Tim Ball and his audience at WUWT complain about naming and shaming!

Anthony Watts insists on giving voice to favoured sky dragon slayers who dispute the greenhouse effect, in particular Tim Ball who co-authored that silly book.

I picked up this from Tim's latest effort  (archived here, and updated here and here and here), which is nothing but a long complaint that normal people see him for what he is.  Was Anthony Watts having a shot at Tim Ball's history of deliberately deceiving the public about global warming when he came up with the title?

Public Relations (Spin Doctors) Deliberately Deceived Public About Global Warming and Climate Change

I guess not - going by the comments and Anthony's frenzy of comment deletion (see below).  Anyway, Tim Ball writes (archived here, and updated here and here and here) - my bold italics:

Recently, I gave a three hour presentation with question and answers. The audience was educated people who distrust government and were sympathetic to my information. I decided to illustrate my point and concern by asking a few basic questions. Nobody could tell me the difference between weather and climate. Nobody could name the three major so-called greenhouse gases, let alone explain the mechanics of the greenhouse theory. My goal was not to embarrass, but to illustrate how little they knew and how easily PR can deceive and misdirect.

I can't imagine anyone but the sort of conspiracy theorists he describes, sitting through three hours of Tim Ball's nonsense.

Further in his article, Tim fakes surprise that it's not expected that anyone would query the credentials of people who accept science - for their acceptance of science.  And he wonders why people who reject science wouldn't be treated in the same fashion.

The answer is simple.  There is no reason to query someone's reasons for accepting mainstream science.  All you have to do is look at the science.  Do you query a person's expertise if they say that day follows night?  Do you look at them askance and ask them what qualifications they have for making such a statement?

If a person disputes mainstream science then one is entitled to ask why they dispute it. Do they have solid grounds for disputing accepted science?  Does their work experience or credentials give them special insight that isn't shared by experts? If a person claims that day never follows night, it would be understandable that you'd query their grounds for making such a claim. Maybe they live in the Arctic or Antarctic.  Otherwise, there is ample evidence to prove them wrong.  In the case of climate science I've yet to meet a scientist or non-scientist who has solid scientific grounds for rejecting science.  Least of all Tim Ball or any of the other denizens at WUWT.

Tim writes:

The epithet “global warming skeptic” was applied to me years ago and was used in questions from the media. When I explained I accepted global warming the media was surprised. They didn’t understand when I explained my skepticism was about the cause – the claim it was due to human CO2. Some labeled me a contrarian, but it wasn’t effective because few know what it means.

Tim isn't a global warming skeptic so I can't imagine anyone referring to him as such these days.  He's a denier of climate science.  He rejects physics.  He rejects the greenhouse effect.  He rejects the notion that burning fossil fuels and clearing land has resulted in a massive rise in atmospheric greenhouse gases, which are causing the world to warm faster than it has in at least tens of millions of years if not hundreds.

Tim calls it "smearing".  I say it's calling it what it is.  Since Tim is so open about rejecting mainstream science, why is he so offended when it's pointed out that he does?

Aptly, Tim Ball calls on a writer of fiction, Michael Crichton, to support his stance.  That is fitting!

Oh, and he wants respect for his disagreement?  He writes:

“A danger sign of the lapse from true skepticism in to dogmatism is an inability to respect those who disagree” – Dr. Leonard George.

This after Tim Ball tries to lampoon prominent climate scientists, after he calls realclimate.org a "PR" site instead of recognising it one if not the best climate science website on the internet, run by some of the world's leading climate scientists.

I don't care if he wants to tell fibs or whether he's willing to be truthful and call himself a fake sceptic, a science denier, a person who rejects physics or whatever.  Just don't go complaining when other people tell it like it is.

From the WUWT comments

Anthony is busy deleting lots of comments.  One comment that Anthony deleted referred to this Statement of Defense by the Calgary Herald when Tim Ball tried to sue them (he subsequently dropped the case AFAIK).  It gives some insight into the mind of Tim Ball and Anthony Watts for promoting him so often. And it makes this article of his even more ridiculous than it already is.  (I've a copy of the page but didn't get it archived in time.  The Statement of Defence amply covers the points raised.)

Anthony didn't delete comments from other science deniers as far as I can tell. Here's a sample from people who also reject mainstream science.  It's no surprise that they congregate together with other science rejectors.  It's ironic and a great demonstration of double standards.  There are lots of ad hom responses to an article complaining about the lack of respect the general public has for prominent people like Tim Ball, who make a living out of spreading disinformation (and arguably libeling climate scientists).

A.D. Everard says:

November 6, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Well said. It is an extra pity that our schooling systems (everywhere) seem to have devoted the last few decades to dumbing down their students. It’s harder than ever to get many thinking critically or clearly for themselves. They’ve been taught it’s easier to trust the pop-stars and priests and computer models of climate religion. It’s changing, largely thanks to nature and the non-arrival of the promised doom, but it’s changing slowly. They believe so deeply, some of them.

john piccirilli says (my hyperlink):

November 6, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Great post. Thanks, I don’t feel so stupid now for almost believing this bs
Thanks to Christopher Booker and wuwt I have seen the light.

Txomin says:

November 6, 2013 at 5:28 pm
It’s an interesting post that I’ve enjoyed reading. Thank you
However,I must have to confess that, in my experience, people deceiving others are far fewer in number (and significantly less effective) than those deceiving themselves.

wayne says:

November 6, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Such an article has been needed for so long! It is very welcomed.

RockyRoad says:

November 6, 2013 at 6:56 pm
Warmistas are like a bunch of squawking geese–you avoid them because they’re so doggone annoying. They don’t realize their only value is to be roasted–for dinner or otherwise.

 R. de Haan says:

November 6, 2013 at 7:12 pm
And the worst aspect of all, the bastards breed like rabbits. They have infested virtually every corner of society. Wait until they show their true colors and start marching….(LOL)
Great article. Thanks

albertalad is impressed by Tim Ball's lack of credentials and paucity of publications and says:

November 6, 2013 at 7:40 pm
The Calgary Herald could perhaps explain the climate science degrees of all the activists the IPCC are using as documented. Then in this case – Dr Ball is indeed a step up from that group of morons the IPCC uses themselves. Or the IPCC lead – a railroad engineer – Dr. Ball is a genius to that fake.

Gunga Din says:

November 6, 2013 at 8:23 pm
The “site” is the web site Realclimate, named by Gavin (Schmidt). But science doesn’t need PR, so why do climate scientists use it?
=====================================================================
Shouldn’t that be “ReelClimate” as in “reel ‘em in”?

And a comment from Dumb Scientist, who manages to sneak one by without being deleted (so far) and says:

November 6, 2013 at 9:22 pm

Jim Clarke says:
November 6, 2013 at 8:33 pm
“The propagandists portray CAGW skeptics as people who don’t believe that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, so they can compare them to flat-earthers. This is one of the tactics that Tim Ball is talking about.”

Isn’t Dr. Tim Ball an author of Slaying the Sky Dragon… the book which denies the existence of the greenhouse effect?

RockyRoad says Tim Ball has been "besmirched by association".  He doesn't yet realise that Tim Ball denies the greenhouse effect:

November 6, 2013 at 9:51 pm

Dumb Scientist says:
November 6, 2013 at 9:22 pm
….
Isn’t Dr. Tim Ball an author of Slaying the Sky Dragon… the book which denies the existence of the greenhouse effect?

Well, I jumped into Amazon, looked up the book, found the authors include a Tim Ball.
However, Tim Ball is responsible for two chapters in the book that describe how climate research became politicized and how the IPCC came into existence as an organization whose mission was to convince governments that they needed to introduce policies based on the danger of man-made global warming.

Ten more chapters were written by six other authors, and some experts have taken exception to the concepts of climate physics they present–persumably the denial of the existence of the greenhouse effect being one of them.

So, being the devious fellow you are, you’ve tried to besmirch Dr. Ball by association. And that, dear sir, is typical of this very thread’s subject–Deliberately Deceiving the Public!
You have a nice day, now. 

And here - Dumb Scientist says:

November 6, 2013 at 9:57 pm
RockyRoad, “CO2 is not a Greenhouse Gas that Raises Global temperature. Period!”
http://drtimball.com/2012/co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas-that-raises-global-temperature-period/ (archived here - Sou)

Konrad pulls no punches and says:

November 6, 2013 at 10:08 pm
@David Appell
As you can see some here may be critical because your actions have contributed to -
- Trashing of the scientific method and respect for science
- Damage to democracy
- Blighting of the landscape with subsidy farms
- Slaughter of wildlife by subsidy farms
- Radioactive pollution of the Chinese landscape producing subsidy farm magnets
- Driving manufacturing from countries with environmental protections to those without
- Corruption and crime fuelled by carbon ponzi schemes
- Transferring wealth from poor to rich through subsidy farming
- and the endless list of snivelling stupidity goes on…

However your actions have also contributed greatly to creating a better future -
- UN kleptocracy discredited and permanently compromised
- All hope of a “bio-crisis” with bio-debt collected and redistributed under a frame work of UN global governance destroyed
- EUSSR parliament discredited and permanently compromised
- Every activist, journalist, politician or party of the left permanently compromised
- Lame stream media no longer the gatekeepers of opinion
- The rise of New Media and global grass-roots movements that can never be controlled or influenced by the regulating class

Thanks David ;-)

PS. David, if you have any further post election wailing and gnashing of teeth to get through, please take it to the outer darkness. That’s what it’s there for.

RockyRoad, now that he's discovered Tim Ball does indeed deny the greenhouse effect, admits that he, RockyRoad, denies it too (what a wanker):

November 6, 2013 at 10:23 pm

Dumb Scientist says:
November 6, 2013 at 9:57 pm
RockyRoad, “CO2 is not a Greenhouse Gas that Raises Global temperature. Period!”
http://drtimball.com/2012/co2-is-not-a-greenhouse-gas-that-raises-global-temperature-period/ (Sou: I've archived the page here).

Then you’ve learned something today, Dumb–But that still doesn’t mean you can drop the “Dumb” and claim to be a “Scientist”.
Or do you have incontrovertible proof that CO2 DOES INDEED raise global temperature?
If so, please post it. (And no, somebody’s “assumptions” or “guesses” or “SWAG” simply won’t do.)
(Oh, this ought to be good.)

Dumb Scientist replies to RockyRoad and says:

November 6, 2013 at 10:33 pm
Aside from the end-Permian, the PETM, and the thawing of Snowball Earth?

Konrad has closed his eyes to comments like those listed here and says:

November 6, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Chad Wozniak says:
November 6, 2013 at 10:16 pm
——————————————–
Yes and no. Those with no escape such Mann, Karoly and Flannery have jammed the throttles to Full Stupid Ahead. However some of the Professional Left in Australia seem to be aware that things are about to end badly. They can be seen test driving exit strategies on the political blogs including -

“we were giving the planet the benefit of the doubt” ie: Noble cause
“but, but but, the conservatives believed too!” ie: It wasn’t just us

The good news is that none of this is going to work. The conservatives didn’t vilify sceptics and those that vilified cannot use the Noble Cause excuse. The bitterness of some of the posts is revealing. Some of the Professional Left are starting to realise what they have done. They have used all the tactics Tim Ball has listed, and they have done so in the Age of the Internet. The Internet is a game changer. None of the old lame stream media techniques such as “walkback”, “snowstorming”, or “issue fade and replace” work any more.

The thing both Tim ball and Michael Crichton did not consider about the Internet is memory. The lame stream media’s memory is selective but the Internet remembers everything forever, and is instantly accessible by billions at the tap of a keyboard or click of a mouse. The Professional left have not shot themselves in the foot. They have not even shot themselves in both feet. They have been tap-dancing on an anti-tank mine. For the Professional Left it’s pink mist time.

M Courtney sometimes tries to present himself as a slightly more rational fake sceptic, perhaps to prove he is not like his dad.  Not this time when he voices his conspiracy theory (pal review) and wishful thinking - that WUWT has become the main forum for internet climate debate (he jests, surely, and is apparently oblivious to the fact that Anthony has censored a whole heap of comments in the thread):

November 7, 2013 at 12:18 am
One of the problems with spin is that you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
The website RealClimate was set up to dominate the internet discussion just like the gatekeepers in the mainstream media were spun (thanks to Roger Harribin who is still at the BBC).

Yet the debate was beyond the feeble hand-waving of the self-proclaimed Climate Experts at RealClimate.

Now WUWT has become the main forum for internet climate debate. SkS tries hard but has far less reach.

That’s why the self-proclaiemd Climate Scientists (authenticated by Pal Review) have to come here to push their agenda.

The spin is out of control. And that is more of a problem for the doom-mongers than the lack of warming this century.

The persecution complex is rife at WUWT - other paranoid conspiracy theorists can't hold a candle to dyed in the wool science deniers.  Some of them really and truly think that all the world's scientists plus all the scientific publishing houses and their staff plus all the world's governments plus most of the world's media plus 80% or more of the population on earth is part of some amazing conspiracy.  kretchetov says:

November 7, 2013 at 1:12 am
Great post.

It is wonderful to see posts exploring the idea that Global Warming scare is nothing to do with science, but with PR, politics, money and influence. 

And what a brilliant idea that is, if 80% of population can be scared stiff to hand over their money and freedom as they cannot tell basic scientific truth from a lie, and 20% intimidated and called names if they dissented.

The question I would like to ask – is there ANY reputable scientific institution that stood the ground and survived the assault? Russian Academy of Science, maybe?

Well, well, well - who have we here? Is it the real thing or a copy cat?   Jeff Id says:

November 7, 2013 at 3:25 am
Well written sir!

Since Anthony is so busy deleting comments, I might pop back with updates of the archives.  In fact, it looks like Anthony is so busy he isn't taking the time to distinguish his denier friends from his scientific foes :) (Search a page for davidmhoffer).

Archive here.

Archive updated here (do a search for David Appell.  If there's one thing Anthony Watts cannot abide, almost as much as he cannot abide climate scientists, it's a journalist who understands climate science.)

Further update here and here and here.