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« Niceness at home and abroad | Main | E.ON to split »
Monday
Dec012014

The BBC's latest green recruit

Coinciding with the launch today of the Lima climate conference, the BBC has an article about a heatwave in Australia. The content is largely uninteresting apart from the revelation that the heatwave in question ended last week.

So why are they reporting it now? Presumably because of the Lima conference. If so it's yet another clear example of the BBC operating as a campaigning organisation on environmental matters.

As if to underline the point, the article turns out to have been written by BBC Australia editor Wendy Frew, a recent recruit who turns out to have been an environment reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald at the time of peak global warming hype back in the noughties. Her output at the time included:

  • Minchin denies climate change man-made
  • Scientist buckets climate program (a hit piece on the Great Global Warming Swindle)
  • Rich will have to help poor to save climate (puff piece for green NGO)
  • Seas could rise much more than we thought

The influence of that climate seminar lives on.

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Reader Comments (42)

What climate seminar? It never happened remember?

Mailman

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:07 AM | Unregistered CommenterMailman

Matt McGrath is on the same campaign. UN climate talks begin as global temperatures break records.
Of course they do not provide a graph of these supposedly record -breaking temperatures.

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:25 AM | Registered CommenterPaul Matthews

I'm in Melbourne. I didn't notice any bloody heat wave. One day cold the other warm. Normal for the time of year.

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:32 AM | Unregistered CommenterLevelGaze

That seminar merely built on foundations long existing , once ‘the cause ‘ had gained the status of ‘liberal good ‘ the BBC like the other cheek of the rear end the Guardian, was always going to blindly and totally support it as they do ‘anything ‘ that is awarded the ‘progressive’ label asuch has immigration. Then the very Orwellian stance is taken that it can only be good or double good ,the idea of bad is not just impossible but should be an concept that should not even exist.

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:36 AM | Unregistered Commenterknr

Some like it hot, but the 13-day stretch of weather exceeding 40C in Longreach that ended last week was some of the hottest weather in living memory for the Queensland town.

A two week heatwave in a Town situated near to desert on the Tropic of Capricorn??????

The British Broadcasting Corporation!!!!! An utter joke of a corporation.

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:40 AM | Registered CommenterLord Beaverbrook

Wendy Frew was recruited to do the usual BBC job. That is to drive the news agenda of the day. Not to report the news accurately.

BBC Global News Ltd, the world’s most trusted international news brand, is extending their local coverage in Australia by launching a dedicated Australian news service on BBC.com from October 21 and producing a series of programs called Australia Direct to air on BBC World News throughout the period of the G20 Summit.

The homepages for BBC.com and BBC News, that have been redesigned to include a new layout and video player, will be specially curated for an Australian audience, ensuring the most relevant content is prioritised across the site.

The enhanced coverage will focus on news that affects Australia on a global scale, while offering in-depth features and reports on selected local news stories. Tapping into the BBC’s extensive network of world correspondents, BBC.com will put national stories into an international context.

In addition to news, untold Australian stories on a range of topics will be commissioned for the BBC.com verticals: Future, Culture, Autos, Capital and Travel, as well as the newly launched BBC Earth.

Content from the Australian section will be accessible on BBC.comacross desktop and mobile platforms, and via the BBC News app for iPhone and Android.

BBC News has appointed Wendy Frew as Australia Editor, Online. Wendy is a former SMH journalist and Chief of Staff and her remit will be to drive the news agenda of the day and work with our global correspondents and growing team of freelancers on news features and analysis. She will be joined by another journalist who together will work with the BBC’s Sydney correspondent Jon Donnison, and regular contributors Phil Mercer and Katie Beck.

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:53 AM | Registered CommenterPhillip Bratby

Science suggests Global Warming would make people more happy. Who knew? (Apologies for unrelated comment, but I found this amusing)

"The studies suggest that exposure to physical warmth activates the concept of emotional warmth, eliciting positive reactions"
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S105774081300096X

Dec 1, 2014 at 10:13 AM | Unregistered CommenterPeter

And that's why Mann Made Global Warming (tm) would be a good thing for the UK. The sooner this place becomes an outdoor tropical paradise (along with adopting European time) the better! :)

Regards

Mailman

Dec 1, 2014 at 10:27 AM | Unregistered Commentermailman

If our climate is changing at present, then that is great.

It always has changed.

I just hope it does not get cold and kill heaps of people, animals and birds (until they are properly relocated to the equatorial regions).

Dec 1, 2014 at 11:29 AM | Unregistered Commentertoorightmate

Yes it was reported on the News on R4 this morning. As if it was world shaking and important. It is neither.
I have recently complained to the BBC about a Sue Perkins claim in her Mekong trip that the flooding problems in the delta were caised by climate change and rapidly rising sea levels. It is neither but caused by the natural process of consolidation and dewatering that every delta does. They replied with a load of newspaper reports and claims but no science. Typical BBC reply to which I intend to challenge.

Dec 1, 2014 at 11:40 AM | Unregistered CommenterJohn Marshall

Sunday's Countryfile had some bloke claiming Climate Change was causing the loss of some birds in Lancashire, who knew? a claim that was not questioned or even commented on, just slipped in to build up the picture, almost subliminally. This seems to happen a lot on the Beeb.

Dec 1, 2014 at 11:50 AM | Unregistered CommenterDannyL

I wonder if anyone is compiling a list of the more blatant and serious examples of BBC climate change propaganda which can be proved wrong by available scientific evidence.

The BBC effectively ignores complaints, though to let up on these would allow them to claim that we are all happy with their output. Newspapers rarely bother to comment on the BBC's green bias.

A well documented report on BBC excesses might actually get published. The BBC hates adverse publicity.

Dec 1, 2014 at 12:05 PM | Unregistered CommenterSchrodinger's Cat

'The influence of that climate seminar lives on.'

**************

Not in my house it doesn't; haven't paid their tw@ tax for years precisely because of this type of tomfoolery.

Dec 1, 2014 at 12:17 PM | Unregistered Commentercheshirered

From the Minchin article we got this gem of idiocy:-
"A former CSIRO climate scientist, and now head of a new sustainability institute at Monash University, Graeme Pearman, said Professor Carter was not a credible source on climate change. "If he has any evidence that [global warming over the past 100 years] is a natural variability he should publish through the peer review process," Dr Pearman said. "That is what the rest of us have to do." He said he was letting the fossil fuel industry off the hook."

Ignoring the 'one true Scotsman' fallacy...
a) You'd think if your current jobs entirely depend on the green scare you'd be aware of your own multiple conflicts of interest before discussing those of anyone else.
b) Since when in Science did the null hypothesis have to be proven? Just how do you become a climate scientist anyway - just by spelling your name right?
c) The fossil fuel industry supplies us all exactly what we demand of it. Anyone who pretends it is somehow the fault of the fossil fuel or energy industries is a sanctimonious hypocrite.
d) Meanwhile what has the Monash Sustainability institute ever done to reduce poverty, keep us warm or supply power by comparison? These people natural assume just they a superior moralistic air that they don't deserve. Some of us think the cure is worse than the disease and we have been 100% right on almost everything so far.

Dec 1, 2014 at 12:48 PM | Unregistered CommenterJamesG

Wendy Frew!!! Dear lord, one of the worst and credulous writers that the home of lost causes, the risible Sydney Morning Herald has ever spawned. Not that it makes an iota of difference to the world, but Frew's grotesque bias and lunatic embrace of the most crazed AGW ideas finally drove me to cancel my SMH subscription and the only reason I ever buy it now is when the funny needs restocking.

Dec 1, 2014 at 12:57 PM | Unregistered CommenterHoward Priory

JamesG: +1! (espeshully point (b)).

Dec 1, 2014 at 1:01 PM | Registered CommenterRadical Rodent

BBC News website:

'UN climate talks begin as global temperatures break records..'

Oh, really..? What happened to 'the pause'..?

Then of course all the delegates would have got to Lima on foot or on bicycles, presumably....

Dec 1, 2014 at 1:22 PM | Unregistered Commentersherlock1

Go back thru her Twitter history
I wrote 2 weeks ago about a report out of BBC Australia about the Brisbane G20 spun heavily on climate..both bylined reporters have history for activist reporting

Dec 1, 2014 at 1:27 PM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

Howard, you wrote, "the only reason I ever buy it [the SMH] now is when the funny needs restocking".

Did you mean 'dunny'?

Dec 1, 2014 at 1:45 PM | Unregistered CommenterDonB

Whilst on the subject of things Antipodian, get ye over to that ever brilliant Sheila - Joanne Nova.
Apparently a deranged ex chief scientist of AUS says the world will end on Thursday.
See www.Joannenova.com.au
As I am golfing at Carnoustie in the morning I hope it happens at night.

Dec 1, 2014 at 1:59 PM | Unregistered Commenterpatrick healy

The BBC also recently brought us this at BBC Worldwide*:

"How to debunk falsehoods"

My sinking feelings were confirmed as not being worst enough when I then read:

"Stephen Lewandowsky and John Cook set out to review the science on this topic.."

Words fail me.

*We are informed:
"This website is made by BBC Worldwide. BBC Worldwide is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC.) No money from the licence fee was used to create this website. Instead this website is supported by advertising outside the UK. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes"

Dec 1, 2014 at 2:12 PM | Unregistered Commentermichael hart

Had the misfortune of hearing the green clown Caroline Lucas on R4, yet again, this lunchtime. Given that UKIP has twice the number of MPs that the greens have I look forward to UKIP MPs being given an uninterrupted slot on the BBC to air their views.

As if.

Dec 1, 2014 at 2:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterSteve Jones

BBC playing Climate Change Bingo the usual.

When BBC News 24 wheel smug snooty nosed pint sized Guardian pin up boy Owen Jones discussing the David Mellor,s apology on his LBC radio show and announcing his donation to the London Taxi Driver Charity and the Emily Thorbury Tweet.

Quite Ironic him complaining politicians being smug Elitists and out of touch with the public on the BBC.

Dec 1, 2014 at 3:23 PM | Unregistered Commenterjamspid

I especially enjoyed this pair of sentences from her article:

Nine of the warmest springs on record occurred since 2002, said BoM Manager of Climate Monitoring Karl Braganza.

"Australia has been warming up by about 0.9C [a year] since 1910," Dr Braganza told the BBC.

I assume that the bracketed [a year] was added by the author.
I now have great admiration for all those Aussies, living in temperatures 100 degrees greater than their forefathers.

Dec 1, 2014 at 3:54 PM | Unregistered Commentergrant in SK

Australia warming by 0.9C per century?

Only in the contrived statistic of annual mean temperatures (mainly via warming nights), not in spring/summer maximum temperatures (best described as climate stasis), the only thing relevant to heatwaves.

Likewise, hottest year EVAH in the UK will be thanks to this years mild/wet winter and autumn.

Dec 1, 2014 at 4:12 PM | Unregistered CommenterMikky

Dec 1, 2014 at 4:12 PM | Mikky

We are NEVER going to hear the end of this year's HADCET outcome. It will be used to 'prove' everything any member of the Alarminati has ever said.

I'm praying for a very cold December.

Dec 1, 2014 at 4:48 PM | Unregistered CommenterBilly Liar

"BBC Global News Ltd, the world’s most trusted international news brand"
Dec 1, 2014 at 9:53 AM | Phillip Bratby

Guessing that's from a BBC Press release on a BBC page that, if pushed, would cite a BBC research finding?

If so, there are Marines waiting to be told allllll about it, and often, as seems the BBC's other big idea.

And what is it about 'Global News' that sounds like it's straight out of a Starship Trooper satirical 'want to find out more?' side joke.

The otherwise sublime ClassicFM subjects listeners to risible agenda-driven output from an output with the exact same name.

Dec 1, 2014 at 4:50 PM | Unregistered CommenterJunkkMale

Inter alia with a number of the posts did anyone watch the Sunday Politics local politics (south) spot yesterday? The lady conservative MP for Portsmouth (or was it Southampton?) supported by labour's John Denholm was in contention with a UKIP representative (who made all the right noises) the former insisting (nay, demanding) that the science is settled and all the usual guff about doubters being one step up from psychopathic paedophiles. Is this official conservative (and by association, labour) official party policy? If there are any conservative MP's reading Bishop Hill (which I doubt, they are not bright enough) I would like to put them on notice that performances like said lady's will cost them thousands, if not millions, of votes to UKIP.

Dec 1, 2014 at 5:00 PM | Unregistered CommenterVernon E

Yep, the proraganda war is full on here in Oz.

Today, I read that we have "sweltered" through at hot Spring. Why? because apparently temps here in Canberra have been 1.5C above the average.

You heard it here first, folks, a difference of 1.5C equals "sweltering." I still had the heater on in the mornings a couple of months ago.

BTW, do these people understand the concept of average? I learned in primary school that an average is derived from a range. Some points are higher, some lower. But it seems that in the post-normal maths world, it has a new meaning.

Dec 1, 2014 at 6:30 PM | Registered Commenterjohanna

http://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/How-to-complain.aspx

Copy and paste the link above for UK Advertizing Standards Authority its their how to complain online page.

The advert to complain is the latest WWF advert on Sky i have just seen it on Channel 179
about the penguins losing their sea ice obviously not true and the WWF don't quote their source.

Dec 1, 2014 at 6:58 PM | Unregistered Commenterjamspid

It can be done much better. This Channel 4 programme from May and repeated yesterday was a 'pleasant' surprise.
It went into real science to try to explain the upsurge in very cold weather. It used the LIA and Maunder Minimum and studied the sun though not the CLOUD and SKY experiments. It said that perhaps we could get another LIA. The programme mentioned the powerful forces affecting the weather but said we had to look beyond the atmosphere.

I just knew they would have to mention AGW somewhere and it came in the last minute just before finishing off by saying it was impossible to predict. A quite refreshing honest programme.

If only the BBC would do something like this.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/britains-most-extreme-weather

Dec 1, 2014 at 7:01 PM | Unregistered CommenterMargaret Smith

Good point, Johanna (6:30 PM). How we must suffer in the UK in summer, when the temperatures can be several degrees above the average, not just a mere 1.5! No wonder we are being told to be so afraid!

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:07 PM | Registered CommenterRadical Rodent

I'm almost cleaned out of pejorative adjectives to describe the BBC's carnival of antics when it comes to AGW / eco-advocacy.

It's ear-wormery, drip-drip mendacious propagandising masquerading as honest reportage pumped out by a bunch of shallow, snide, preening and mostly sly overpaid goons. I stopped paying to be tormented years ago.

Public service broadcasting at its finest eh?

Dec 1, 2014 at 9:37 PM | Registered Commentertomo

The heatwave was caused by a trough pulling warm air from northern Queensland down onto Brisbane. Who says so? The Bureau of Meteorology. Sound perfectly natural cause to me.

And go back 13 months to some large bushfires in NSW in October 2013. "It's due to global warming!", they cried. During October this year some places near Sydney that suffered bushfires in 2013 had snow and sleet fall. It's weather, it varies, get used to it Madam Frew.

Dec 2, 2014 at 1:37 AM | Unregistered CommenterJohn McLean

On average it's not looking to bad up in Longreach, but, due no doubt to the scrapping of the carbon tax, some serious heat seems to be emanating from Canberra:

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=maxanom&period=3month&area=nat

Dec 2, 2014 at 2:46 AM | Unregistered CommenterBernieL

What heatwave in Australia? I'm in Brisbane, we always get a few hot dry days in spring due to the position of the pressure highs. Once the highs are displaced and the moist warm air comes in from the north, we get summer storms ... had a cracker last week with hail that trashed my wife's car ... all over in a matter of minutes and centered over the biggest UHI ... the city area.

Dec 2, 2014 at 2:50 AM | Unregistered CommenterStreetcred

Streetcred - I'm in Brisbane too. It was a cracker storm wasn't it? Two inches of rain in about 15 minutes. Probably much more but the hailstones were too big to fit in my rain gauge.

We were in the beer garden at the local boozer watching car windows getting smashed and cars written off in the car park. Those that couldn't get them under cover. The owners will probably put claims in against climate deniers and their financiers - (insert fossil fuel/tobacco/fascist think-tank companies of choice here)

Dec 2, 2014 at 9:33 AM | Registered CommenterGrantB

I'm getting really fed up with these scurrilous attacks on the professional integrity and impartiality of BBC reporters and reporting.
Show me the evidence!

Dec 2, 2014 at 1:40 PM | Unregistered CommenterBBC Jizzweasel

Another BBC logical inconsistency.. on the Evan Davies Bottomline program the young expert Joss Langford from the New Business Startup advice agency said something like "we have people working on harvesting the lost energy from shock absorbers this will DOUBLE EVEN TRIPLE THE MILEAGE we can get".. you'd think ED and people in the studio would have a duty to challenge such wild assertions .
but no one did ... it was just allowed to enter the minds of the public as if was some truth.

@Jizzweasel - the lazy trick of PLAYING THE VICTIM isn't going to work here mate ..plenty of evidence of certain BBC Eco-warrior staff systematically misleading the public has already been shown

Dec 3, 2014 at 6:30 AM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

BBC in full propaganda mode this morning with Harrabin peddling the CET hottest year EVAH meme. It's the result of 'weird weather' apparently. I wonder whether it has anything to do with Lima,

Dec 3, 2014 at 9:07 AM | Unregistered CommenterRousseau

The BBC is the new Pravda. Time to defund it. It is not a public service and tax revenue is desperately needed elsewhere.

Dec 3, 2014 at 10:11 AM | Unregistered CommenterCeetee

Re Dec 2, 2014 at 1:40 PM | Unregistered CommenterBBC Jizzweasel

Quite apparent to any impartial viewers but also well documented at this site

ttp://biasedbbc.org

Dec 4, 2014 at 1:06 PM | Unregistered CommenterMarion

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