Saturday
Jun262010
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill First select committee members
Jun 26, 2010 Climate: Parliament Greens Politicians The FT is reporting the first appointments to select committees. These appointments are ongoing.
The Science and Technology appointments so far are as follows (colour-coded by party):
- Andrew Miller (chairman)
- Graham Stringer
- Stephen Metcalfe
- David Morris
- Stephen Mosley
- Alok Sharma
A quick Google suggests that none of these have expressed strong opinions on climate change.
The other commitee of interest is Environmental Audit
- Joan Walley (chairman)
- Martin Caton
- Zac Goldsmith
Reader Comments (8)
Recall Graham Stringer's 'minority position' as recorded in the minutes of 24 March 2010, when the HoC Science & Tech Committee's draft report into CRU/UEA was being discussed, prior to being published.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/387/387i.pdf
(From page 52 of the report, page 54 of the PDF)
I believe Graham Stringer was the only one to ask any even remotely taxing questions at the recent Parliamentary enquiry. He displayed a decent level of understanding of the problems and of the scientific world. He has a degree in Chemistry (good chap...me., him. Mrs T :-)) and has worked as a scientist in industry.
I look forward to him making an independent and persuasive contribution. A good appointment.
In February 2010, Andrew Miller signed Early Day Motion 524: Recognising Climate Change which states that "this House agrees that climate change is happening and is man-made" and calls this statement a "fact, which has the support of the overwhelming majority of the scientific community"
Stephen Mosley's maiden commons speech was pro-nuclear thanks to the Urenco’s uranium enrichment plant based at Capenhurst in his constituency:
"Nuclear power is clean. It is a low-carbon source of electricity generation." True - but suggests he's not above jumping on the AGW bandwagon for political gain.
I should add that Stringer is not afraid to take on the established views of any subject. His suggestion that "dyslexia is a cruel fiction" invented by "the education establishment" to divert blame for illiteracy from "their eclectic and incomplete methods for instruction" did not win him any prizes with the established settled consensus in the education world. Floreat Stringer!
Zac Goldsmith is your typical poor-little-super-rich-boy.
A product of a confused childhood, Zac represents the ultimate in posh environmentalism by wearing recycled designer clothes. He also believes passionately in eating organic turnips with the silver spoon he was born with.
Since Zak is at home with turnips he will find sitting on the Environmental Audit committee with the other honourable members a breeze.
Zac Goldsmith appears to have good intentions, and he's willing to work to do what he believes to be good things, even though he has no need to work. Are you criticizing him for being born into a wealthy family? Let's wait and see if he can be persuaded by facts.
The problem is not if Zak can be persuaded by facts.
The problem is he likely already thinks he has been persuaded by facts and come to a conclusion and will do what many people do- see any question through the filter of confirmation bias.
The next time McIntyre, Spencer, Pielke, our host, etc. are brought before a panel to present information will be the first. If any of the panels to date were serious about climategate or the issues of problems with the IPCC/CAGW, they would have at the very least requested to hear from skeptics.
To date, there has not been a single serious review, much less a critical review.
Zac comes over as this year's Marie Antoinette...