Bishop Hill GLOBE - a vehicle for avoiding FoI
Mar 24, 2010 Climate: Oxburgh Reader, Cumbrian Lad, has been doing a sterling job researching the GLOBE organisation mentioned in earlier postings today, and which counts Lord Oxburgh as a director. It was a bit of an oversight for Lord O not to mention this, as GLOBE turns out to be quite an interesting body.
GLOBE's corporate structure and funding are not clear from its website, but Cumbrian Lad has discovered that it is a private limited company. Interesting that - an organisation of legislators, run as a private company. He has also obtained copies of its accounts and other information from Companies House.
GLOBE was incorporated in 2006, the founding directors all being British legislators - Malcolm Bruce MP (LibDem), Joan Ruddock MP (Lab) and Nick Hurd (Con), with the last directorship being held by Lord Hunt. Since that time, Joan Ruddock has stood down and Lord Oxburgh and Eliot Morley MP (Lab) have been appointed to the board.
The current accounts are all abbreviated, which means there is very little detail about the income and expenditure of the company, but for some reason 2007 was filed in full, revealing an income of £820k, almost double that of the previous year, and all of which was spent on administrative expenses.
The company's Memorandum of Incorporation includes this interesting snippet about its purposes:
"To provide a forum for ideas and proposals to be floated in confidence and without the attention of an international spotlight". (emphasis added)
The 2007 accounts also refer to creating "a forum for legislators and business leaders to discuss the 2012 climate agreement, illegal logging and related issues". I'm not sure what the reference to 2012 concerns.
And who is paying for all this? There's a note in the 2008 accounts which explains:
The Directors acknowledge the support of International Organisations, Governments, Parliamentary Bodies and Industry, both financially and politically, with paticular acknowledgement to United Nations, The Global Environment Facility, The World Bank, European Commission, the Governments of Canada and Great Britain, the Senate of Brazil and Globe Japan.
My reading of all this would be that GLOBE is a vehicle to enable legislators to avoid the scrutiny of their electorates - the date of incorporation is probably instructive, coming just after the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act.
It's no wonder Lord Oxburgh didn't want to mention it on his CV.
Reader Comments (52)
Mr Morley of course is one the MPs currently on trial for expenses fraud. I wonder if a conviction would disqualify him as a company director?
A quick review of Canada's Public Accounts does not reveal overt references to any funding for GLOBE (Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment). Could be buried elsewhere, but it would require an FOI-type (ATIP - Access to Information) request to confirm.
Jeez, I'm away for a week and a new sh*t storm has hit the fan! I thought things were petering out and now look at it, secret organisations uncovered...Globe ...SPECTRE by another name? I'm beginning to wonder if David Icke was right all along. We ARE all being controlled by a bunch of lizards...after all wouldn't a lizard want the temperature of the planet to rise ...hehehehehhe
"An organisation of legislators, run as a private company."
That sounds just like ACPO.....
A company limited by guarantee ... standard format for these types of operation.
I would guess that's about when Kyoto runs out. There has to be a replacement "2012 climate agreement" in place by then to keep justifying the carbon markets.
It's been known about for centuries: "a company for carrying on an undertaking of great advantage, but no one to know what it is."
That was exactly my first thought. There is even the bit where Dr Evil explains the whole shady plot right there in the articles of incorporation.
But remember folks, it's not a conspiracy. Or if it is, much of the plant and animal kingdom, the arctic, and glaciers, are all in on it - not to mention scientists that have been dead for more than 100 years. Boy they are going to be mad as hell when they find out.
Dr. Evil: Okay no problem. Here's my second plan. Back in the 60's, I had a weather changing machine that was, in essence, a sophisticated heat beam which we called a "laser." Using these "lasers," we punch a hole in the protective layer around the Earth, which we scientists call the "Ozone Layer." Slowly but surely, ultraviolet rays would pour in, increasing the risk of skin cancer. That is unless the world pays us a hefty ransom.
Number Two: [pause] That also already has happened.
I don't think that Ltd companies are subject to FoI requests - only govt bodies are. However, Ltd companies are subject to the Data Protection Act, such as Subject Access Requests.
The reference to 2012 might be something to do with the Kyoto successor.
Good grief, again. Clearly, I'm in the wrong business.
820K donated by the world's taxpayers without their knowledge, for some woolly forum provision. SPECTRE, SMERSH. Next Cumbrian Lad will uncover the evil hand of, er, Dr Evil.
This is starting to look like some sort of giant conspiracy. Oh, I forgot, it has looked like that for some time, but we can't say that as we'll be labelled lunatics by Fiona from the FT and Climate Expert Bob Ward from the LSE.
So trusting Frank. By the way, did I mention I have a lovely bridge I think you'd like to buy?
Me, I count the spoons.
But have you seen who is listed as their International President and Chairman of the Board?
Frank congrats, you got there with Dr E before me!
But I disagree most respectfully with you as usual on the rest of your post.
AQ42, is it...Dr Evil? or Telly Savaloy?
Using Web Archive you can explore how the GLOBE international website has changed over the years. This example in particular sets out just what we're up against.
I wonder why it moved from the US.
Lord Oxburgh appointed to board March 10, 2008.
Elliot Morley left the board on June 4, 2009, probably resulting from the debacle over his 'expenses'.
Stephen Byers was appointed September 25, 2009.
Current directors:
Stephen Byers MP (President and Chairman of the Board)
Lord E. Ronald Oxburgh
Lord Julian Hunt
Malcolm Bruce MP
Nicholas Hurd MP
Vice-President: Graham Stuart MP
Lord Julian Hunt is a climate modeller, former head of the Met Office, and an Honorary Graduate and Honorary Doctor of Science, University of East Anglia.
Does this US Senate lobbying chit mean GLOBE received $40,000 or GLOBE spent $40,000? I think it's the latter.
Assuming the currency is £ GLOBE received £80,000 from DfID as
Page six of this Global Environment Facility report describes GLOBE as
They also have Zennstrom Philanthropies giving them money.
It's amazing what you turn up on a random search, in this case '2012 climate agreement'.
The most convincing leadership that the EU can show is concrete and determined action to become the most climate friendly region in the world. This is in the EU's self-interest. The Europe 2020 Strategy has defined sustainable growth – promoting a more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy – as a priority at the heart of the vision for a resource-efficient future for Europe, creating new green jobs and boosting energy efficiency and security.
The Commission will outline a pathway for the EU's transition to a low carbon economy by 2050, to achieve the EU agreed objective to reduce emissions by 80-95%, as part of the developed countries' contribution to reducing global emissions by at least 50% below 1990 levels in 20506. The EU is committed to a 20% emission reduction below 1990 levels in 2020, and to moving to 30% if the conditions are right. Ahead of the June European Council, the Commission will therefore prepare an analysis of what practical policies would be required to implement a 30% reduction. The Commission will thereafter develop an analysis of milestones on the pathway to 2050, including the necessary scenarios of the ambition level for 2030 reflecting the contributions from key emitting sectors, including energy production and consumption, and transport, and set out appropriate strategies for these sectors consistent with the EU 2020 strategy. The goal is to come with intelligent solutions that benefit not only climate change, but also energy security and job creation in our efforts to decarbonise the economy.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/pdf/com_2010_86.pdf
Communication from the European commission 09/03/2010.
EU agreed objective to reduce emissions by 80-95%, your having a laugh!
Drew, Frank: Sorry, I've not tracked down Dr Evil yet, but will Dr Death do for the moment?
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2010/03/sustainable-bbc.html
about halfway down :)
Frank,
Been too long in the tanning booth, have ye lad? Either that or you ought to lay off the Kool aid.
Still waiting on your brilliant rebuttal of VS.
Here's a nice little brochure from 2006 in which Oxburgh states:
‘We are as certain as we can be that by
burning fossil fuels we are turning a benign natural
phenomenon – the greenhouse effect that makes
the earth warm enough for us to inhabit – in to a
seriously dangerous one by trapping so much heat
that sea level rises and the world climate becomes
wild and unpredictable.’
You'll find this quote on page 14, right next to the picture of Oxburgh and ... wait, who's that? Why its Trevor Davies. Phil must have been away when the photo shoot happened.
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni/arches/archive/documents/Arches7.pdf
http://www.missglobe-international.org/2009/about.html
I don't think this is Joan Ruddock....
Funny how they always give prizes and awards to each other. This one must be in anticipation.
http://copenhagen.globeinternational.org/news/default.aspx
UK Prime Minister Brown Presents Mexican President Calderon with the GLOBE Award for International Leadership on the Environment
17/12/09
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented the GLOBE International Award for International Leadership on the Environment to Mexican President Felipe Calderon on behalf of the 120 legislators from the major economies who participated in the GLOBE International Legislators' Forum in Copenhagen on 24-25 October.
My letter of protest went to Jim Prentice, Environment Minister of Canada, demanding Canadian funding of this corrupt cabal be stopped.
"Their objective is to urge effective action by governments and private sector leaders. "
Yet another case of governments paying third parties to badger those same governments into action! But they usually do this with organisations who are going to mouth off in public to give the false impression that the plebs are demanding action. That may be mendacious but at least it makes a twisted sense.
This lot aren't going to say "boo" in public, so that reason doesn't apply. Even with "private sector leaders" surely direct arm-twisting by the government would have more effect than any greasing from this shabby bunch. Can't governments arrange their own meetings?
So why throw money down this particular toilet? What am I missing? Is it just that governments can't bear to spend taxes on, say, hospitals while ever there's a sleazeball with his hand out?
Surely it just come down to the facts:
a) There is a clear political mainstream opinion on this subject
b) There is a clear political mainstream opinion on this subject which can't be investigated by anyone outside the clear political mainstream of the subject.
You know? Just like the rest of science.
"EU agreed objective to reduce emissions by 80-95%, your having a laugh!
March 24, 2010 | Lord BeaverBrook "
"Lord, forgive them, because they know not what they [try to] do"!
I'm not religious, but he seemed to be speaking sense on that occasion.
like Globe, remember the US push for a CO2 Bubble involves all political groups - in the US a Dem, a Republican and an Independent. Globe might be shut down within days after the exposure here, keep it up. however, the CO2 Bubble scammers are getting desperate, so we need to spread the news far and wide ASAP:
AlohaAnalyticsBlog: Details of Climate Bill in U.S. Senate Trickle Out
Sen. Lieberman explained...the first draft of the planned bill, to be written during Congress’s two-week recess that begins on March 29. Sen. Kerry reinforced the group’s accelerated timetable, saying, “we have some really key meetings in the next few days . . . we have a lot of work to do in the next 48 hours.”...
http://alohaanalytics.blogspot.com/2010/03/details-of-climate-bill-trickle-out.html
24 March: Wall St Journal: Europe's Cap-and-Trade Lesson
Market-based environmentalism, or a boondoggle?
Having at last fixed America's health-care system once and for all—or maybe not—Congressional Democrats are promising to apply themselves to the task of imposing legislative curbs on carbon. So it's a good time to see how a prototype cap-and-trade scheme, the European Union's Emission Trading System, is faring. So far, not so good...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704896104575139673240771564.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
The implications of this are breathtaking. I don't suppose that there is any evidence that GLOBE has lobbied Parliament? Or the U.S. Congress?
Yer Grace
The reference to 2012 may be this that I found on
http://groups.google.com/group/globalchange/browse_thread/thread/c4b6451940a21e27
"The UK has successfully bid to host a major international science
conference in 2012. The London conference, Planet Under Pressure: new
knowledge towards solutions, aims to attract 2500 of the world's
leading thinkers on global-change research.
The four-day conference is sponsored by the International Council for
Science's (ICSU) global environmental change research programmes. It
will bring together natural, physical and social scientists, together
with economists. It will also involve engineers, health specialists
and many others disciplines, plus with national and international
policymakers, industry representatives, technologists, NGOs and
development experts.
More info: www.igbp.net
Owen Gaffney
Director of communications
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) Secretariat
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Box 50005, SE-104 05 Stockholm
Sweden"
I found the information on the 2012 conference by looking at the James Annan link that Frank O posted on the More Peer Review Gatekeeping thread.
Lord O' forgot to mention Globe in his submission regarding Members Interests.
- Another oversight?
SDCS
Ahhh, Theregister got there first!
Sorry for the above duplication.
SDCS
Post 2012……..maybe:-
The G8 Presidency is taken on by each country in turn, which works to define the topics to be placed on the agenda and the priorities for action, and to identify the fresh goals and sectors of intervention.
The Presidency rotates in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada.
It seems to me that it was Italy 2009 and post 2012 it is good old blighty holding the reins.
Colleague of Nick Stern at LSE and an advisor with him at Idea Carbon is Sam Fankhauser, Chief Economist at Globe International. He also happens to be on the Climate Change committee and sub-committee for mitigation. This lot have taken vested interest to new levels.
http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Fankhauser_Samuel_95944504.aspx
Dr. Sam Fankhauser
...
Dr. Sam Fankhauser Dr. Samuel Fankhauser is a Principal Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics. He also serves as Chief Economist at Globe International, the international legislator forum. Previously, Sam worked at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he rose to Deputy Chief Economist and was responsible for the Bank's policy studies programme.
He has worked on climate change issues at the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank and served on the 1995, 2001 and 2007 assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In 2007/08, he was Managing Director at IDEAcarbon Strategic. Sam's research interests include carbon markets, the economics of adaptation and the social costs of climate change. A UK and Swiss national, Sam studied economics at the University of Berne, the London School of Economics and University College London.
Re Robert Phelan: I don't suppose that there is any evidence that GLOBE has lobbied Parliament? Or the U.S. Congress?
I guess there might be.....
http://www.globeinternational.org/content.php?id=2:8:0:840:0
US Senator Barack Obama’s Keynote statement to the GLOBE Tokyo Legislations Forum, 28 June 2008
http://www.globeinternational.org/content.php?id=2:8:0:0:30
11/10/08 US Senator John McCain's keynote address to the GLOBE Tokyo Legislations Forum, 28 June 2008
http://blogcabin.boston.com/mt-search.fcgi?tag=Edward%20Markey&blog_id=74&MaxResults=20
Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, a main author of the climate change bill the House passed this summer, announced today that he will go to Copenhagen this weekend for talks in advance of the major global summit in December.
"Markey will meet with other legislators from around the world as part of GLOBE International (Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment) to discuss how other countries are progressing towards creating an effective and fair international climate agreement," his office said.
http://www.globeinternational.org/content.php?id=2:8:0:197:54
Senior Legislators from G-8 and Emerging Economies Converge on Capitol Hill to Address Climate Change
High level bi-partisan group of US Senators to participate
Media Briefing held on January 22nd 2007
International senior legislators from across the G-8 and key emerging economies (China, India, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil) will convene in the US Congress for the Legislators Forum on Climate Change and Energy Security on February 14 – 15, 2007. The legislators will be joined by some of the world’s key business leaders, international development institutions, as well as global civil society organizations. Key Democratic and Republican US Senators will participate over the two days. The Forum will negotiate a consensus statement to be presented to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, who holds the G-8 Presidency this year.
The Conference – organized by the Global Legislators for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE – www.globeinternational.org) and COM+: Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development (www.complusalliance.org) – will feature US Senators Biden, Bingaman, Boxer, Craig, Lieberman, and McCain, among others.
Other keynote speakers will include Angela Merkel, German Chancellor (by video); Sir Nicholas Stern, from the UK Treasury; Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank; Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group; Jim Rogers, President and CEO of Duke Energy; Valli Moosa, President of the World Conservation Union (IUCN); Ms Yuriko Koike, National Security Advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister; Rt Hon David Miliband MP, UK Secretary of State for Environment; and Rahul Gandhi MP, Member of Indian Parliament Congress Party.
A media briefing was held on January 22nd at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on the objectives and specific press arrangements of the February conference. Speakers in the briefing included:
Rt Hon Elliot Morley MP – President of GLOBE International & UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative to the Gleneagles Dialogue
Mr. Otaviano Canuto – World Bank Executive Director for Brazil, member of the Board of Advisors of G-8 & Plus-5 Legislators Dialogue on Climate Change
Mr. Adam Mathews – Secretary General of GLOBE International & Forum coordinator
Lord Michael Jay – Former Head of UK Foreign Office
Morley is on trial for expenses fraud, and Byers has just been filmed boasting about how his services can be bought, 'like a cab for hire.' Curious, isn't it, how GLOBE keep picking dodgy MPs.
It's so easy to walk around the FOI Act if you are a crook.
That's why organisations subject to the FOI Act should be defined to include organisations whose funding is at least partly supplied by government grants - that is, excluding organisations bona fide contracting with the government.
Drew:
"This is starting to look like some sort of giant conspiracy. Oh, I forgot, it has looked like that for some time, but we can't say that as we'll be labelled lunatics by Fiona from the FT and Climate Expert Bob Ward from the LSE."
GLOBE is obviously, by definition, a bona fide conspiracy.
You can not be called a "conspiracy theorist" but you can be called a "conspiracy factoist".
confused wrote
quote I'm beginning to wonder if David Icke was right all along. We ARE all being controlled by a bunch of lizards... unquote
Look, I can't tell you where I got this transcript. Spread it quickly. I don't expect I'll be around for long,not when they know I'm on to him. Him, you know, the head reptile. Spread it quickly but don't let them know your name. They have spies everywhere.
Transcript follows:
The Indoctrination Room is dark and hot, a steamy heat that makes the Mayor's hair flop lank and wet across his forehead. He flips his sagging fringe sideways with a sweating finger. The figure behind the desk is sitting with its back to the window, silhouetted against the only light.
"Johnson." There is a curious sibilance to the voice. "Johnson. It is time you learned the truth. You must kneel."
"When you say kneel, well, that's a bit much, I mean, Her Majesty, I'd kneel for her, but, really, you see, anyone else, that's problematic, I don't know who you are and, I ask you, why should I kneel, I mean, free country and all that, must is not a word for princes, you know," burbles our hero.
"Kneel!" hisses the voice with a concentrated venom that makes Boris step back a pace.
"Oh, cripes, I mean, really, lumme, if it means so much to you, common politeness, your office, when in Rome etc".,. Boris kneels and looks around. The room is full of plants, crassulas, palm, a banana tree..
"Do you like our plants? They say you can tell who we are by the plants in our offices."
"Jolly nice, really, very nice..."
It ignores him.
"They remove carbon dioxide when I turn the lights up full. This room is normally at 250 ppm, the optimum. Any less and the plants fail to thrive. Any more...." A hiss. "Do you know anything about reptilian respiration?"
"Oh, science, well, not much, more artistic, I mean stinks and bilge, that was for the scholarship boys, no-one took it seriously, you can always hire an oik if you need to know any science..."
"Higher reptiles are very poor at tolerating elevated carbon dioxide levels. We.... They become sluggish, their finely tuned brains close down, they become prey to lesser animals, fish, birds.... Humans. In a world with high CO2 levels, we become prey, not the... predator. More than 400 ppm cannot be allowed if we are to rule."
"Go on."
The figure begins to move, not a walk, not a stand up and walk. A slither. It moves towards him with a silent smooth rush. The light increased, became blinding. "Oh my lord," says Boris.
It does not smile: reptilian lips do not move and reptilian eyes are black and dead, but there is an air of amusement about the way it tilts its head and looks down on him.
"No need for that, Boris. Let's not be formal. In private you can call me Peter."
JF
Thanks for the conspiratorial confirmation John Silver
Nothing says public sector fraud like public sector members needing private corporations.
I hope you are able to get to the bottom of this muy pronto.
March 25, 2010 | DennisA
Thank you.
Great to know that legislators from all parties are colluding under the guise of a hush-hush backroom business. So if you live in the UK, you are pretty much guaranteed that any concept of "Political Parties" is a fraud, as is the idea that anyone is representing YOUR ideals and proposals.
Clearly the UK political system is just as crappy as its universities, cars and food...
I always liked Doctor Doom, myself. He had his own eastern European country full of peasants and hench-persons. How cool is that?
According to this website, Al Gore was International President of Globe form
1990-1993:
GLOBE International Presidents [4]
1989 - 1990 USA - Member of the US Congress, Congressman James Scheuer
1990 - 1993 USA - Member of the US Senate, Senator Al Gore Jr.
1993 - 1996 Japan - Member of the Japanese Diet, Representative Takashi Kosugi
1996 - 1999 European Parliament - Member of the European Parliament, Tom Spencer MEP
1999 - 2002 Japan - Member of the Japanese Diet, Representative Akiko Domoto
2002 - 2005 USA - Member of the US Congress, Congressman James Greenwood
2005 - 2006 United Kingdom - Member of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce MP
2006 - to date United Kingdom - Rt Hon Elliot Morley MP, UK Prime Minister's Special
Representative at Gleneagles Dialogue
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=GLOBE_International
This is a link to GLOBE's website on their history:
http://www.globeinternational.org/content.php?id=1:1:0:0:0
This is a link to GLOBE Europe
http://www.globe-europe.eu/index.php/members
Very strange organization.
JF - too much!! Thank goodness I'd delayed the coffee :)
Astroturfing for the job they're supposed to be doing, and conducting the investigation into their own misdeeds. Amazing!
This kind of stuff is going push me from libertarian to straight up anarchist. When does the revolution start?
Has anybody here played the game Deus Ex?
Does the bi-annual conference Globe 2010 fit into this? It is held this or next week in Vancouver.