The greenhouse denialist documentary, The Great Global Warming Swindle, is being shown on ABC TV tonight this Thursday night (12 July). The original version shown on the BBC ran for 72 minutes. Tonight’s Thursday’s version runs to only 52 minutes as the producer, Martin Durkin, has felt obliged to delete some of the more obvious furphies in the original. Despite this, a range of eminent Australian scientists have still found much to criticise in the version to be screened tonight. The Australian Science Media Centre has assembled a range of their critiques here.
One high-profile defender of the documentary is long-time greenhouse denialist commentator Michael Duffy. In his column on the issue in last Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald, Duffy states:
I can’t recall ABC TV devoting any significant space to questioning the greenhouse orthodoxy before.
I can. In 1998 ABC TV showed Durkin’s previous anti-environmentalist documentary, Against Nature, which was strictured by the UK Independent Television Commission for using selective editing to misrepresent and distort the views of interviewees. In the early 1990s, the ABC also showed the documentary Greenhouse Conspiracy, which was subsequently denounced in the pages of Quadrant magazine by Dr. Brian Tucker (at the time a noted greenhouse sceptic) as amateurish and incompetent propaganda.
I must say that from the standpoint of partisan political calculation, given the state of public opinion on climate change it may not be a bad thing to have such tripe being screened in a Federal election year at the behest of an ABC board cluttered with Howard government appointees, and for a very loud chorus of greenhouse denialism to be sustained by prominent supporters and allies of the Howard government. Messrs. Rudd and Garrett will hopefully ensure that this is not lost on the voters. Anyway, check out the scientists’ critiques and have fun.
Update: The Australian(!) reports that scientists have discovered further evidence debunking one of the central claims in TGGWS.
Correction: TGGWS will be shown on Thursday night.
Good post. Let this be a slap in the face to all the RW trolls, useful idiots and corporate shills who visit this site on a regular basis.
Thanks for the correction.
Fortunately I’ll be out having a drink on Thursday night. The ABC could hardly have promoted the thing more…
John Quiggin recently made the interesting (and I think very valid) argument that on issues like smoking and climate change, the “post-modernist right” approach to debating science comprises a series of talking points (i.e. disparate apparent weak links in opposing positions, or isolated apparent “wins” for their side) rather than a coherent overall alternative position to that which they are attacking. He makes the additional point that such talking points continue to be deployed long after they have been refuted, superseded by new information, or rendered irrelevant by events. This is relevant when one looks at some of the long-debunked furphies which are being retailed in TGGWS.
Good stuff Paul…I’ll be watching Lost & other shows…cause when it comes to movies like this I:
“don’t believe the hype”
this is how much one media mogul’s news station gives a stuff about Global Warming:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/07/09/film-hits-fox-coverage-of_n_55514.html
Talk about playing both sides of the fence.
I will definitely be watching it. It is important to know how your enemy thinks.
I hope TGGWS stimulates a lot of debate in the media. I’d especially like to hear the responses of Turnbull, Howard, Rudd, Garrett and Brown in this debate.
It will also be interesting to see hear how the ABC responds to the criticism that their board is dominated by Howard appeasers.
I had to laugh the other day when I saw on ABC a show called Carbon Cops, where two young scientists try to point out the different ways of how humans contribute to this serious problem called global warming and what we should do about it. And then, after it finished, comes on this add for the “The Great Global Warming Swindle” docu. Even on their current ABC TV home page you’ll find the two programs advertised right next to each other. My oh My, the Howard appointed ABC board might call that balanced journalism, I certainly don’t. Not until I see an atheist show about how there is no God screened right after Songs Of Praise: Christian Heroes every Sunday. Until such time, it is contradictory wank with no other purpose than to murky the waters. Balanced my arse.
Wow, three anti-MMGW pieces in fifteen years - why they’re swamping the air-waves with their propaganda!
Paul, seeing as you’ve got all the statistics, how many Pro-MMGW pieces has the ABC run?
Here are the opening remarks of a speech made by John Howard’s environment minister, Malcolm Turnbull, at the National Press Club on 2 May this year.
“Climate change is a fact, not a theory. It is present tense, not an
if but a now.
The world’s climate is getting warmer because, principally
through burning fossil fuels, we have put more greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere than the earth can absorb.
Global warming has to be addressed in the course of this century
by a very substantial reduction in the level of the world’s
greenhouse gas emissions.”
This was said, to repeat, by a Howard Government Cabinet Minister, not Bob Brown, not even Kevin Rudd.
The denialists have been skittled totally, absolutely, completely, unconditionally, irretrievably.
Who cares about a stupid denialist documentary?
The ABC should put on a doco financed by Mohammed Al Fayed about how MI5 murdered his son and Princess Diana. We could have a laugh about that as well.
Right on Juan! Still, at least we got Richard Dawkins doco recently. Christopher Hitchens gets a look in now & then on Lateline. The winds of change are a blowin’…:)
Not that i’m an Atheist. More an Iconoclast…;) I’m just not ‘convinced’ by any theory…or doctrine. Some just seem sillier than others…or more dangerous…& I detest the use of religion to indoctrinate our kids to be straight-laced, bigoted, junk & fast food addicts….& war-mongers.
Perhaps they could show a fair & balanced doco on Timothy Leary…lol.
Honestly, I think the denialists have had their day in Australia, and even, possibly, in the United States.
The real task now is staring down the coal industry long enough to impose emissions targets with real bite.
And steel, cement and aluminium.
I can’t find the full list of people who are going to be on the panel hosted by Tony Jones after the show and after an interview with Durkin, but I’m concerned that in the effort to provide balance there won’t be a chance to debunk the distortions of the program.
So far I know Michael Duffy will be there (why?), plus Robyn Williams (not a climate scientist), Bob Carter and University of Melbourne climate scientist, Professor David Karoly. There is going to be a lot of crap thrown up to deal with.
It will be interesting to see who Jones gives the last say.
Taking the sun definitively out of play in the latter part of last century as per the article in the Oz basically destroys the credibility of the program.
Brian, whilst Robyn Williams isn’t a climate scientist he did do a good job of debunking Carter in the climate change edition of the Griffith Review. But your basic point stands. Duffy and Carter will be tossing up all manner of talking points which have been debunked in scientific circles and in media (such as the linked pages in my original post) where scientists have the time and space to properly present the evidence and reasoning, but which are not easy to effectively quash in a TV talkfest being viewed by a lay audience.
They should get Birdy.
I’ve met Karoly before (never worked with him), and seen him taking on argumentative questioners in conferences. He was also one head honchos behind the 2001 IPCC report, if I recall. I was planning to avoid this tripe but might have a look at Lateline if he’s on.
I think he’ll be able to look after himself pretty well - with him on the scientist’s side I don’t think numerical balance will such an issue
It’s easy to misunderstand the ramifications of this program.
Climate change is a done deal. We all know that. So why do people not use their vote to fix it?
There’s a lot of people out there who do not go out of their way to be informed. I know one bloke, fairly smart, who just doesn’t absorb news from newspapers/tv/anywhere. What he does absorb will be quite piecemeal.
In a piecemeal world such people constitute a large number of swinging voters. The half-heard and the half-understood can represent Truth. If a program like this pretends the jury is still out - or is not even in - that “truth” can influence elections.
It depends very much who the audience is, and how big it is. Just by virtue of being on the ABC, that restricts its audience and presumably its impact on the majority of the public who don’t follow issues closely.
It’s pretty clear that it has a lot more to do with internal ABC politics than anything else.
I don’t think the politics are particularly helpful to the government, particularly if it stirs up another round of ranting and raving from the usual suspects in the Murdoch tabloids.
Went to a Global Warming meeting on Saturday night and the denialists were handing out propaganda for their next meeting. Seems that they were doomsdayers who thought the world was ending soon so climate change or global warming does not affect them as far as they are concerned.
When I was a child we were told not to bother buying a new pair of shoes because JC would return before our current bootleather was worn out. Seems the more things change; the more they stay the same.
The CEC have embraced CC denialism. It’s good to see they are diverse with their conspiracy theories…
And all this after St Paul went to all the trouble of composing a second epistle to the Thessalonians to set them straight on precisely this point.
Going by his latest persona, it will be the one who agrees w/ him the most & tells Jones that he’s the talking head of all talking heads. We’ll probably even get a bit of “hah! You didn’t see that coming now, did you?…did you?”
I think he’s become an O’Reilly addict.
The Murdoch virus is spreading thru the A.B.C. faster than Bill Heffernan’s race down those slippery stairs to ‘obscurity’.
Soon they’ll all be wearing the ‘faux’ Darph Bobo smile &/or deep trench frowns so cherised by the Sky News crowd…speaking of who, i keep waiting for the ‘terrorist alert’ segments to be accompanied by a frenzied robot whipping around on motorized treads in the background, calling out in a monotone but urgent voice:
“Warning! Warning!”…”Danger, people of Australia!…Danger!”
And the Lord did say, “As long as we have capitalism, global warming shall be with us”…
Ophuph Hucksake (as ChrisGS), I’m relieved that Karoly can handle himself OK. Personality, quick-wittedness and natural authority are factors in this sort of slugfest.
On having the last say, I wonder whether Durkin as the program maker will be given that right.
Mark, the ones I am worried about are the country folk, their representatives in parliament and the deniers/sceptics/delusionists amongst Howard’s senior colleagues.
Durkin appears to be saying that the whole GW thing is bullshit. I believe the working title was Global warming, my arse.
The sun thing has had some currency out in the boondocks. Basically the farming folk would like to believe that the rains will come again and the rivers run. They tend to latch onto ‘experts’ who tell them what they want to hear. (Not meant to be unkind. Lotsa people do.)
Paul nOrton
The most telling point here is that John Quiggin - and presumably your good self - see this issue as just abother Left vs. Right issue. Once more Science and politics is reduced to theology.
Watch it now on Youtube now and dont bother to wait for the ABC and domestic television:
It seems to deal as much with the political situation as with the actual science.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f8v5du5_ag
That’s utter nonsense, JG. It’s been the right who’s been politicising the science. If you occasionally provided a skerrick of argument to support your partisan assertions, you’d be more credible.
Indeed…Arnold S. Governor of California isn’t playing the same games as Howard, Bush & Murdoch’s crew…he’s doin’ what needs to be done.
Is that a lion with an eagle’s wings?
Global warming is an industry that needs to sustain itself.
Say “Hi” to Eric Othelwaite for me.
Craig Mc: I think there might have a Black Pudding Appreciation Society meeting on the same night
Oops … “have BEEN a Black Pudding …”
And the housing lobby.
John Greenfield wrote:
Actually, on a global level perhaps the biggest driver of climate change policy in the mid-1980s, when it got going, was the Christian Democratic government of the Federal Republic of Germany - no lefties there.
Also, as Jason Soon would say, I am silly enough to be an ex-communist. In the mid-1980s, when climate change got going as an issue, I was employed in the CPA National Office as an amanuensis and general gopher to the CPA National organisers, and was thereby a regular attendee at CPA National Committee meetings and a provider of administrative support at various national broad left gatherings which included leading figures in the ALP left, trade union left and independent left. I can safely say (and this will be affirmed by others) that I have utterly no recollection at those gatherings of anyone suggesting that the left should hawk global warming as an issue to advance socialist or leftist agendas or procure political advantage over the right. Indeed, leading figures in the labour movement left at that time such as Martin Ferguson and Laurie Carmichael made no secret of their displeasure at the notion that environmental issues should be taken up by the left, whilst at the other end of the debate Jack Mundey was highly critical, from within the CPA, of the low priority (as he saw it) accorded to environmental issues by the party. In Australia most of the initial impetus for action on global warming came from outside the organised left - from scientists and from environmental NGOs.
And if further evidence is needed that the global warming debate is not about Left and Right, I suggest a look through older threads to find some posts on the issue by patrickm who, to paraphrase Jason Soon, is not silly enough to be an ex-communist.
It’s been the right who’s been politicising the science.
Well, that’s true Mark - if we take the quote (above) from Malcolm Turnbull as an example …
Climate change is a fact, not a theory.
The confusion here is akin to the confusion creationists frequently have with the ‘theory of evolution’. Then again, Malcolm Turnbull is picking up this argument from - the left.
It strikes me that there is a hell of a lot of confusion of politics and science in the current rhetoric about global warming.
To clarify:
The confusion here is akin to the confusion creationists frequently have with the ‘theory of evolution’.
… I’m referring to the frequent habit creationists have of mistaking the meaning of the term ‘theory’.
Peterc: interesting you raise the housing industry’s attitude to energy efficiency regulations; I’ve been meaning to post on that but just haven’t had time to write the article.
It just shows how dumb they think we are…mudding the issues with absolute tripe. in the end they got what they wanted = delay having to make any sensible decisions about coal etc. for umpteen years.
liberals = slightly restrained communists (in their indoctrinations)
Chris
I interviewed Karoly a couple of times some years back (he was at Monash then). He’s a good communicator as well as a very talented scientist. At the time he was unconvinced by a piece I wrote about the behaviour of the denialists. I think he thought they were honestly misled rather than deliberate fabricators. I wonder if he still thinks that today.
Durkin has “hit back” at critics of the “Swindle” in the Gazette, and even cited the much - discredited Oregon Petition as his defence.
Pretty funny, if the deception being practiced was not so serious.
People might be interested that a mining industry association has come out to encourage people to watch the film.
Surprise surprise. Let’s all work to derail the solutions debate, folks, and let confusion reign!
I don’t think the confusion between Law, Theory, Fact and Hypothesis is one that is charactersitic of the political left or right. It is a very common one amongst non-scientists.
Part of the problem is that there is really no precise definintion for these terms within scientific disciplines. They are really just conventional.
Ultimately, as you say, everything is a theory. Not all theories are equal, but nothing is ‘better’ than a theory.
A Law is a foundational theory that has been well established over time, but it is still a theory.
Fact tends to mean observations that have been confirmed and accepted. But as we know all meaningful observations are theory laden…
a Hypothesis is a theory that has not been subjected to rigorous testing - still a theory.
Paul Norton
Well if nothing else was gained from my post than an incitement for you to recollect your halcyon days among the Apostles of the theo-Leftists of Yore, then my typing was not in vain. A friend of mine has been obssesed with Juanita Nielsen’s death for years. Through her (my friend), I have developed a sympathetic ear for those Days of Yore of the BLF, corrupt police, ‘bohemia,’ the Green Bans, etc. I envy your acquaintance with such demi-gods (or perhaps daimones would be more appropriate as we are in the vicinity of St.Paul and the Thessalonians) as Jack Mundey! The best my generation can pray for is Miranda Devine or David Marr. From the sublime to…..
But I digress. I was merely responding to this:
I did not mean to imply that John Quiggin and/or your good self were Reds under the Global Warming Bed. I was merely pointing out that both of you - in this instance - were hardly averse to tedious culture war homilies using Global Warming as your sermon.
The irony of Mark’s response was pure gold.
whoa, who stacked that crowd with LaRouchies? I haven’t laughed that hard for ages…
I might close off this thread and direct discussion round to the more recent one because if we’re going to have comments on the program on both, it’ll get hard to follow.
And right on time, the Useful Idiots show up.
So please go here:
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/07/11/don%e2%80%99t-believe-all-you-see-or-hear/