Trip report
As readers have probably gathered, I have been in London for the last couple of days. The main purpose of the trip was to visit the Spectator, for the Ridley Prize for Environmental Heresy of which I'm one of the judges. The Spectator offices overlook St James' Park, so there was a certain aura of grandeur about the whole place and editor Fraser Nelson is an excellent host. Some really good essays have been submitted, and there were some very interesting discussions over an eventual winner. We didn't actually manage to reach a final conclusion but have narrowed it down to four.
The other purpose of the trip was to meet Steve McIntyre. By a stroke of good fortune he was arriving on Tuesday morning so I was able to extend my trip so we could meet. It was strange to finally meet the guy I had written a book about so long ago - we missed each other when Steve was over in 2010 because I was on holiday at the time. There was a lot to talk about though - we covered pretty much all of the IPCC reports, both Climategates, work, blogging and family. Intense, but great fun. I had suggested to Steve that a couple of hours would be enough as he was just getting off a trans-Atlantic flight. In the event we talked for well over four hours and it was only my own flight back to Edinburgh that forced us to go our separate ways.
Reader Comments (14)
Did he ever make an attempt at levity during your meet with Steve? Did you see him smile at all or was he always serious? Did he ever raise an eye brow to say "fascinating" at your attempts at levity? Is he human, is he from this planet?
Over at Pointman there voting on Climate Prat of the Year.
http://thepointman.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/announcing-the-inaugural-climate-prat-of-the-year-award/
First prize yet to be decided; so far it is between a Zimbabwean trillion dollar note and a polar bear in a bikini. Have a vote or your say on a suitable prize.
The Climate Prat of the Year list isn't nearly long enough.
Why isn't Richard Black in there?
I find it almost impossible to believe that you could have written HSI without ever meeting Steve. But I guess that's the power of the internet and modern communications nowadays.
I have trouble finding words to express my appreciation of the work of the likes of you, Steve, Ross, Anthony, Roy and John, and so many many more.
You're all gems!
sHx:
SteveMcIntyre actually has an excellent, very dry, and very British sense of humour which you can tell from his writing. An all round good egg!
Come and see Polar bears without bras ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjtrUuyAFjA&feature=fvwrel
Pointman
Bish
I am assuming that for the period of your discussions you were both surrounded by some kind of golden halo effect, a bright star hovered overhead and that travellers came from the east bearing gifts?
It is Mr McIntyre who makes me regret that Canada did away with knighthoods.
The evening I spent with Steve, Ross and Fred Pearce in Lisbon was very entertaining. Steve and Ross both have a dry wit and are excellent raconteurs. Several verbal eviscerations were performed, and alongside the main menu we enjoyed skewered Mann, kippered Jones and Diced Briffa.
I met Steve (McIntyre, get it right knucklehead) about eight years ago at the APGO where he was giving a presentation to the Toronto Geological Discussion Group on his and Ross's paper and the hockey stick. Steve is an excellent speaker. During the Q&A afterwards he managed to keep the discussion on track about the statistics of proxy temperature reconstructions.
To my ever lasting shame, when I went to shake his hand before the talk I introduced myself and called him Ross.
"It is Mr McIntyre who makes me regret that Canada did away with knighthoods." --dearieme
It's Mr. McIntyre who makes me regret that the US isn't part of Canada.
Nigel Farage Fox Business video. It's the stupid economy - Welcome to Noddyland.
"Spice Girls" mentioned.
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/021034.html
Boodles of votes for Prat of the Year should accrue to the star of this splendid video
What a splendid Monckton shirt he's wearing !
There is a maybe not-so-small irony in this.
IPCC scientists need to travel incessantly all over the world to meet, preferently to warm places, to be able to write anything.
Steve and Bish sit on two different continents in not-so-warm climates and have no problem collaborating to do the same.