Science

Ian Plimer's Mining Connections

Since the publication in May of his book, Heaven and Earth: Global Warming - The Missing Science, Ian Plimer has been the darling of conservative media commentators and the global network of climate change skeptics. Plimer, an Australian geologist, has been strongly criticized by climate scientists for errors in his book. More recently, he has been in the news over his challenge to British journalist, George Monbiot, for a debate over climate science. Monbiot agreed, subject to Plimer answering some questions in writing ahead of a debate, but Plimer retreated.

While a few news stories have made a passing mention that Plimer is a director of several mining companies, none have looked with any detail at which companies he is involved with, and how substantial his interest is. Recently, a volunteer editor on SourceWatch (hat-tip to Scribe), did some digging into Plimer's directorships with three mining companies, Ivanhoe Australia, CBH Resources and Kefi Minerals.

Cap-and-Trade Gag

Submitted by Bob Burton on

The Australian government's peak scientific research body, the CSIRO, has suppressed a research paper by one of its own environmental economists because it is critical of the design of the proposed 'cap and trade' greenhouse gas emissions reduction scheme. A paper by Dr. Clive Spash had been accepted for publication by the journal, New Political Economy. However, CSIRO managers wrote to the editor insisting that it not be published. In his paper, Dr.

No
Main Source: 
The Australian, November 2, 2009
Topics: 
Science

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Downsized

Submitted by Bob Burton on

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a California-based power utility, has resigned from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over what the utility's chairman and CEO, Peter Darbee, describes as "fundamental differences" over climate change policy.

No
Main Source: 
NEXT100 (Pacific Gas and Electric Company Blog), September 22, 2009
Topics: 
Climate Change
Lobbying
Science

Another Bone to Pick with Merck

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

The pharmaceutical company Merck "paid an undisclosed sum to Elsevier to produce several volumes of a publication that had the look of a peer-reviewed medical journal, but contained only reprinted or summarized articles -- most of which presented data favorable to Merck products." The Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine carried "ads for Fosamax, a Merck drug for osteoporosis, and Vioxx" and "appeared to act solely as market

No
Main Source: 
The Scientist magazine, April 30, 2009
Topics: 
Marketing
Pharmaceuticals
Science

Climate Front Group Ignored Its Own Scientists

Submitted by Bob Burton on

An internal document (pdf) of the Global Climate Coalition (GCC) -- an industry front group that disbanded in 2002 -- reveals that when the group chose to promote doubt about the reality of global warming it was ignoring the views of its own scientif

No
Main Source: 
New York Times, April 23, 2009
Topics: 
Front Groups
Climate Change
Science

Profiling the Global Warming Skeptics

Submitted by Bob Burton on

The core of the small global network of global warming skeptics are once more gathering at a conference organized by the Heartland Institute, a corporate and foundation funded think tank based in Chicago.

Yes
Main Source: 
Project on the Heartland Institute's 2009 International Conference on Climate Change
Topics: 
Climate Change
Science
Think Tanks

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