An opportunity for Roger Harrabin

Leading hurricane expert Kerry Emmanuel has published a new paper in which he reports that his models suggest that global warming will cause a reduction in the number of hurricanes (with a slight rise in hurricane intensity in some regions).

Steve McIntyre notes that the results have been strangely ignored by the mainstream media, and wonders if this is because Emmanuel's university - MIT- has failed to publish a press release. This is odd, because as Steve M notes, they weren't so reticent for an earlier Emmanuel paper which predicted an increase in hurricanes.

This should be a great opportunity for the BBC's Roger Harrabin to redeem his reputation by telling the world about the Emmanuel paper. Come on Roger, show us that you're not actually a mouthpiece for the green movement...... 

Comments

[Kit]

Did you watch "Gardeners World" last night? If you want an example of "mouthpiece for the green movement" that was it. Their religious devotion to Global Warming was cringe worthy.

[Bishop Hill]

Presumably it's BBC policy that every programme should promote the idea. Call me a cynic...

[GCooper]

Sadly, it's not just BBC TV. BBC R4's Gardeners' Question Time has been running a mini-series on 'climate change' for ages.

Strangely, there has been no advice on how to care for my 'hardy' hydrangea, stricken by last week's unseasonal snow, nor the countless plants I daren't yet plant out because it is so cold.

[Bishop Hill]

It's Baltic here at the moment. We did put some plants out a couple of weeks ago, and they're looking pretty miserable now.

[GCooper]

Harrabin has now posted his excuse. It's garbage, of course, but worth a read if you're in need of a chuckle.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/04/climate_change_debate.html

[Kit]

It didn't let me leave a comment. Maybe it has to be vetted by Jo Abbess first;)

[Bishop Hill]

Nope, won't let me comment either. How convenient.

[cookie]

"Climate change provokes some of the fiercest online debate ...' says true believer of 'the science is settled' camp, Roger Harrabin. But not on his watch - for, lo! there was the option to post a comment and yet the story was of such little public interest that no comments at all were forthcoming. Or so the story will go ...

[cookie]

I tried to reply to the article with the following post. Strangely enough the service was unavailable.

'Roger Harrabin, I feel that it is beyond contempt that you should write this mealy-mouthed article as a reply to being found out cow-towing to vested interests. You shame the good name of Science. You may have political reasons for being so disingenuous, but I hope that your personal integrity eventually wins through and that you overcome self-interest to be true to the higher ideal of Science. You fall woefully short at the moment.

p.s. I note at the moment that no comments at all have been made to this article. I find this extraordinary and wonder why!'

[AlanB]

According to the links from the BBC blog we were promised a solution to the (known) problem of lack of comments a year ago!!

I can see 2 possible explanations:

1) The BBC really does not want comments (in which case why doesn't it say so and save everyone's time), or

2) There is nobody there capable of doing something that would be solved on almost any other blog within hours or days, at the outside. More than a year ...??

Which is it?

Alan