- Bishop Hill blog

The Science and Technology Committee have published the submissions of evidence to their inquiry on "Climate: Public understanding and policy implications". Readers are cordially invited to leave details of any interesting contributions in the comments.

Amusingly, the witnesses who are going to provide oral evidence to the inquiry are:

Dr Catherine Happer, Glasgow University Media Group, Professor Greg Philo, Glasgow University Media Group and Tom Sheldon, Senior Press Officer, Science Media Centre.

The Glasgow University Media Group is a very strange choice as the source of witnesses. Apparently they have been characterised as "a band of Marxist conspiracy theorists". And if you search their website for the words "climate change" or "global warming" you discover that they have never actually done any work in the area at all. I'm intrigued to know how they came to be invited, since they don't seem to have submitted any written evidence.[Update: it's there now. Maybe I missed it.]

I think it's fair to say that the inquiry is a bit of charade.

Update on Jun 12, 2013 by

Bishop Hill

From Catherine Happer's bio:

Dr Catherine Happer was awarded a First in Sociology from the University of Glasgow and the Adam Smith prize as the top student of her year, then went on to complete a PhD in communications from Lancaster University. She then worked in the BBC audience research department and later as a Television Researcher/Assistant Producer before returning to the University of Glasgow as Research Associate at the Glasgow University Media Group. She is currently co-authoring a book with Professor Greg Philo called Communicating Climate Change and Energy Security: New Methods in Understanding Audiences, to be published in 2013.

Update on Jun 12, 2013 by

Bishop Hill

They are conspiracy theorists! From their submission to the commitee:

There is evidence that...sceptics are a well organised and well funded group with the aim of discrediting climate science and downplaying the need for action.