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Jul 17, 2010 Greens While looking for something else, I came across this, which is the list of names submitted by the British government to the IPCC for consideration as authors of the Fifth Assessment Report. One entry caught my eye. I noticed it because instead of the usual affiliation details - University of this, Department of that - it said:
University of Birmingham / Do It Yourself Non Governmental Organisation (DIYNGO)
Huh?
The affiliation belongs to one Dr Timothy Barker, who looks to be something of a character. For example, he has written two books. I particularly liked the look of Third Space:
Third space is a region in-between the accepted norms of 'here' and 'there'; a space where all can come to rejoice in the beauty of diversity in a spirit of understanding, peace and unity. Learn how to divorce yourself and your community from the historical 'baggage' that has prevented you embracing the future. Overcome your prejudices and all those preconceived ideologies that hamper true 'progress'. Embrace the Twenty First Century.
He also has a respectable list of academic publications. A few titles will give you a flavour...
- Searching for the Ghost in the Capitalist Machine: The Utilisation of Financial Mechanisms to Fund Information Communication Technologies for Development.
- 'Big Chief': The Utilisation of Model Building for the Design of Science Education for Sustainable Development Games.
- Truth and Transferability: Discovering Physical Science Educational Realities.
- Contextualisation of Virtual Learning in the Global Marketplace
And DIYNGO? Well, their website is here. As it says:
DIYNGO stands for “Do It Yourself Non Governmental Organisation”. We are an NGO (currently a voluntary organisation) who create an awareness of the usefulness of renewable technologies, e.g. wind and solar power. Specifically, we are interested in using this renewable energy to power a range of computing devices, from Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs or ’smartphones’) to Personal Computers (notably so-called ‘netbooks’). To this end we currently have two renewable energy ‘products’ which are in the final stages of prototyping: SOL-1 and SWIM-1. Additionally, we have written software to help people make decisions about the most appropriate renewable energy/ICT solution.
So what do you think? This is clearly one of our top academics. So should he be coordinating lead author or just lead author? Actually I can't find his name on the published list of AR5 authors at all, so regrettably it looks as if the IPCC did not recognise our man's talent.
Oddly, I can't find any information about Dr Barker on the Birmingham University Staff page either.
It's all very strange. I wonder how people get onto the British government list?
Reader Comments (24)
There's no shortage of topics to agitate our MP's for a parliamentary question, thats for sure.
Remember Jimmy Edwards? Chiselbury School ? What was that show called again?
Probably related to the Australian Dingo - amongst other things it eats babies
Whacko!
http://www.open.ac.uk/picetl/about/who/leicester/
Timothy Leary lives!
Just Whackoed Wikki, nothing at all and then I got that Eureka moment!
I Goggled Google.
According to the Chiselbury Chronicles, the only acceptable splicing was that done by gentlemen before noon and always involved alcohol. Anything else was clearly defined as being deserving of a damn*d good thrashing!
God rest Jimmy Edwards, his core values were unimpeachable notwithstanding that his bark was always worse than his bite!
RIP.
I have a suggestion to all UK residents who may read this.
I suggest that you forward the link to the list, plus the biography
to the relevant governmental minister.
Ditto to any minister who has not been drinking the coolaid.
The whole department should be subject to a detailed enquiry.
These are the people trying to shape your future.
It needs to be completley cleaned out and replaced by thinking people.
This is not a joke!
Much Birmingham on Geoffrey "where's _my_ peerage" Boulton's CV:
B.Sc. in Geology with 1st class honours, 1962 (Birmingham)
Ph.D. Geology, 1967 (Birmingham)
D.Sc. Geology, 1980 (Birmingham)
I wonder if Geoffrey and Timothy could be chums?
As I understand it, the UK government send out a call for volunteers and passed the list, unvetted, to the IPCC. The probable reason is that any selection by the UK would be open to scrutiny whereas the IPCC does these things behind closed doors.
Bish, certainly strange indeed....
but what specialty does Dr Tim represent?
Address lookup
canonical name diyngo.org.
aliases
addresses 173.201.144.128
Domain Whois record
Queried whois.publicinterestregistry.net with "diyngo.org"...
Domain ID:D149283563-LROR
Domain Name:DIYNGO.ORG
Created On:01-Oct-2007 12:40:39 UTC
Last Updated On:09-Dec-2009 15:11:06 UTC
Expiration Date:01-Oct-2010 12:40:39 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, Inc. (R91-LROR)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:CR33933476
Registrant Name:Timothy Barker
<snip>
Registrant Email:tim@timbarker.org
leading to www.timbarker.org
Apologies as I fear i may have just lowered the tone of the comments to follow.....
In my circle...... DiY usually refers to a masturbator.
It comes as no surprise that they can be found in NGO's
The Dingo Ate Your Baby
"Remember Jimmy Edwards?" Oh yes, I remember the episode where he explained that he'd ordered "Socrates" by Pali Ali. Not 50 crates of Pale Ale.
Why do I think that the "2000 top climate scientists(tm)" probably include a whole heap of these "colourful characters"?
Now that the pro-AGW side has started an ad-hominem witchhunt against the sceptics, perhaps it might be entertaining if someone returned the favour.
leading to www.timbarker.org
Apologies as I fear i may have just lowered the tone of the comments to follow.....
Yes indeed, how does a guy from Birmingham University end up hosting a website in Italian on Erectile Dysfunction.
Fran: "I may have just lowered the tone of the comments to follow"
Surely the intent is to elevate [the tone]? Or at least to hide the decline.
...and yes, sadly, you have been proven correct. Apologies.
Andrew
"I wonder how people get onto the British government list?"
I can only echo my comment on another posting:-
With malice aforethought!
Actually this parallels the action of the Government (and the last bunch. And the merry team before them) when selecting scientific advisors. Maggie Thatcher (sorry, NOT a fan) appointed John Houghton and Crispin Tickell, possibly as part of her plan to stuff the coal industry. At least she could claim to be a scientist but since then and up to the present there have been no leaders (and few MPs) who would be confident in identifying what is oxygen hydride, let alone having any idea about the second law of thermodynamics, for example.
And as dreary a list as might be imagined, of AGW True Believers have been appointed as scientific advisors (and one suspects, eased via the back door into key positions in the Royal Society, other Institutions, the EA and other assorted Quangos).
So what kind of advice to they listen to, I wonder?
Martin Brumby
Dihydrogen Monoxide -- one should be precise. Technically, you can loosely use "oxygen hydride" to refer to hydrogen peroxide. Let us not confuse the poor chaps any more than necessary. :)
I posted this somewhere in here when The Bishop was away. The person who "nominates" British authors to the IPCC is a level 6 Higher Scientific Officer at the DECC. I am currently trying to get his name so that I can ask the same questions you are asking.
Following on from the above, this is the response I got to an FOI request
Dear Mr Brooks
Thank you for your email of 14th June where you requested information about job descriptions of employees within DECC and briefings to the minister responsible for the running of DECC, relating to keeping up to date with and/or understanding IPCC assessment reports.
The information you requested is below.
For the first part of your request, there are two officials whose work objectives contain responsibilities related to the IPCC, although they don’t explicitly make reference to keeping up to date with and/or understanding the most recent assessment reports.
There is a grade 6 official with the following objectives relating to the IPCC:
1. Lead the UK’s participation in the IPCC. a) Lead UK delegation to IPCC plenary meetings and attend Bureau meetings, providing a clear UK line on IPCC matters.
b) Nominate lead authors for the special report on extremes, and develop an open process for nomination of UK authors.
c) Nominate authors for AR5.
d) Contribute to developing the scope of the AR5 and agree scope of the AR5.
e) Agree special reports i) on ocean acidification and ii) an interim report on new science since AR4.
f) Contribute to ongoing process on the future of the IPCC and to review of election procedures.
g) Provide support for the vice chair from the UK’s input to the IPCC as a Bureau member.
h) Maintain the Data Distribution Centre as the UK’s contribution to the AR5 in consultation with Defra.
i) Make officially approved UK contribution to IPCC Trust Fund.
There is also the short line in the grade 6 job description of: To manage the UK’s participation in the IPCC and lead the UK delegation to the IPCC.
The second Official is a Higher Scientific Officer with the following objectives related to the IPCC:
1A) The day to day management of the UK’s effective involvement in the IPCC, including preparation of author nominations for IPCC reports handling of UK technical inputs to the IPCC, financing and preparation of briefs on the IPCC products and processes.
1A) Set up web-pages on the DECC website for the IPCC process and for nominations. Advertise the nominations as widely as possible, collect up nominations and put them through a vetting process. Submit nominations to the IPCC. Also to put together the UK views on subjects to be included in, and structuring of the 5th Assessment Report. To co-ordinate the UK’s financing of a planning meeting for the Special Report on Renewables, voluntary contribution to the IPCC trust Fund and for the UK – IPCC bureau member – to handle expenses requests for participants in all reports. To attend the 31st session of the IPCC in Bali.
In response to the second part of your request, we hold no information on this, as the ministers responsible for running DECC, who came to office in May 2010, have not been given any brief relating to keeping up to date with and/or understanding the most recent assessment reports by the IPCC.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to the Department.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
Nafees Meah
Head of Science, Climate, Energy, Science and Analysis.
Interesting that 'ocean acidification' is mentioned in the Grade 6's job description. Reckon that must be the fall back position when 'warming due to CO2' goes for a ball of chalk (or sequestered CO2 as we call it).
In terms of Ocean acidification ; one wonders how any sea life made it this far since current CO2 levels are not far above an historic low point and also not that far above the level at which suface vegetation is unable to survive.
The "Green" movement is full of cranks, fakes and snake-oil salesmen. Many of them claim a PhD in Organic Basket Weaving and Crystal Healing from Mickey Mouse University, or the equivalent, and they are all experts on the science of climate change.