Thursday
Jun192014
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill All change for Lords SciTech
Jun 19, 2014 Climate: Parliament Matt Ridley The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has had some personnel changes. The reliably AGW-consensus figure of Lord Krebs has stepped down, along with Lord Perry. Viscount Ridley and Lord Hennessy have been appointed. Matt Ridley needs no introduction of course. Hennessy - the constitutional historian Peter Hennessy - seems to have said nothing on in the past on climate change (or very much on science for that matter, so I'm not sure why he has had the nod).
The committee is now to be chaired by the Earl of Selborne, whose other interests include his chairmanship of the Living With Environmental Change programme.
Reader Comments (15)
The Living With Environmental Change programme…………..
Homo Sapiens has, since about 48,000BC
The new committee could start considering this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/fracking/10911942/Russia-in-secret-plot-against-fracking-Nato-chief-says.html
"
Russia is secretly working with environmental groups campaigning against fracking in an attempt to maintain Europe's dependence on energy imports from Moscow, the secretary-general of Nato has said.
Speaking at the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank in London, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia was mounting a sophisticated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining attempts to exploit alternative energy sources such as shale gas."
They did the same (as sovjets) when they tried to get the western Europe left to resist US cruise missiles to counter USSR's already existing medium range nuclear missiles aimed at Europe. I remember it well.
I have no evidence to support Rasmussen's statement but long experience tells me to be surprised if Putin's Russia wasn't doing its level best to ensure that anything that loosens western dependence does not see the light of day.
They have used the envionmental lefties as their cats paws before and not a few of their useful idiots are still in place.
A few well-sited infiltrators should be able to blow this wide open though.
ADDENDUM I've just read the Telegraph report including the comment from "a Greenpeace spokesman". What I believe Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post once described as a "non-denial denial". Ditto the response from Friends of the Earth.
These (again from long experience, including from behind a reporter's notebook) are precisely the responses to be expected and need to be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt.
So do I.
No doubt some of the original Greenham Common Wimmin will be wrapping their unwashed offsprings' lentil & tofu sandwiches in yesterday's Guardian and waving them off - as daddy runs them down to the nearest Frack-Off demo in the Volvo.
Reminds me of a lovely photo in Peter Mandelson's biography - of him and his mummy unloading their CND banners from the boot of mummy's Sunbeam Rapier.
The national interest has never figured very strongly with middle class radicals.
Can the Krebs stand down be seen as a prequel to old fashioned 'carbon capture and storage' scenario?
The Soviets aka Russians aka Putin Oligarchy have played on the gullibility of the left since the 60s. Who can forget the penetration of almost every student political group by Soviet agents of various kinds? They fomented strikes and industrial disputes across the board. I recall bright but extreme left wingers going from Cambridge to work on the shop floors at Fords in 1971. They weren't there for the "unfair" but good wages and benefits.
That response from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth on that Russian antifracking campaign is ridiculous. Why on earth would the NATO secretary make that stuff up?
Maybe Lord Hennessy - the constitutional historian Peter Hennessy, could look-up all the occasions that any weather events were mentioned in our written histories. It could serve as a reminder to the more hysterical 'climate change' advocates that, yes indeed, weather has always changed.
I attended a presentation by Hennessey many years ago, and have a well-thumbed copy of his excellent book, "Cabinet", which is a history of UK Cabinets from WW2 to the 1970s.
He is not the man to swallow uncritically the orthodoxy about history, and hopefully will bring those qualities to his new job. Oh, and he admired Thatcher's ability as a politician.
Max Kieser on the Russia Toady - oops, Today channel has been doing his masters bidding and knocking fracking for over 2 years. Of course the useful idiots soak it up.
One of Lord Hennessey's declared non-financial interests is "Member, Management Council, Ditchley Foundation"
The Ditchley Foundation recently held a conference with the title: The shale gas energy revolution and geopolitics. The link goes to a lengthy note from the Director.
I remember it too. I remember the Soviets financing the euro terrorist organisations such as the Bader Meinhoff, Brigate Rosse and others. Ultimately it was the Soviet empire that crashed not western democracy.
I believe there's an unwritten law that says that the right ultimately always wins and that's how human civilisation progressed in spite of everything. One day this climate change lie will crash too and cheap energy will be back on our table ls and also available to third world countries giving them the opportunity to placate themselves from the poverty being imposed upon them by the UN and the Obamas of the world..
Thanks for the link, Gareth.
It seems like the Ditchley Foundation (which I had never heard of) are having a serious go at unravelling the issues around shale gas. And, given their cross-party membership, they have credibility.
Another good sign for Hennessey's membership of the Committee.
From the Ecclesiastical Uncle, an old retired bureaucrat in a field only remotely related to climate with minimal qualifications and only half a mind.
Ridley and Hennessey in a Lords Committee with warmists, so 'Ding Dong Merrily on High?'
I hope the Viscount does a better job with this than he did with Northern Rock! I mean it could be a disaster.
Why was Fred the Shred not made up to a Viscount by the way?