alarmist lobbiesBrian said "so you don't believe in it", I answered "I think it is an eco-fascist fraud" he joked "don't sit on the fence" before handing it to Partick Harvie.
Harvie's response was that global warming is certainly happening - that the last decade is the warmest on record (true IF the CRU figures are correct - if the US figures are correct the 1930s were - but in either case is moving the goal posts because the year on year figures show a decline. He said nobody could argue about the need to cut CO2 - I said from the audience that I could but I doubt it was heard but was very silly assertion of his. He made no attempt whatsoever to name even one independent scientist who supports catastrophic warming & I have no doubt, that as Green Party leader he knows enough on the subject to do so if there were a number of them.
The other panelists also decided not to answer the question. There were digressions into peak oil & general platitudes but no attempt by any of them to name a single independent member of this alleged "overwhelming scientific consensus. I have asked this same question on Realclimate & elsewhere & have never had a responsive response so clearly they know the "scientific consensus" claim is a total lie told only by total liars.
Question (3) about how dreadful it was that public employees' jobs should be on a shoogly peg just because the economy is in freefall. This went down quite well with the teachers, indeed me, Alastair & 1 other may have been the only non-government workers there. The discussion moved to how dreadful it was that bankers weren't lending money to redundant teachers (lets be fair that might make a worthwhile redundancy package) & thus to how dreadful bankers are. I again put up my hand & to my pleasant surprise, was called. I said
Banking is an international business so why should bankers lend money to ventures in Scotland when we have some of the world's most expensive electricity & our MSPs have voted unanimously to shut down half of it over the next 11 years, when they could invest in Chinese industryThe audience were understandably not enthusiastic about this option & one of the pupils answered that they would be keen to invest here because we have the Commonwealth Games. Rob Gibson MSP answered that the banks should be made to lend to British people because we own the banks. Both got a cheer. I suspect Mr Gibson is closer to being right but I would not say that his understanding of economic reality is much greater than that of the schoolboy.
After it finished the lanky bearded student type sitting in front of me disputed with me but since he knew no actual facts quickly moved on to peak oil on which he knew nothing & then to the environmental desirability of maintaining the Canadian tar sands because of all the animal ecology living in it. I said that, not being a believer in God I didn't think that particular pieces of land had been placed there with a duty that we never change it. He asked me if I would be surprised to learn that he was a minister & i said disappointed but not surprised.
The BBC will shortly run a "debate" on Scotland's Green Future. I have written to them saying that if they want a debate involving alternate views I would be interested in being in the audience. Any bets?
However I am pleased with this since it went out live & it was clearly apparent that the eco-fascists' claims of "scientific consensus" are based on no actual facts. That is probably as much as anybody can do facing the political & media fascist consensus.
Labels: global warming, Media, Scottish politics
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Somebody put this listing of the 430 people who recently signed a leter supporting the alarmists. Confirms my impression. No independents:
The group of "independent" scientists who signed the letter in The Times yesterday were from the following institutions |(university abbreviated to Univ.):
Aberdeen Univ. - 30;
Aberystwyth Univ. - 12;
Anglia Ruskin Univ. - 1;
Aston Univ. - 1;
Bangor Univ. - 14;
Bath Spa Univ. - 2;
Bath Univ. - 1;
Belfast Univ. - 1;
Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland - 1;
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council - 6;
Birkbeck, Univ. Of London - 2;
Birmingham Univ. - 14;
Brighton Univ. - 2;
Bristol Univ. - 56;
British Antarctic Survey - 39;
British Geological Survey - 8;
British Oceanographic Data Centre - 5;
Brunel Univ. - 9;
Cambridge Univ. - 52;
Cardiff Univ. - 13;
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - 57;
Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science - 4;
Chairman, MPA Science Advisory Panel - 1;
Co Chair Climate & Health Council - 1;
Countryside Council for Wales - 1;
Cranfield Univ. - 3;
Durham Univ. - 32;
Earthwatch Institute - 1;
Edge Hill Univ. - 2;
Edinburgh Napier Univ. - 3;
Edinburgh Univ. - 84;
Environment Agency - 6;
Environmental Systems Science Centre - 3;
Essex Univ. - 2;
Exeter Univ. - 47;
Faculty of Public Health - 1;
Freshwater Biological Association - 1;
Glasgow Univ. - 40;
Gloucestershire Univ. - 1;
Greenwich Univ. - 1;
Health Protection Agency - 1;
Hertfordshire Univ. - 8;
Huddersfield Univ. - 1;
Hull Univ. - 8;
Imperial College London - 18;
Institution of Environmental Sciences - 1;
John Ray Initiative - 1;
Keele Univ. - 1;
Kings College London - 7;
Lancaster Univ. - 23;
Leeds Univ. - 56;
Leicester Univ. - 9;
Liverpool John Moores Univ. - 2;
Liverpool Univ. - 20;
London School of Economics - 1;
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - 1;
London Schoool of Economics Grantham Research Institute - 1;
Loughborough Univ. - 13;
Manchester Metropolitan Univ. - 7;
Manchester Univ. - 40;
Marine Biological Association - 3;
Marine Laboratory Scotland - 1;
Met Office - 204;
Met Office (retired) - 2;
National Centre For Earth Observation - 1;
National History Museum - 10;
National Oceanographic Centre Southampton - 59;
Natural Environment Research Council - 4;
Natural History Museum - 7;
NERC Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements - 5;
Newcastle Univ. - 10;
NHS Sustainable Development - 1;
North Wyke Research - 2;
Northumbria Univ. - 1;
Nottingham Trent Univ. - 1;
Nottingham Univ. - 16;
Open Univ. - 26;
Oxford Univ. - 88;
Plymouth Marine Laboratory - 13;
Plymouth Univ. - 26;
Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory - 15;
Quarternary Research Association - 1;
Queen Mary Univ. London - 7;
Queens Univ. Belfast - 3;
Reading Univ. - 81;
Roehampton Univ. - 3;
Rothamsted Research - 3;
Royal Botanical Gardens Kew - 1;
Royal Geographical Society (former Director) - 1;
Royal Holloway, Univ. Of London - 6;
Royal Meteorological Society - 8;
Royal Observatory - 6;
Royal Veterinary College, Univ. of London - 1;
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - 3;
Salford Greater Manchester Univ. - 1;
Science and Technology Facilities Council - 4;
Science Museum - 1;
Scott Polar Research Institute - 2;
Scottish Association for Marine Science - 14;
Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment - 2;
Scottish Government Marine Lab - 1;
Scottish Marine Institute - 1;
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre - 1;
Sheffield Univ. - 27;
Sir Allister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science - 4;
Southampton Univ. - 16;
St Andrews Univ. - 15;
Stirling Univ. - 12;
Surrey Univ. - 4;
Sussex Univ. - 5;
Swansea Univ. - 21;
UK Climate Impacts Programme - 1;
Ulster Univ. - 4;
Univ. College London - 40;
Univ. of East Anglia - 64;
Univ. of Gloucestershire - 1;
Univ. of Greenwich - 1;
Warwick Univ. - 6;
West of England Univ. - 2;
Wolverhampton Univ. - 4;
Worcester Univ. - 1;
York Univ. - 33;
Zoological Society of London - 16.
The group of "independent" scientists who signed the letter in The Times yesterday were from the following institutions |(university abbreviated to Univ.):
Aberdeen Univ. - 30;
Aberystwyth Univ. - 12;
Anglia Ruskin Univ. - 1;
Aston Univ. - 1;
Bangor Univ. - 14;
Bath Spa Univ. - 2;
Bath Univ. - 1;
Belfast Univ. - 1;
Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland - 1;
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council - 6;
Birkbeck, Univ. Of London - 2;
Birmingham Univ. - 14;
Brighton Univ. - 2;
Bristol Univ. - 56;
British Antarctic Survey - 39;
British Geological Survey - 8;
British Oceanographic Data Centre - 5;
Brunel Univ. - 9;
Cambridge Univ. - 52;
Cardiff Univ. - 13;
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - 57;
Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science - 4;
Chairman, MPA Science Advisory Panel - 1;
Co Chair Climate & Health Council - 1;
Countryside Council for Wales - 1;
Cranfield Univ. - 3;
Durham Univ. - 32;
Earthwatch Institute - 1;
Edge Hill Univ. - 2;
Edinburgh Napier Univ. - 3;
Edinburgh Univ. - 84;
Environment Agency - 6;
Environmental Systems Science Centre - 3;
Essex Univ. - 2;
Exeter Univ. - 47;
Faculty of Public Health - 1;
Freshwater Biological Association - 1;
Glasgow Univ. - 40;
Gloucestershire Univ. - 1;
Greenwich Univ. - 1;
Health Protection Agency - 1;
Hertfordshire Univ. - 8;
Huddersfield Univ. - 1;
Hull Univ. - 8;
Imperial College London - 18;
Institution of Environmental Sciences - 1;
John Ray Initiative - 1;
Keele Univ. - 1;
Kings College London - 7;
Lancaster Univ. - 23;
Leeds Univ. - 56;
Leicester Univ. - 9;
Liverpool John Moores Univ. - 2;
Liverpool Univ. - 20;
London School of Economics - 1;
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - 1;
London Schoool of Economics Grantham Research Institute - 1;
Loughborough Univ. - 13;
Manchester Metropolitan Univ. - 7;
Manchester Univ. - 40;
Marine Biological Association - 3;
Marine Laboratory Scotland - 1;
Met Office - 204;
Met Office (retired) - 2;
National Centre For Earth Observation - 1;
National History Museum - 10;
National Oceanographic Centre Southampton - 59;
Natural Environment Research Council - 4;
Natural History Museum - 7;
NERC Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements - 5;
Newcastle Univ. - 10;
NHS Sustainable Development - 1;
North Wyke Research - 2;
Northumbria Univ. - 1;
Nottingham Trent Univ. - 1;
Nottingham Univ. - 16;
Open Univ. - 26;
Oxford Univ. - 88;
Plymouth Marine Laboratory - 13;
Plymouth Univ. - 26;
Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory - 15;
Quarternary Research Association - 1;
Queen Mary Univ. London - 7;
Queens Univ. Belfast - 3;
Reading Univ. - 81;
Roehampton Univ. - 3;
Rothamsted Research - 3;
Royal Botanical Gardens Kew - 1;
Royal Geographical Society (former Director) - 1;
Royal Holloway, Univ. Of London - 6;
Royal Meteorological Society - 8;
Royal Observatory - 6;
Royal Veterinary College, Univ. of London - 1;
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - 3;
Salford Greater Manchester Univ. - 1;
Science and Technology Facilities Council - 4;
Science Museum - 1;
Scott Polar Research Institute - 2;
Scottish Association for Marine Science - 14;
Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment - 2;
Scottish Government Marine Lab - 1;
Scottish Marine Institute - 1;
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre - 1;
Sheffield Univ. - 27;
Sir Allister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science - 4;
Southampton Univ. - 16;
St Andrews Univ. - 15;
Stirling Univ. - 12;
Surrey Univ. - 4;
Sussex Univ. - 5;
Swansea Univ. - 21;
UK Climate Impacts Programme - 1;
Ulster Univ. - 4;
Univ. College London - 40;
Univ. of East Anglia - 64;
Univ. of Gloucestershire - 1;
Univ. of Greenwich - 1;
Warwick Univ. - 6;
West of England Univ. - 2;
Wolverhampton Univ. - 4;
Worcester Univ. - 1;
York Univ. - 33;
Zoological Society of London - 16.
Brian said "so maigrir vite you don't believe in it", I answered "I think it is an eco-fascist fraud" he joked "don't sit on Acai Berry the fence" before handing it to Partick Harvie.
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